Recognition and identification of bumblebee species in the Bombus lucorum-complex (Hymenoptera, Apidae) – A review and outlook

Abstract

The recognition of cryptic species represents one of the major challenges in current taxonomy and affects our understanding of global diversity. In practice, the process from discovery to acceptance in the scientific community can take an extensive length of time. A prime example is the traditionally difficult taxonomy of the cryptic bumblebee species belonging to the Bombus lucorum-complex. The status of the three European species in the group -Bombus lucorum and the closely related Bombus cryptarum and Bombus magnus -has recently become widely accepted, primarily due to investigations of nucleotide sequences and marking pheromones. In contrast, doubts prevail concerning the validity of species identification based on morphology. As a consequence, our knowledge of the species is muddled in a mire of unreliable and confusing literature data from a large number of authors over the centuries. To clarify this issue, this paper provides a recapitulation of the historical literature and highlights the milestones in the process of species recognition. Further, the possibility of a morphologically based species identification is discussed in the context of new molecular data. Finally, this review outlines the current challenges and provides directions for future issues.

Bumblebees (Hymenoptera, Apidae, <i>Bombus</i> Latr.) of the thermal spring Pymvashor, north-east of European Russia

“…However, we have to consider our specimens as B. cf. cryptarum, because morphological identification of these species is unreliable (Bossert 2015). It is most likely that B. cryptarum is represented at Pymvashor.…”

Contribution to the knowledge of the bumblebee fauna in the Southern Taymyr

“…Difficulties, concerning the morphological identification of the cryptic species Bombus lucorum complex (B. lucorum, B. cryptarum and B. magnus Vogt, 1911) until the end of the 2000s, led to the circumstance that in various regional studies these species were recorded actually as a species complex B. lucorum (Rasmont and Iserbyt 2019). In the most cases it is necessary the DNA barcoding (Bossert 2015). It is known that B. cryptarum almost completely replaces B. lucorum and B. magnus in the territories to the north of the Arctic Circle (Pamilo et al 1997, Rasmont andIserbyt 2019).…”

Local fauna of bumblebees (Hymenoptera, Apidae) in the lower reaches of the Northern Dvina River

“…Identification of species of the Bombus lucorum-complex is according to Rasmont (1984), Rasmont et al (1986), and Rasmont and Terzo (2010). However, according to Bossert (2015), the identification of these cryptic species solely in accordance with morphological characters and without using the DNA-barcoding is not always reliable, especially for workers and males. We identified most of the specimens of this complex from the lower reaches of the Northern Dvina River as B. cf.…”