DOCSLIB.ORG

The Status of the Western Bumble Bee (Bombus Occidentalis

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Status of the Western Bumble Bee (Bombus Occidentalis To the University of Wyoming: The members of the Committee approve the thesis of Christine Bell presented on 8 May 2019. Dr. Michael E. Dillon, Chairperson Dr. Lusha Tronstad, Co-Chairperson Dr. Timothy Collier, External Department Member Zach Wallace APPROVED: Dr. Merav Ben-David, Department Chair, Zoology and Physiology Dr. Paula Lutz, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Bell, Christine, Sampling methods and distribution modeling of bees: the status of the western bumble bee (Bombus occidentalis) in Wyoming, M.S., Zoology and Physiology, August 2019. Native bees provide crucial pollination services in both agricultural and natural settings. Several native bee populations have experienced declines in the last few decades, particularly bumble bees (genus Bombus). The western bumble bee (B. occidentalis) has been petitioned for listing under the Endangered Species Act, and this bee has historically occurred in Wyoming. However, the western bumble bee has not been monitored or surveyed in Wyoming for the last decade. Monitoring declining species is essential to evaluate their conservation status and to inform future management practices as well as policy. Here, we first examine how sampling methods (both passive and active) affect the abundance and number of taxa of bees collected. We then fit species distribution models for B. occidentalis using both historical and new data. We found that sampling method does affect the number and species of bees we collected, and we recommend that surveyors tailor their protocols to the taxa of interest. Our models suggest a decline in predicted suitable habitat for the western bumble bee in Wyoming. 1 SAMPLING METHODS AND DISTRIBUTION MODELING OF BEES: THE STATUS OF THE WESTERN BUMBLE BEE (BOMBUS OCCIDENTALIS) IN WYOMING By Christine Bell A thesis submitted to the Department of Zoology and Physiology and the University of Wyoming in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE in ZOOLOGY Laramie, WY August 2019 COPYRIGHT PAGE ©2019, Christine Bell ii ACKNOWLEGDEMENTS I would like to thank my advisors, Dr. Lusha Tronstad and Dr. Michael Dillon, as well as the members of my committee, Dr. Timothy Collier and Zach Wallace. I am very grateful to US National Parks Service, US National Forest Service, Wyoming State Parks, and private landowners for providing us access to sample sites. I would also like to thank technicians Madison Crawford, Charles Anderson, and Tighe Jones for their help in the field, Matthew Green for his help in the lab and the field, and Dr. Scott Hotaling and Mark Andersen for their assistance. This project was funded by the Wyoming Bureau of Land Management, US Forest Service, Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative, Wyoming NASA Space Grant Consortium, and the University of Wyoming Biodiversity Institute. (Permit numbers GRTE- 2017-SCI-0035, YELL-2017-SCI-8002, FOLA-2018-SCI-0005, DETO-2018-SCI-0007) iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter One: Evaluating the best monitoring protocols for bees: vane traps, bee cups, and netting are not equal………………………………………………………………………………………. 1 Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………1 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………..2 Methods……………………………………………………………………………………4 Results……………………………………………………………………………………..6 Discussion…………………………………………………………………………………9 Chapter Two: Using species distribution models to assess the status of the declining western bumble bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Bombus occidentalis)………………………………………13 Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………..13 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………14 Methods…………………………………………………………………………………..17 Results……………………………………………………………………………………18 Discussion………………………………………………………………………………..20 References………………………………………………………………………………………..23 Tables…………………………………………………………………………………………….29 Figure Captions…………………………………………………………………………………..38 Figures……………………………………………………………………………………………41 iv CHAPTER 1 Evaluating the best monitoring protocols for bees: vane traps, bee cups, and netting are not equal Abstract Bees are prolific and vital pollinators in both agricultural and natural settings, but some populations are declining, including the western bumble bee (Bombus occidentalis). Monitoring declining species is crucial to understand their status and conservation needs; however, a lack of standardized sampling methods can make range-wide monitoring difficult. Monitoring bees is usually done by three common sampling methods: blue vane traps, bee cups, and aerial netting. Here we examine the difference in abundance and assemblages of bees sampled with these methods in Wyoming, USA, with a particular focus on bumble bees (genus Bombus). We sampled in Wyoming across 5 Level III Ecoregions. At each site we deployed the three most common methods as described above. We compared catch rate (insects/hour) and assemblage (total number of taxa represented) for all bee genera and for species of Bombus. We collected both a greater abundance and assemblage of bees in vane traps than bee cups, with the exception of smaller sweat bees. The abundance of Bombus species collected did not vary between the vane traps and aerial netting; however, the assemblages detected were different between these two sampling methods. Our analysis suggests that sampling methods can affect both the abundance and assemblage of bees, and that sampling protocols should be tailored to the taxa of interest. 