A MORPHOMETRIC STUDY OF THE TAXONOMIC STATUS OF <i>BOMBUS SANDERSONI</i> (HYMENOPTERA: APIDAE)

Plowright, R. C.; Pallett, M. J.

doi:10.4039/ent110647-6

Cited by 7 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Bombus vagans vagans and B. sandersoni present a particular problem, because their colour patterns are identical and they can only be satisfactorily separated by jointly considering several morphological characters (Plowright and Pallett 1978). We estimate that about 5% of specimens identified by the key will be incorrect.…”

Section: Characters Used In Identificationmentioning

confidence: 92%

“…These species include B. sandersoni and B. frigidus (see Plowright and Pallett 1978 for details) and B. balteatus and B. kirbyellus Curtis (see Thorp et al 1983). These species include B. sandersoni and B. frigidus (see Plowright and Pallett 1978 for details) and B. balteatus and B. kirbyellus Curtis (see Thorp et al 1983).…”

Section: Characters Used In Identificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Spiders (Araneae) in Corn Fields in Quebec

Provencher¹,

Coderre

Dondale³

1988

Can Entomol

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Section: Characters Used In Identificationmentioning

confidence: 92%

Section: Characters Used In Identificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spiders (Araneae) in Corn Fields in Quebec

Provencher¹,

Coderre

Dondale³

1988

Can Entomol

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“…In North America, several identification guides exist for bumble bees [ 23 , 25 , 26 , 27 ], however, there are still challenges to the identification of some similarly colored cryptic species. Hair coloration is an important field characteristic for identification, yet it has been widely acknowledged that accurate identifications based on hair coloration are complicated by chromatic variability within species and convergent evolution between species [ 23 , 28 , 29 , 30 ]. For example, Franklin [ 25 ] confessed that he had “much difficulty in describing the colors exhibited by the pile of the various species.” Therefore, errors in identification may result without careful examination of morphological characters [ 28 , 31 , 32 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition to their morphologic similarities, these species share a confusing history that is complicated by the fact that important early taxonomic work on this group was conducted solely on spring-caught queens and males [ 25 , 28 ]. Franklin initially described B. sandersoni as a subspecies of B. vagans noting slight differences in their malar space.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Franklin initially described B. sandersoni as a subspecies of B. vagans noting slight differences in their malar space. Frison [ 33 ] did not agree with Franklin’s determinations that B. sandersoni was a subspecies of B. vagans and instead suggested that B. sandersoni was actually a color variety of B. frigidus Smith based on his observations of the male genitalia [ 28 ]. Later, Mitchell [ 27 ] and Soroye and Bucks [ 34 ] classified B. sandersoni as a separate species from B. vagans, also based on differences in the malar length in spring-caught queens [ 28 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Validating Morphometrics with DNA Barcoding to Reliably Separate Three Cryptic Species of Bombus Cresson (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Milam

Johnson

Andersen

et al. 2020

Insects

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Despite their large size and striking markings, the identification of bumble bees (Bombus spp.) is surprisingly difficult. This is particularly true for three North American sympatric species in the subgenus Pyrobombus that are often misidentified: B. sandersoni Franklin, B. vagans Smith B. perplexus Cresson. Traditionally, the identification of these cryptic species was based on observations of differences in hair coloration and pattern and qualitative comparisons of morphological characters including malar length. Unfortunately, these characteristics do not reliably separate these species. We present quantitative morphometric methods to separate these species based on the malar length to width ratio (MRL) and the ratios of the malar length to flagellar segments 1 (MR1) and 3 (MR3) for queens and workers, and validated our determinations based on DNA barcoding. All three measurements discriminated queens of B. sandersoni and B. vagans with 100% accuracy. For workers, we achieved 99% accuracy by combining both MR1 and MR3 measurements, and 100% accuracy differentiating workers using MRL. Moreover, measurements were highly repeatable within and among both experienced and inexperienced observers. Our results, validated by genetic evidence, demonstrate that malar measurements provide accurate identifications of B. vagans and B. sandersoni. There was considerable overlap in the measurements between B. perplexus and B. sandersoni. However, these species can usually be reliably separated by combining malar ratio measurements with other morphological features like hair color. The ability to identify bumble bees is key to monitoring the status and trends of their populations, and the methods we present here advance these efforts.

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A checklist of the bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) of Minnesota

PORTMAN,

GARDNER,

LANE

et al. 2023

Zootaxa

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Research studies and conservation actions aimed at improving conditions for bees require a basic understanding of which species are present in a given region. The US state of Minnesota occupies a unique geographic position at the confluence of eastern deciduous forests, northern boreal forests, and western tallgrass prairie, which has led to a diverse and unique bee fauna. In recent years there have been multiple ongoing bee-focused inventory and research projects in Minnesota. Combined with the historic specimens housed in the University of Minnesota Insect Collection and other regional collections, these furnished a wealth of specimens available to form the basis of a statewide checklist. Here, we present the first comprehensive checklist of Minnesota bee species, documenting a total of 508 species in 45 genera. County-level occurrence data is included for each species, and further information on distribution and rarity is included for species of regional or national interest. Some species have their taxonomy clarified, with Perdita citrinella Graenicher, 1910 syn. nov. recognized as a junior synonym of Perdita perpallida Cockerell, 1901, P. bequaerti syn. nov. recognized as a junior synonym of P. pallidipennis Graenicher, 1910 stat. nov., Anthidiellum boreale (Robertson, 1902) stat. nov. recognized as a full species, and Anthidiellium beijingense Portman & Ascher nom. nov. is proposed for A. boreale Wu to resolve the homonymy with A. boreale (Robertson). We further include a list of species that may occur in Minnesota and highlight 11 species occurring in the state that are considered non-native. Recent collecting efforts, as well as increased taxonomic attention paid to Minnesota bees, have resulted in 66 species that have only been documented in the last 10 years. As a first step in determining native bees of conservation concern, we document 38 species that have not been detected in the state during the last 50 years and discuss their conservation status, along with other species for which evidence of decline exists. The checklist of Minnesota bees will continue to grow and change with additional surveys and research studies. In particular, recent surveys have continued to detect new bee species, and many bee groups are in need of taxonomic revision, with the most recent revisions for many genera occurring decades ago. Overall, this checklist strengthens our understanding of the bees of Minnesota and the broader region, informs conservation assessments, and establishes a baseline for faunal change.

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A MORPHOMETRIC STUDY OF THE TAXONOMIC STATUS OF BOMBUS SANDERSONI (HYMENOPTERA: APIDAE)

Cited by 7 publications

References 8 publications

Spiders (Araneae) in Corn Fields in Quebec

Spiders (Araneae) in Corn Fields in Quebec

Validating Morphometrics with DNA Barcoding to Reliably Separate Three Cryptic Species of Bombus Cresson (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

A checklist of the bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) of Minnesota

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