Bombus auricomus (Black and Gold Bumble Bee)

One of the largest bumble bee species, black and gold, is very common in the Great Lakes ecosystem. Finding and drawing this Bombus auricomus (“with golden hair”) female body through a microscope set me on a journey, marrying my love of natural science illustration and quilting. Her large body has wonderfully distinct black and yellow segments, allowing me to experiment with pattern making and sewing techniques. It was a great challenge and pleasure to discover various values and thread techniques to solve for the furry body and translucent wings. I created the hexagon form often associated with bees, though the bumble bee uses many tubular plants to call home.