1 Introduction Pollinators are vital to most terrestrial ecosystems for plant reproduction in both wild and agricultural settings. As many as 80% of native plant species depend on insect pollination to reproduce (Potts et al., 2010), including 35% of crops grown for human consumption. (Klein et al., 2007) Pollination by native bees often increases fruit set (Garibaldi et al., 2013). However, some native bee populations have been experiencing declines (Cameron et al., 2011; Jacobson et al., 2018; Meiners et al., 2019). Potential drivers of native bee declines include climate change, habitat loss and fragmentation, pathogens, invasive species, and pesticides (Potts et al., 2010). Declines in abundance of pollinators could negatively affect native plant populations (Potts et al., 2010), which could cause cascading effects for other herbivorous wildlife that feed on insect- pollinated plants like forbs and shrubs. Declining pollinators would likely have detrimental effects on crops requiring insect pollination, as many crops are sufficiently pollinated by native bees regardless of the presence of managed honey bees (Garibaldi et al., 2013; Mallinger and Gratton, 2014). Pollinator declines in the United States have been so precipitous that one species, the rusty-patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis), has been listed as Endangered in the United States under the Endangered Species Act (ESA; FR 50 CFR 17 3816 January 11, 2017), and three other species have been petitioned for ESA listing: the yellow-banded bumble bee (B. terricola), the western bumble bee (B. occidentalis), and Franklin’s bumble bee (B. franklini) (Defenders of Wildlife, 2015). Monitoring the decline of pollinator populations is crucial to understand their status and to identify potential causes for their declines (Joshi et al., 2015; Meiners et al., 2019; Rhoades et al., 2017). The lack of standardized sampling protocols in pollinator research makes comparison of studies and range-wide monitoring difficult (Lebuhn et al., 2013). Several methods are 2 commonly used to sample pollinators: colored pan traps/bee cups, vane traps, and aerial netting (Rhoades et al., 2017; Roulston et al., 2007; Wilson et al., 2008). Pan traps are colored bowls or cups usually filled with soapy water that sample bees passively, and are perhaps the most widely used method (Droege et al., 2010). Vane traps, a more novel passive sampling method, are plastic jars fitted with a lid with two intersecting vanes (Stephen and Rao, 2005). Netting involves active sampling either by sweep netting vegetation or visually targeting bees and capturing them in an aerial insect net. These three methods can vary in both the abundance and diversity of bees sampled (Grundel et al., 2011; Rhoades et al., 2017). For example, cups tend to catch a higher abundance of small bees while vanes primarily caught large bees (Joshi et al., 2015; McCravy et al., 2018). Sampling effort (e.g. netting duration and size of survey area, how long traps are deployed) will also change estimates of bee abundance and assemblage (Roulston et al., 2007; Wilson et al., 2008). Additionally, understanding what bees each sampling method collects is useful to better evaluate the status of the bee of interest, like bumble bees. Bumble bees are efficient generalist pollinators that provide invaluable ecosystem services to both forbs and insect-pollinated crops (Losey and Vaughan, 2006). In the last few decades, notable bumble bee declines have been observed in the United Kingdom (Goulson et al., 2008) and in the U.S. (e.g. Cameron et al., 2011; Colla and Packer, 2008; MacPhail et al., 2019). Monitoring is essential to help inform management practices and policy, which includes sampling methods. Different sampling methods – particularly vane traps and aerial netting – are known to be more effective for collecting bumble bees (Stephen and Rao, 2005; Strange and Tripodi, 2019); however, we are not aware of any studies that compare the abundance and assemblage of bumble bees collected using vane traps, bee cups, and netting. 3 Our objective was to investigate how different sampling methods altered the abundance and assemblage (total number
Load more

Recommended publications
  • In Northeastern Oregon
    Northwest Science Notes The purpose of Notes is to publish papers typically less than five pages long. No specific format or content is required for articles published as Notes, but all will be peer-reviewed and must be scientifically credible. Authors may contact the Editor about the suitability of manuscripts for this section. Sujaya Rao1, William P. Stephen, Department of Crop and Soil Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331 Chiho Kimoto, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331 and Sandra J. DeBano, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Oregon State University, Hermiston, Oregon 97838. The Status of the ‘Red-Listed’ Bombus occidentalis (Hymenoptera: Apiformes) in Northeastern Oregon Abstract The western bumble bee, Bombus occidentalis, is included on the red list of bees by The Xerces Society. It was once a common bumble bee west of the Cascades but in the late 1990s it experienced a dramatic decline along coastal regions. The cause was speculated to be due to the introduction of pathogens from captive-bred bumble bees used for pollination of greenhouse crops. In extensive surveys conducted in western and southern Oregon, 10 individuals have been recorded since 2000. In this note, we report the collection of 49 individual B. occidentalis over two years in the Zumwalt Prairie Preserve of northeastern Oregon. This finding shows that B. occidentalis persists in northeastern regions of the Pacific Northwest, either because of geographic isolation from or potential resistance to the pathogens that decimated populations in the western part of the region. Further research is needed to determine its occurrence in other regions of its historical range to assess the extent of its decline.
