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'Europe' in Williams (Ed.): Bumblebee Sub Group Annual Report 2023 of the IUCN Wild Bee Specialist Group, IUCN Species Survival Commission, pp. 17-22.
Abstract
The BBSG is commissioned by the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC), with responsibilities centred around the Red List assessment of all bumblebee species world-wide (currently interpreted at ca 290 species). It has been running for more than two IUCN quadrennia and has completed first assessments for most of the species of the New World and Europe. These assessments have greatly advanced conservation action by identifying species at risk, allowing the most imperiled species to be listed at the national, state, and local scales, facilitating targeted projects for restoring and managing their habitats. Asia, with many more species and fewer specialists, remains a challenge. Surveys to map species distributions are now under way in many countries, which are compiling growing data bases of information on their bumblebees. During 2020 a growing need was recognised by the IUCN-SSC for providing information on threats and conservation for all wild bees (ca 20,000 species), not just bumblebees. The SSC proposed for its Species Strategic Plan Framework for the next quadrennium that it would commission a more inclusive Wild Bee Specialist Group (WBSG), to cover all bees. The breadth of the WBSG provides an opportunity to achieve more for the conservation of all bees world-wide. BBSG members are continuing actively the work on bumblebees, which is also helping through its conservation action all other wild bees as well.
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Bumblebees are a genus of pollinators ( Bombus ) that play important roles in natural ecosystem and agricultural production. Several bumblebee species have been recorded as under population decline, and the proportion of species experiencing population decline within subgenus Thoracobombus is higher than average. Bombus opulentus is 1 species in Thoracobombus , but little is known about its recent population dynamics. Here, we employed conservation genomics methods to investigate the population dynamics of B . opulentus during the recent past and identify the likely environmental factors that may cause population decline. Firstly, we placed the scaffold‐level of B . opulentus reference genome sequence onto chromosome‐level using Hi‐C technique. Then, based on this reference genome and whole‐genome resequencing data for 51 B . opulentus samples, we reconstructed the population structure and effective population size ( N e ) trajectories of B . opulentus and identified genes that were under positive selection. Our results revealed that the collected B . opulentus samples could be divided into 2 populations, and 1 of them experienced a recent population decline; the declining population also exhibited lower genetic diversity and higher inbreeding levels. Genes related to high‐temperature tolerance, immune response, and detoxication showed signals of positive selection in the declining population, suggesting that climate warming and pathogen/pesticide exposures may contribute to the decline of this B . opulentus population. Taken together, our study provided insights into the demography of B . opulentus populations and highlighted that populations of the same bumblebee species could have contrasting N e trajectories and population decline could be caused by a combination of various stressors.
Simple Summary
Our study investigated the dynamics of pathogen communities within Chinese bumblebee populations, a key issue for understanding emerging infectious diseases and their impacts on insect biodiversity loss. By employing computational modeling on extensive pathogen data from bumblebees, we uncover that the host species variation significantly influences pathogen assembly and occurrences, compared to environmental factors like climate and location. Moreover, our results reveal significant pathogen–pathogen interactions, with similar pathogens exhibiting facilitatory relationships and distinct pathogen types showing strong negative associations, possibly due to immune response interactions and competitive dynamics within hosts. Our findings highlight the role of host–pathogen coevolution and other ecological interactions in shaping pathogen communities. The implications of this work are substantial for bumblebee conservation, improving our understanding of pathogen dynamics that could inform strategies to stop declines in bumblebee populations.
Abstract
Bumblebees have been considered one of the most important pollinators on the planet. However, recent reports of bumblebee decline have raised concern about a significant threat to ecosystem stability. Infectious diseases caused by multiple pathogen infections have been increasingly recognized as an important mechanism behind this decline worldwide. Understanding the determining factors that influence the assembly and composition of pathogen communities among bumblebees can provide important implications for predicting infectious disease dynamics and making effective conservation policies. Here, we study the relative importance of biotic interactions versus interspecific host resistance in shaping the pathogen community composition of bumblebees in China. We first conducted a comprehensive survey of 13 pathogens from 22 bumblebee species across China. We then applied joint species distribution modeling to assess the determinants of pathogen community composition and examine the presence and strength of pathogen–pathogen associations. We found that host species explained most of the variations in pathogen occurrences and composition, suggesting that host specificity was the most important variable in predicting pathogen occurrences and community composition in bumblebees. Moreover, we detected both positive and negative associations among pathogens, indicating the role of competition and facilitation among pathogens in determining pathogen community assembly. Our research demonstrates the power of a pluralistic framework integrating field survey of bumblebee pathogens with community ecology frameworks to understand the underlying mechanisms of pathogen community assembly.
