There are over 270 species of bee in the UK and the differences are often very subtle. The White-tailed Bumblebee sounds easy, but there are several species with white tails (including the Buff-tailed Bumblebee). As well as the white tail, this bumblebee has two yellow bands around its waist and shoulders which are lemon yellow as opposed to the normal orange of many bees. White-tailed Bumblebees are found all over the UK, one of seven commonly found bumblebees. The White-tailed Bumblebee in the photo below is the male. It is quite different in appearance to the queen/worker, with more bands of yellow, a black area on its shoulders and it has a very hairy yellow face. The second photo shows the female.