    [Show full text]
  • The Western Bumble Bee Was Once Commonly Found N R in the Western United States and Canada
    Thanks to Dr. Robbin Thorp, UC Davis. UC Thorp, Robbin Dr. to Thanks Guide developed and illustrated by Elaine Evans, The Xerces Society. Xerces The Evans, Elaine by illustrated and developed Guide Bombus appositus Bombus Bombus morrisoni Bombus Funding for bumble bee conservation provided by the CS Fund. CS the by provided conservation bee bumble for Funding Bombus melanopygus Bombus Bombus bifarius Bombus Visit www.xerces.org/bumblebees for more information. more for www.xerces.org/bumblebees Visit Bombus occidentalis Bombus , please contact [email protected] contact please , find you If FOR INVERTEBRATE CONSERVATION INVERTEBRATE FOR S X T OCIETY ERCES HE B. occidentalis B. populations. remaining will use this information to promote conservation of of conservation promote to information this use will www.xerces.org/bumblebees Society and scientists studying bumble bee decline decline bee bumble studying scientists and Society will help document their current range. The Xerces Xerces The range. current their document help will P h o in recent years. Your efforts to search for this bee bee this for search to efforts Your years. recent in t o b y D e Found in the mountains and northern areas northern and mountains the in Found r Columbia to central California have nearly disappeared disappeared nearly have California central to Columbia r Bombus huntii Bombus mixtus Bombus i c k D historic range, but populations from southern British British southern from populations but range, historic i t c h still be found in northern and eastern parts of their their of parts eastern and northern in found be still b u United States and Canada.
    [Show full text]
  • The Conservation Status of Bumble Bees of Canada, the USA, and Mexico
    The Conservation Status of Bumble Bees of Canada, the USA, and Mexico Scott Hoffman Black, Rich Hatfield, Sarina Jepsen, Sheila Colla and Rémy Vandame Photo: Clay Bolt Importance of Bumble Bees There are 57 bumble bee species in Canada, US and Mexico. Hunt’s bumble bee; Bombus huntii , Photo: Clay Bolt Importance of Bumble Bees Important pollinator of many crops. Bombus sandersoni , Sanderson’s bumble bee Photo: Clay Bolt Importance of Bumble Bees Keystone pollinator in ecosystems. Yelllowheaded bumble bee, Bombus flavifrons Photo: Clay Bolt Bumble Bee Extinction Risk Assessment Network of 75+ bumble bee experts & specialists worldwide Goal: global bumble bee extinction risk assessment using consistent criteria Bumble Bee Extinction Risk Assessment IUCN Red List Criteria for Evaluating Extinction Risk • Used a database of 250,000+ specimen records (created from multiple data providers and compiled by Leif Richardson for Bumble Bees of North America) • Evaluate changes between recent (2002-2012) and historic (pre-2002): • Range (Extent of Occurrence) • Relative abundance • Persistence (50 km x 50 km grid cell occupancy) Sources: Hatfield et al. 2015 Bumble Bee Extinction Risk Assessment IUCN Red List Criteria for Evaluating Extinction Risk • Analyses informed application of Red List Categories; BBSG members provided review • This method was then adapted applied to South American and Mesoamerican bumble bees. Sources: Hatfield et al. 2015 Bumble Bee Extinction Risk Assessment Trilateral Region 6 4 5 28% of bumble bees Critically Endangered in Canada, the Endangered United States, and 7 Vulnerable Mexico are in an IUCN Threatened Near Threatened Category Least Concern 3 Data Deficient 32 Sources: Hatfield et al.