Habitat degradation and climate change are globally acting as pivotal drivers of wildlife collapse, with mounting evidence that this erosion of biodiversity will accelerate in the following decades1–3. Here, we quantify the past, present and future ecological suitability of Europe for bumblebees, a threatened group of pollinators ranked among the highest contributors to crop production value in the northern hemisphere4–8. We demonstrate coherent declines of bumblebee populations since 1900 over most of Europe and identify future large-scale range contractions and species extirpations under all future climate and land use change scenarios. Around 38–76% of studied European bumblebee species currently classified as ‘Least Concern’ are projected to undergo losses of at least 30% of ecologically suitable territory by 2061–2080 compared to 2000–2014. All scenarios highlight that parts of Scandinavia will become potential refugia for European bumblebees; it is however uncertain whether these areas will remain clear of additional anthropogenic stressors not accounted for in present models. Our results underline the critical role of global change mitigation policies as effective levers to protect bumblebees from manmade transformation of the biosphere.
Bumblebees (Bombus Latreille, 1802), because of their large body size, bright colours and activity at times and places that coincide with biologists, are an example of a group of insects that is particularly well represented in museum collections. This is important if taxonomic revisions are to achieve greater comparability among species. Bumblebees have also attracted particular attention because they are especially ecologically and economically valuable for pollination in north temperate regions, where they are now becoming increasingly threatened. I argue that the what, the where, and the how of effective conservation management may be informed by understanding the divergent characteristics that have affected their biogeographical past: by helping us to see ‘the woods’, not just ‘the trees’, of their habitat needs. Identifying suitable habitat should be part of reconstructing historical biogeography within taxonomic revisions. For bumblebees, for example, biogeographical analysis associates major taxonomic groups either with flower-rich lowland grasslands or with flower-rich montane grasslands, highlighting their contrasting requirements for: nest sites, flowers of different depths, pollen-plant families, and especially the differing importance of early spring and late summer flowers for breeding success. This broad view of species groups helps filter the less important idiosyncrasies from local case studies in order to focus conservation actions.
At a time when nature conservation has become essential to ensure the long-term sustainability of our environment, it is widely acknowledged that conservation actions must be implemented within a solid taxonomic framework. In preparation for the upcoming update of the IUCN Red List, we here update the European checklist of the wild bees (sensu the IUCN geographical framework). The original checklist, published in 2014, was revised for the first time in 2017. In the present revision, we add one genus, four subgenera and 67 species recently described, 40 species newly recorded since the latest revision (including two species that are not native to Europe), 26 species overlooked in the previous European checklists and 63 published synonymies. We provide original records for eight species previously unknown to the continent and, as original taxonomic acts, we provide three new synonyms, we consider two names as nomina nuda, ten names as nomina dubia, three as species inquirenda, synonymize three species and exclude 40 species from the previous checklist. Around a hundred other taxonomic changes and clarifications are also included and discussed. The present work revises the total number of genera for IUCN Europe to 77 and the total number of species to 2,138. In addition to specifying the taxonomic changes necessary to update the forthcoming Red List of European bees, we discuss the sampling and taxonomic biases that characterise research on the European bee fauna and highlight the growing importance of range expansions and species invasions.
Bumblebees are key pollinators, but their global decline is being driven by factors such as invasive species. Bombus terrestris has invaded many countries, displacing and competing with native bumblebees for resources throughout many different habitats, which causes native populations to decline. In the Chilean highlands, Bombus funebris—a Chilean species under threat—shares its habitat with B. terrestris, suggesting that the two species could be competing for resources (e.g., flowers or habitats) within this ecosystem. However, an information gap in this regard prevents us from proposing conservation measures. Our goals were (1) to assess overlapping distribution between native and invasive Bombus species, (2) to determine any niche overlap in the use of flowers between the two bumblebee species, and (3) to document the predictors that influence their abundance. We conducted a survey in northern Chile between 2017 and 2019 with different latitudinal and altitudinal sampling points to count bumblebees and record their interaction with flowers, both in natural and perturbed habitats. We analyzed their overlapping distribution using the chi-square test and evaluated the use of floral resources and their overlap niche through an interaction network analysis. Predictors and bumblebee abundance were associated with a general linear mixed model. We found the distribution of both bumblebees overlapped by 94.3%, whereas the overlap niche index (NO) for the common use of flowers was high between B. terrestris and B. funebris (NO = 0.78). The abundance of both bumblebee species was associated with the use of natural scrubland in the highlands. Our results suggest that both species are likely to have a competitive dynamic for floral resources in the high Andean scrubland. As such, we propose implementing an export ban on invasive bumblebee species, coordinating measures between bordering countries, removing any remaining B. terrestris populations, and restoring native flora to attract native pollinators and to provide and manage pollination services in the Chilean highlands.
