[4] B. muscorum was one of the many insect species originally described in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae.

It is part of the tribe Bombini, which contains a single living genus Bombus, consisting entirely of bumblebees.

[7] Certain forms of this variable taxon are considered separate species by some authors, including B. bannitus and B.

Populations of other species, such as Bombus pascuorum, appear to be replacing B. muscorum in some parts of Northern Britain.

[4] B. muscorum inhabits moors, grasslands, and salt marshes, where it builds its nest above ground.

[16] In the British Isles, B. muscorum nests in open landscapes near coastal areas in the lowlands.

The species has a strong preference for flowers of the families Fabaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Lamiaceae, and Asteraceae.

[3] Common food sources include clover, bird's-foot trefoil, vetches, and thistles.

After a suitable site is found, the queen lays a small batch of diploid eggs.

[19] B. muscorum is thought to be a monandrous species; the queen mates only once with a single male to start a new colony.

[15] This monandrous behavior decreases the amount of genetic variation present in a single colony relative to that of a polygynous or polyandrous species.

[18] Male mating strategies of bumblebees can be grouped into four broad categories: patrolling, racing, territorial, and cruising.

In this strategy, males choose a perch outside of a mature nest and pursue potential mates that it spots.

Males compete with one another for preferred perches, each attempting to find a spot close to the nest entrance.

[10][22] It rarely, if ever, crosses sea barriers greater than 10 km to establish a nesting site.

[23] Infections have been linked to reduced individual and colony fitness, but the specific relationship between Crithidia bombi and B. muscorum is complex.

[25] Due to recent decades of agricultural intensification in Europe, the natural habitat of B. muscorum has been largely diminished.

Many of the permanent flower-rich areas where the bee commonly forages have been destroyed by increased commercial farming.

[26] B. muscorum has poor dispersal ability compared to other species of bumblebee, making it more vulnerable to habitat loss.

As grasslands on sea walls are predominantly unimproved, they have become an important habitat for rare insect species such as B. muscorum.

Current research is examining how these sea walls can be maintained to preserve rare populations.