    [Show full text]
  • DNA Amplification from Pin-Mounted Bumble Bees (Bombus) in a Museum Collection: Effects of Fragment Size and Specimen Age on Successful PCR James P
    DNA amplification from pin-mounted bumble bees (Bombus) in a museum collection: effects of fragment size and specimen age on successful PCR James P. Strange, Joyce Knoblett, Terry Griswold To cite this version: James P. Strange, Joyce Knoblett, Terry Griswold. DNA amplification from pin-mounted bumble bees (Bombus) in a museum collection: effects of fragment size and specimen age on successful PCR. Apidologie, Springer Verlag, 2009, 40 (2), pp.134-139. hal-00891957 HAL Id: hal-00891957 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00891957 Submitted on 1 Jan 2009 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Apidologie 40 (2009) 134–139 Available online at: c INRA/DIB-AGIB/ EDP Sciences, 2009 www.apidologie.org DOI: 10.1051/apido/2008070 Original article DNA amplification from pin-mounted bumble bees (Bombus) in a museum collection: effects of fragment size and specimen age on successful PCR* James P. Strange,JoyceKnoblett, Terry Griswold USDA-ARS, Bee Biology and Systematics Laboratory, Utah State University, BNR 255 Logan UT 84322-5310, USA Received 28 December 2007 – Revised 28 August 2008 – Accepted 15 November 2008 Abstract – Historic data in the form of pinned specimens in entomological collections offer the potential to determine trends in genetic diversity of bumble bees (Bombus).
    [Show full text]
  • Western Bumble Bee,Bombus Occidentalis
    COSEWIC Assessment and Status Report on the Western Bumble Bee Bombus occidentalis occidentalis subspecies - Bombus occidentalis occidentalis mckayi subspecies - Bombus occidentalis mckayi in Canada occidentalis subspecies - THREATENED mckayi subspecies - SPECIAL CONCERN 2014 COSEWIC status reports are working documents used in assigning the status of wildlife species suspected of being at risk. This report may be cited as follows: COSEWIC. 2014. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the Western Bumble Bee Bombus occidentalis, occidentalis subspecies (Bombus occidentalis occidentalis) and the mckayi subspecies (Bombus occidentalis mckayi) in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. xii + 52 pp. (www.registrelep-sararegistry.gc.ca/default_e.cfm). Production note: COSEWIC would like to acknowledge Sheila Colla, Michael Otterstatter, Cory Sheffield and Leif Richardson for writing the status report on the Western Bumble Bee, Bombus occidentalis, in Canada, prepared under contract with Environment Canada. This report was overseen and edited by Jennifer Heron, Co-chair of the COSEWIC Arthropods Specialist Subcommittee. For additional copies contact: COSEWIC Secretariat c/o Canadian Wildlife Service Environment Canada Ottawa, ON K1A 0H3 Tel.: 819-953-3215 Fax: 819-994-3684 E-mail: COSEWIC/[email protected] http://www.cosewic.gc.ca Également disponible en français sous le titre Ếvaluation et Rapport de situation du COSEPAC sur le Bourdon de l'Ouest (Bombus occidentalis) de la sous-espèce occidentalis (Bombus occidentalis occidentalis) et la sous-espèce mckayi (Bombus occidentalis mckayi) au Canada. Cover illustration/photo: Western Bumble Bee — Cover photograph by David Inouye, Western Bumble Bee worker robbing an Ipomopsis flower. Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, 2014.