The rapid naturalization of Bombus terrestris across the Nemuro Peninsula has led to a decline in two closely related native Japanese species, namely Bombus hypocrita sapporensis and Bombus cryptarum florilegus, both belonging to the common subgenus Bombus. Although it is widely believed that cross-mating of native and non-native species is influenced by the common male sex pheromone in this region, no study has been conducted to substantiate this claim. Thus, we investigated the cross-activities of male sex pheromones between native and non-native bumblebees, as well as the frequencies of cross-mating, using chemical and DNA assays. Our gas chromatography–electroantennographic detector analyses and behavioral tests revealed the presence of sex pheromonal cross-activities between B. terrestris and the two Japanese bumblebees species. Furthermore, DNA analyses revealed the occurrence of cross-mating between native and non-native species in the Nemuro Peninsula. Overall, these results indicate the immediate need for conservation measures to safeguard Japanese bumblebee populations in the Nemuro Peninsula.
Bombus flavescens Smith is one of the most widespread bumblebee species in the Oriental region. Due to colour polymorphisms, this species or species-complex has been a challenge for taxonomy. This study aims to assess the taxonomic status of the flavescens-complex using evidence from COI barcodes and morphology. We then reconstruct its biogeographic history from a phylogenetic analysis of populations across the current range, combining COI with 16S and nuclear PEPCK data. Despite a large range of polymor-phisms across its distribution, the results show that B. flavescens is a single species based on algorithmic species delimitation methods, and it is clearly separated from its sister species, B. rotundiceps Friese. We suggest that B. flavescens diverged from its sister lineage in the Himalaya and dispersed into Southeast Asia in the Pleistocene. Conservation of the widespread B. flavescens will need to consider its several unique island populations.
Although numerous ecotoxicological assessments of European honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) have been performed, Japanese wild bees are less well studied in this regard. To address this knowledge gap, we assessed the mortality and acute toxicity (LD50) of 3 common agricultural insecticides (clothianidin, fipronil, and diazinon) on as many as 6 species of Japanese wild bees (Andrena prostomias Perez, Apis cerana japonica Radoszkowski, Bombus deuteronymus Perez, Bombus honshuensis Tkalcu, Bombus hypocrita Perez, and Eucera spp.; all or any of them). The datasets were obtained via standard acute toxicity testing, with assessment of mortality at 24 and 48 h after exposure to the insecticides. These data provide important information regarding the effects of insecticides on Japanese wild bees and their conservation.
The subgenus Bombus s. str. (of the genus Bombus Latreille) includes
the bumblebee species of greatest commercial importance for
pollination world-wide as well as some of the bumblebee species
of greatest conservation concern. Species in this group have always
proved especially difficult to recognise because they are weakly
differentiated, not only in morphology, but also in their evenly
branching ‘bushy’ patterns within the fast-evolving COI gene tree.
A previous analysis of this tree was unusual in finding no significant
Yule-coalescent difference between slow inter-species branching
and fast intra-species branching and consequently used an approximation to recognise 17 species. The same global sample of 559 COI-barcodes is re-assessed here for evidence of species’ coalescents using Poisson-tree-process (PTP) models applied to the longest unique haplotypes. Results from this PTP re-analysis agree for 12 of the species but split five of the previous ‘species’ with improved
support, so that either 22 or 23 species are recognised depending
on the choice of outgroup. PTP adds support for: B. czserkianus Vogt
stat. nov.; B. ganjsuensis Skorikov stat. rev.; B. mckayi Ashmead stat.
rev.; B. minshanicola Bischoff stat. rev.; B. reinigi Tkalcu stat. rev.; and
possibly B. xanthopus Kriechbaumer stat. rev. These results provide
a more reliable and robust basis for faunal and conservation studies.
• Against the context of global wildlife declines, targeted mitigation strategies have become critical to preserve what remains of biodiversity. However, the effective development of conservation tools in order to counteract these changes relies on unambiguous taxonomic determination and delineation.
• In this study, we focus on an endemic bumblebee species recorded only from the highest altitudes of the Sierra Nevada (Spain), Bombus reinigiellus (Rasmont, 1983). The species has the smallest range of any European bumblebee, along with a restricted diet and an inability to disperse because of its isolated montane distribution, making it an appropriate conservation target. However, through an integrative taxonomic approach including genetics, morphometrics and semio-chemistry, we demonstrate the conspecificity of this taxon with one of the most common and widespread bumblebee species of Europe, Bombus hortorum (L. 1761). We assign a subspecies status to this endemic taxon (Bombus hortorum reinigiellus comb. nov.) shown to be different in colour and morphology but also in wing shape and relative wing size compared to the other conspecific subspecies.
