By means of columnar (CC), thin- layer (TLC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), the presence of carotenoids in 6 species of bumble-bee (Bombus genus) was studied. In one species by means of ion exchange chromatography (IEC) carotenoprotein were isolated. 19 carotenoids were identified and total content ranged from 3.4 to 20.5μg g^-1 dry wt. Blue fraction of carotenoprotein complexes from canthaxanthen as prosthetic group were obtained from the homogenate of Bombus lepidarius. The protein of this fraction contained 16 amino acids, mainly asparagine and glutamine with minimal methionine.