B. lucorum has been distinguished from B. terrestris by most authors for almost a century and this distinction is no more disputed. On the contrary, the distinction between B. lucorum, B. magnus and B. cryptarum is recent and is accepted only reluctantly by some authors.
Bombus lucorum is very widespread in Europe, reaching the coast of the Barent's See to the North. However, in the southern countries, it remains in the hills and the mountains, never reaching the Mediterranean coast.
Though very widespread, B. lucorum has not been as widely studied as B. terrestris. Because its colonies are smaller, its diapause longer and its ecological requirements more restrictive, it has never been domesticated.
P. Rasmont