• Following our taxonomic revision, we reassessed the IUCN conservation status of Bombus hortorum both at the continental and Spanish scale. We then propose how historic climatic oscillations of the last Ice age could explain such a phenotypic divergence in a post-glacial refugium and highlight the critical role of establishing unambiguous taxonomic revision prior to any conservation assessment.
Multisource approaches in taxonomy gather different lines of evidence in order to draw strongly supported taxonomic conclusions and constitute the basis of integrative taxonomy. In the case of overlooked taxa with disjunct distributions for which sampling is more challenging, integrative approaches help to propose stable hypotheses at the species and subspecies levels. Here, based on genetic and semio-chemical traits, we performed an integrative taxonomic analysis to evaluate species delimitation hypotheses within a monophyletic group of bumblebees (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Bombus) including the formerly recognized subgenera Eversmannibombus, Laesobombus and Mucidobombus which are now included in the subgenus Thoracobombus. Our results demonstrate the conspecificity of several polytypic taxa, and we formally recognize the subspecies Bombus laesus aliceae comb. nov. Cockerell, 1931, endemic to North Africa, based on its allopatry, unique mitochondrial haplotype and divergent cephalic labial gland secretions. This highlights the need to maintain studying polytypic complexes of bumblebee taxa for which phylogenetic relationships could be still entangled and eventually implement conservation strategies for taxonomically differentiated lineages.
Species are often presumed to be apparent in nature, but in practice they may be difficult to recognise, especially when viewed across continents rather than within a single site. Coalescent-based Poisson-tree-process (PTP) models applied to fast-evolving genes promise one quantitative criterion for recognising species, complete with the estimates of uncertainty that are required of a scientific method. Such methods face challenges especially in discerning between widespread polytypic species and complexes of closely related, restricted-range species. In particular, ‘over-sampling’ of many closely related individuals within one species could risk causing groups of less closely-related individuals within other species appearing relatively more distinct and consequently could risk them being interpreted falsely as separate species. Some of the most persistent taxonomic problems among bumblebees (genus Bombus Latreille, 1802) are within the subgenus Melanobombus von Dalla Torre, 1880. For a global revision of Melanobombus species, we use COI barcodes and seek to reduce the risk from localised over-sampling by filtering the data to include only unique haplotypes. Unique haplotypes give more conservative results than unfiltered data, but still increase the number of species in comparison with recent morphological treatments. After integrative assessment of COI coalescents in comparison with morphological groups, the number of accepted species shows a non-linear increase with sample size that plateaus to an increase of 47% (to 25 species) compared with a previous estimate (of 17) based on morphology alone. For the most widespread and variable species-complexes, our revised species improve the match to the patterns expected of species, both for genetic divergence-with-distance and for sympatry, leading to three main inferences. (1) The particularly widespread polytypic Bombus sichelii Radoszkowski, 1859, is a single species. (2) We detect two candidates for species within previous broad concepts of each of the former B. lapidarius (Linnaeus, 1758), B. miniatus Bingham, 1897, and B. rufofasciatus Smith, 1852. Within B. lapidarius s. lat. we find insufficient evidence to corroborate the candidate species, with no coalescent or morphological support for a recent claim for a separate species, B. bisiculus Lecocq, Biella, Martinet & Rasmont, 2019 described from southern Italy, but rather we find a weak and uncorroborated coalescent for a different and much broader group of samples from across south-eastern Europe but excluding Turkey. Within the former broad concepts of B. miniatus s. lat. and B. rufofasciatus s. lat. the coalescent evidence is stronger and subtle evidence from morphology corroborates recognising B. miniatus s. str. and B. eurythorax Wang, 1892 stat. rev. as separate species as well as B. rufofasciatus s. str. and B. prshewalskyi Morawitz, 1880 stat. rev. as separate species. (3) Our coalescent and morphological results ‘split’ more clearly what has long been interpreted as a single polytypic B. keriensis Morawitz, 1887, s. lat., by supporting novel concepts of the restricted range species: B. alagesianus Reinig, 1930 stat. rev., B. incertoides Vogt, 1911 stat. rev., B. keriensis s. str., B. qilianensis sp. nov., B. separandus Vogt, 1909 stat. rev., and B. tibeticus sp. nov. A lectotype is designated for the name B. keriensis and a neotype is designated for the name B. alagesianus. We estimate the phylogeny of Melanobombus species by including three slower-evolving genes to provide more evidence for deeper relationships, to estimate the time calibration of this phylogeny, and to estimate ancestral distributions, all within a Bayesian framework. We provide the first keys for identifying all of the species of Melanobombus.
The bumblebees of the subgenus Alpinobombus of the genus Bombus are unusual among bees for specialising in many of the most northerly vegetated arctic habitats on Earth. Most named taxa in this group (37 available names from a total of 67 names) were described originally from differences in the colour patterns of the hair. Previous revisions have shown unusually little agreement, recognising a range of 6‒9 species, in part because of pronounced intraspecific variation in both skeletal morphology and in the colour patterns of the hair. Here we examine variation among 4622 specimens from throughout the group’s global range. Bayesian inference of the gene tree for the fast evolving mitochondrial COI gene combined with Poisson-tree-process analysis of this tree shows support for 10 gene lineages as candidates for being putative species lineages. Integrative assessment shows that the interpretation of these results is not straightforward. Evidence from the fast evolving mitochondrial 16S ribosomal RNA gene supports two of the COI gene alleles (from the samples B. kluanensis s. str. and ‘unnamed2’) as being associated with just one 16S allele. Double COI bands on the PCR gels for these individuals and double peaks on sequence traces (in one case with both COI alleles sequenced from one individual) identifies this as a likely case of COI paralogy that has resulted in mitochondrial heteroplasmy. Evidence from morphology also supports only the remaining nine lineages as separate. Evidence from extracts of cephalic labial gland secretions (CLGS, with components believed to function as sex pheromones) reported by others shows small diagnostic differences between all of the candidate species examined (although B. kluanensis s. l. was not examined) and shows larger differences between all of the species pairs that we find are likely to have co-occurred at least in the past, revealing a likely limitation to the CLGS approach in cases of recent and continuously allopatric species. Consequently we infer nine species in the subgenus Alpinobombus (so that B. kluanensis s. str. and ‘unnamed2’ are interpreted as conspecific, as B. kluanensis s. l.). We provide distribution maps and identification keys for the nine species. The morphology of the male of B. kluanensis is described for the first time, including a unique, unusually dense pad of short hair on the mandible that may have a function involving CLGS in mate-searching behaviour. In seeking to identify the valid names for these species, seven new lectotypes are designated and support is provided for synonymizing 10 names as proposed in a recent summary table of names. The prevailing usage of Bombus balteatus Dahlbom is maintained as valid by proposing Bombus nivalis Dahlbom and Bombus tricolor Dahlbom as nomina oblita and by proposing Bombus balteatus Dahlbom as a nomen protectum. The prevailing usage of Bombus hyperboreus Schönherr is maintained as valid by supporting Apis arctica Quensel as a nomen oblitum and by supporting Bombus hyperboreus Schönherr as a nomen protectum. We then use sequence data from COI and 16S together with nuclear PEPCK and opsin genes to estimate dated phylogenetic relationships among the nine species, allowing for incongruent gene trees with *BEAST. If crown-group divergence within the subgenus Alpinobombus coincided with the global climate cooling and with the growth of the northern ice sheets at the end of the Miocene at ca 7.2 Ma, then divergences between each of the three pairs of sister species are likely to have coincided with fluctuations in vegetated land connections across the Bering Strait after ca 2.5 Ma.
Cold-adapted species are expected to reach their largest distribution range during a part of the Ice Ages while the post-glacial warming leads to their range contracting toward high latitude and high altitude areas. This results in extant allopatric distribution of populations and possibly to trait differentiations (selected or not) or even speciation. Assessing an inter-refugium differentiation or speciation remains challenging for such organisms because of sampling difficulties (several allopatric population) and disagreement on species concept. Here, we assessed post-glacial inter-refugia differentiation and potential speciation among populations of one of the most common arcto-alpine bumblebee species in European mountains, Bombus monticola Smith, 1849. Based on mitochondrial (mt) DNA/nuclear (nu) DNA markers and eco-chemical traits, we performed integrative taxonomic analyses to evaluate alternative species delimitation hypotheses and to assess geographic differentiation between interglacial refugia and speciation in arcto-alpine species. Our results show that trait differentiations occurred between most of South European mountains (i.e. Alps, Balkan, Pyrenees and Apennines) and Arctic regions. We suggest that the monticola complex actually includes three species: B. konradini sp. nov. status distributed in Italy (Central Apennine mountains), B. monticola with five subspecies, including B. monticola mathildis ssp. nov. distributed in the North Apennine mountains and B. lapponicus. Our results support that post Ice-Age periods can lead to speciation in cold-adapted species through distribution range contraction. We underline the importance of an integrative taxonomy approach for rigorous species delimitation and for evolutionary study and conservation of taxonomically challenging taxa.
The present study is an update to the first Red List of European Bees published in 2014. The additional records are based on (i) comprehensive review of literature; (ii) new data provided by bee specialists in response to the publication of the first Red List; (iii) new developments in taxonomy of European bees including description of new cryptic species; (iv) new specimens from recent field collections. While the first Red List included a list of 1965 wild bee species with 75 genera, we found 86 additional species, while two more genera have been erected (Seladonia and Vestitohalictus), giving an updated total of 2051 species and 77 genera. The authors discuss the artificial framework of the study considered by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to produce the first Red List and they propose the more meaningful West Palaearctic biogeographical region. For this whole region, a first estimation gives 3408 wild bee species in 105 genera. The next taxa have been erected from subspecies to species status: Andrena (Euandrena) limosa Warncke, 1969, stat. n., Andrena (Plastandrena) oligotricha Mavromoustakis, 1952, stat. n.
The introduction of the non-native bumblebee Bombus terrestris has resulted in the general decline of native bumblebees across Japan. The Nemuro Peninsula in eastern Hokkaido is one of the most important habitats for native bumblebees, as 10 of the 15 Japanese species, including the rare B. florilegus and B. hypocrita, occur in this region. We investigated the abundance and distribution of the 10 native species and B. terrestris throughout the Nemuro area from May to September 2009. We recorded over 1000 bumblebees on flowers during the study, including all 10 native species and B. terrestris. Although B. terrestris has just invaded the Nemuro Peninsula, it is already established throughout the entire region and is the dominant species in the center of Nemuro. We also confirmed that B. florilegus remained the rarest species with only two queens and 14 workers observed, all from coastal areas. The decline of bumblebees in the Nemuro area has already been affected by habitat degradation and fragmentation, but the rapid naturalization of B. terrestris across the entire peninsula will hasten the decline of other species, especially the rare B. fiorilegus and B. hypocrita. Therefore, urgent conservation measures are required to protect the Japanese bumblebees of the Nemuro Peninsula.
Bumble bees represent one of the most important groups of pollinators. In addition to their ecological and economic relevance, they are also a highly charismatic group which can help to increase the interest of people in realizing, enjoying and conserving natural systems. However, like most animals, bum- ble bees are sensitive to climate. In this atlas, maps depicting potential risks of climate change for bumble bees are shown together with informative summary statistics, ecological back- ground information and a picture of each European species.
Thanks to the EU FP7 project STEP, the authors gathered over one million bumblebee records from all over Europe. Based on these data, they modelled the current climatic niche for almost all European species (56 species) and projected future climatically suitable conditions using three climate change scenarios for the years 2050 and 2100. While under a moderate change scenario only 3 species are projected to be at the verge of extinction by 2100, 14 species are at high risk under an intermediate change scenario. Under a most severe change scenario as many as 25 species are projected to lose almost all of their climatically suitable area, while a total of 53 species (77% of the 69 European species) would lose the main part of their suitable area.
Climatic risks for bumblebees can be extremely high, depending on the future development of human society, and the corresponding effects on the climate. Strong mitigation strategies are needed to preserve this important species group and to ensure the sustainable provision of pollination services, to which they considerably contribute.
Bumblebees are important pollinators for wild flowers and agricultural crops. North China is a region of varied geomorphology and vegetation, with plateaus, plains, mountains and deserts, and is part of the greatest hotspot of bumblebee diversity worldwide. We report on a field survey of the bumblebees of North China made between 2005-2012. A sample of 21,636 bumblebee specimens are assigned to 76 species. One older specimen held in London added one more species to this list. Together, these 77 species represent 10 subgenera of the genus Bombus. Seven species are recorded from North China for the first time: B. (St.) distinguendus, B. (Th.) anachoreta, B. (Th.) pseudobaicalensis, B. (Th.) exil, B. (Ps.) campestris, B. (Pr.) infirmus and B. (Ag.) validus. We provide identification keys for both males and females, photographs of the common colour patterns, and distribution maps for all species. We describe variation in local species richness and abundance, and list the food plants used by bumblebees in North China. The most abundant 10 bumblebee species are: B. (Ml.) pyrosoma, B. (Bo.) lantschouensis, B. (Bo.) patagiatus, B. (St.) melanurus, B. (Sb.) sibiricus, B. (Bo.) ignitus, B. (Th.) hedini, B. (Pr.) picipes, B. (Mg.) trifasciatus and B. (Mg.) longipes. Bumblebees are distributed widely within North China, from low elevations near the edge of the North-China plain to high elevations at the edge of the east Qinghai-Tibetan plateau (65-4011 m). The highest species richness is found in meadows of the high elevation east Qinghai-Tibetan plateau and in forests of the Qilianshan mountains in southwestern Gansu. The 337 food plant species recorded here belong to 49 families, showing that bumblebees play an important role in interconnecting agricultural and natural ecosystems in North China.
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Bumblebees are important pollinators in mountainous regions. The highland region of Sichuan and Chongqing (together, Sichuan in the former broad sense) includes part of the greatest hotspot of bumblebee diversity world-wide, with half of the species of China and more than a fifth of the world's species. In this paper we present the first review of this diverse but particularly poorly known fauna, drawing on 6705 bees from selective samples made by the authors during field work and from museum collections, together with 1123 literature records (an overlapping set). Among this material we recognise 56 species that have 847 names (including infrasubspecific names). One new species, Bombus (Pyrobombus) wangae, is described from Sichuan and Gansu. B. laesus is found to have a colour pattern in this part of its range that was previously undescribed. Six species are recorded from the Sichuan-Chongqing region for the first time (B. avanus, B. branickii, B. humilis, B. norvegicus, B. tibetanus, B. difficillimus), of which B. avanus is only the second published record worldwide. One species, B. braccatus, is endemic to Sichuan and is confirmed as extant in 2005. We provide diagnoses and keys to species for both sexes. Colour variation is described, distributions within the Sichuan-Chongqing region are mapped, altitudinal and seasonal activity are plotted, and the authors' records of food plants are listed.
Bumblebees of the subgenus Bombus s. str. dominate (or used to dominate) many north temperate pollinator assemblages and include most of the commercial bumblebee pollinator species. Several species are now in serious decline, so conservationists need to know precisely which ones are involved. The problem is that many Bombus s. str. species are cryptic, so that species identification from morphology may be impossible for some individuals and is frequently misleading according to recent molecular studies. This is the first review of the entire subgenus to: (1) avoid fixed a priori assumptions concerning the limits of the problematic species; and (2) sample multiple sites from across the entire geographic ranges of all of the principal named taxa worldwide; and (3) fit an explicit model for how characters change within an evolutionary framework; and (4) apply explicit and consistent criteria within this evolutionary framework for recognising species. We analyse easily-obtained DNA (COI-barcode) data for 559 sequences from 279 localities in 33 countries using general mixed Yule-coalescent (GMYC) models, assuming only the morphologically distinctive species B. affinis Cresson, B. franklini (Frison), B. ignitus Smith and B. tunicatus Smith, and then recognise other comparable COI-barcode groups as putative species. These species correspond to modified concepts of the taxa B. cryptarum (Fabricius), B. hypocrita Perez, B. jacobsoni Skorikov, B. lantschouensis Vogt n. stat., B. longipennis Friese, B. lucorum (Linnaeus), B. magnus Vogt, B. minshanensis Bischoff n. stat., B. occidentalis Greene, B. patagiatus Nylander, B. sporadicus Nylander, B. terrestris (Linnaeus) and B. terricola Kirby (a total of 17 species). Seven lectotypes are designated. Our results allow us for the first time to diagnose all of the putative species throughout their global ranges and to map the extent of these geographic ranges.
Bombus cryptarum florilegus is a rare bumblebee in Japan. We tried to rear this bumblebee under laboratory conditions to investigate its nesting habits and colony development. Five queens out of 15 were successful in establishing colonies, and new queens and males were produced from these colonies. In the laboratory colonies, the average numbers of workers, males, and new queens per colony of B. cryptarum florilegus were 15.2 ± 4.7, 26.0 ± 8.0, and 2.0 ± 2.1, respectively. Although a feral colony producing five hundred cocoons has been reported, B. cryptarum florilegus established small colonies under laboratory conditions. Further study suggests that the improvement of rearing technique is required to produce the large colony of B. cryptarum florilegus.
The latest progress of the taxonomy is the use of integrative approach for species delimitation based on a multisource dataset. However, the taxonomic decision that should be made when convergence between the different lines of evidence is not observed remains debated. Here, we investigate the consequences of the application of an "integration by cumulation" approach on the taxonomic statuses within the Bombus lapidarius complex when using an integrative taxonomic framework (i.e. nuclear and mitochondrial markers along with reproductive traits) compared to a strict "integration by congruence" method. Our results show similar taxonomic conclusions whatever the decision-making approach used except for one taxon. According to the differentiation observed in our integrative taxonomic framework, recent divergence time, and other field observations for this taxon, we assume that a too strict decision-making method could fail to detect recently diverged species. This is exemplified by the here described a new species Bombus bisiculus sp. n.
Many islands are biodiversity hotspots that host numerous endemic species. Unfortunately, insular faunas suffer from high rates of extinction and endangerment, and numerous conservation plans have been developed for their protection. These conservation plans are often assessed on the basis of occurrence and proportion of endemic taxa. However, delimitations of species and subspecies are still confusing and controversial. From a practical point of view, these disagreements make it difficult for government agencies and non-governmental organizations to initiate conservation measures. The present study develops a pragmatic integrative taxonomic approach on the basis of molecular and eco-chemical criteria. This
method is applied to the insular bumblebee fauna of Corsica. For each taxon, the differentiation of Corsican taxa from the nearest related allopatric parents is characterized using genetic markers and the chemical composition of cephalic labial gland secretions. Phylogenetic analyses, Bayesian implementation of the
general mixed Yule-coalescent approach, and comparative chemical studies show that two Corsican taxa can be considered as endemic species while five others can be considered as subspecies. Regardless of the taxonomic assessment the method facilitates diagnosis of evolutionarily significant units and rank taxa according to their distinctiveness. International Union for Conservation of Nature red lists are
reconsidered according to the new taxonomic hypothesis for Corsican bumblebees. Modifications in species assessments are proposed. The present approach provides useful data sets for policy-makers and conservation organizations.
The Short-haired Bumblebee Reintroduction Project 10 Year Report
- N Gammans
Gammans N (2020) The Short-haired Bumblebee Reintroduction Project 10 Year Report. Bumblebee
Conservation Trust, Eastleigh, UK. 36 pp.
Faunistic and systematic studies on the species of Apidae (Hymenoptera) in the Marmara Region of Turkey
- E Bacak
Bacak E. (1923) Faunistic and systematic studies on the species of Apidae (Hymenoptera) in the Marmara
Region of Turkey. PhD Thesis. Istanbul University Institute of Science.
Mitochondrial genome studies on some Bombus (Hymenoptera: Apidae) species
- S Türkmen
Türkmen S (2023) Mitochondrial genome studies on some Bombus (Hymenoptera: Apidae) species. MSc Thesis,
Istanbul University Institute of Science.
Investigation of interspecific and intraspecific gut microbiome content difference in bumblebees using sequencing approaches
- G Yeşilyurt
Yeşilyurt G (1923) Investigation of interspecific and intraspecific gut microbiome content difference in
bumblebees using sequencing approaches. PhD Thesis. Istanbul University Institute of Science.
Distributional pattern and food plants of Western Himalayan bumble bees from Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve
- R H Raina
- T Jangid
- P Choudhary
- I Sharma
Raina RH, Jangid T, Choudhary P, Sharma I (2023) Distributional pattern and food plants of Western Himalayan
bumble bees from Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve. Indian Journal of Entomology, 1-6.
https://doi.org/10.55446/IJE.2023.1448.
Bombus of México and Central America (Hymenoptera, Apidae)
- J M Labougle
Labougle JM (1990) Bombus of México and Central America (Hymenoptera, Apidae). Kansas University Science
Bulletin 54: 35-73.
Discovery of a mature nest of Bombus cryptarum florilegus (Hymenoptera: Apidae) from Nemuro Peninsula
- E Fujimoto
- H Konno
- J Takahashi
Fujimoto E, Konno H, Takahashi J (2022) Discovery of a mature nest of Bombus cryptarum florilegus
(Hymenoptera: Apidae) from Nemuro Peninsula, Japan. Japan Journal of Entomology, 25: 9-13 (in Japanese
with English Abstract).
Note supplémentaire sur la taxonomie et répartition géographique de quelques bourdons Japonais, avec la description d'une nouvelle sous-espèce
- S F Sakagami
- R Ishikawa
Sakagami SF, Ishikawa R (1972) Note supplémentaire sur la taxonomie et répartition géographique de quelques
bourdons Japonais, avec la description d'une nouvelle sous-espèce. Bulletin of the National Science Museum,
Tokyo 15: 607-616.
Identification guide to Japanese bees (Hymenoptera, Apiformes) (excluding a part of Lasioglossum, Megachilidae and Apidae (Nomada)). Special Publication of The Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Natural History
- K Watanabe
- H Nagase
Watanabe K, Nagase H (2022) Identification guide to Japanese bees (Hymenoptera, Apiformes) (excluding a
part of Lasioglossum, Megachilidae and Apidae (Nomada)). Special Publication of The Kanagawa Prefectural
Museum of Natural History, No. 1.