    [Show full text]
  • Western Bumblebee Surveys, Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest
    2016 Western Bumble Bee Surveys: Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest Bombus occidentalis found on Mt. Ashland (photo credit: Bonnie Allison) Sheila M. Colyer 5- December 2016 2016 Western Bumble Bee Surveys: Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest Species Status: Bombus occidentalis (Western Bumble bee) G2G3, S1S2 R6 Regional Forester’s Sensitive Species (USFS) Oregon State Director’s Sensitive Species (BLM) State of Oregon – NA ORBIC List 2 District Contacts: Bonnie Allison Zoned Wildlife Biologist, Siskiyou Mountains Ranger District and Wild Rivers Ranger District Rachael Vaughn Wildlife Biologist, Powers Ranger District and Gold Beach Ranger District Sheila Colyer Wildlife Biologist, High Cascades Ranger District Abstract The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest conducted surveys for Western bumble bee (Bombus occidentalis) during the 2016 field season at 15 sites across the Forest. Surveys were primarily concentrated on historic locations, in meadow habitat and open roadside. One location of Bombus occidentalis was observed on Mt. Ashland (Siskiyou Mountains Ranger District). In addition, 14 total Bombus species were observed across all sites. Additional surveys for the Forest are recommended primarily focused on more historic locations. 2016 Western Bumble Bee Surveys: Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest 1 Introduction Bombus occidentalis (hereafter B. occidentalis) was historically widely distributed across the west coast of North America from Alaska to central California, east through Alberta and western South Dakota, and south to Arizona and New Mexico (Williams et al. 2014). A generalist forager and native pollinator, this species and many other Bombus species play an integral role in the health of natural ecosystems and production of agricultural crops (Cameron 2011).
    [Show full text]
  • Bumble Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) of Montana (PDF)
    Bumble Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) of Montana Authors: Amelia C. Dolan, Casey M. Delphia, Kevin M. O'Neill, and Michael A. Ivie This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in Annals of the Entomological Society of America following peer review. The version of record for (see citation below) is available online at: https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/aesa/saw064. Dolan, Amelia C., Casey M Delphia, Kevin M. O'Neill, and Michael A. Ivie. "Bumble Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) of Montana." Annals of the Entomological Society of America 110, no. 2 (September 2017): 129-144. DOI: 10.1093/aesa/saw064. Made available through Montana State University’s ScholarWorks scholarworks.montana.edu Bumble Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) of Montana Amelia C. Dolan,1 Casey M. Delphia,1,2,3 Kevin M. O’Neill,1,2 and Michael A. Ivie1,4 1Montana Entomology Collection, Montana State University, Marsh Labs, Room 50, 1911 West Lincoln St., Bozeman, MT 59717 ([email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]), 2Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, 3Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, and 4Corresponding author, e-mail: [email protected] Subject Editor: Allen Szalanski Received 10 May 2016; Editorial decision 12 August 2016 Abstract Montana supports a diverse assemblage of bumble bees (Bombus Latreille) due to its size, landscape diversity, and location at the junction of known geographic ranges of North American species. We compiled the first in- ventory of Bombus species in Montana, using records from 25 natural history collections and labs engaged in bee research, collected over the past 125 years, as well as specimens collected specifically for this project dur- ing the summer of 2015.
    [Show full text]
  • Status Report and Assessment of Western
    SPECIES STATUS REPORT Western Bumble Bee, Yellow-banded Bumble Bee, and Gypsy Cuckoo Bumble Bee (Bombus occidentalis, Bombus terricola, Bombus bohemicus) Bourdon de l’ouest, Bourdon terricole, Psithyre bohémien (French) Ineedzit (Teetl’it and Gwichyah Gwich’in) Kw’ıahnǫ dekwoo (Dogrib) Tł’ıstthó Tł’ıstthóghe (Chipewyan) Tth’ıhnǫ detthoı (South Slavey) April 2019 DATA DEFICIENT – Western bumble bee NOT AT RISK – Yellow-banded bumble bee DATA DEFICIENT – Gypsy cuckoo bumble bee Status of Western Bumble Bee, Yellow-banded Bumble Bee, and Gypsy Cuckoo Bumble Bee in the NWT Species at Risk Committee status reports are working documents used in assigning the status of species suspected of being at risk in the Northwest Territories (NWT). Suggested citation: Species at Risk Committee. 2019. Species Status Report for Western Bumble Bee, Yellow-banded Bumble Bee, and Gypsy Cuckoo Bumble Bee (Bombus occidentalis, Bombus terricola, Bombus bohemicus) in the Northwest Territories. Species at Risk Committee, Yellowknife, NT. © Government of the Northwest Territories on behalf of the Species at Risk Committee ISBN: 978-0-7708-0264-6/0-7708-0264-8 Production note: The drafts of this report were prepared by Dr. Christopher M. Ernst under contract with the Government of the Northwest Territories, and edited by Claire Singer. For additional copies contact: Species at Risk Secretariat c/o SC6, Department of Environment and Natural Resources P.O. Box 1320 Yellowknife, NT X1A 2L9 Tel.: (855) 783-4301 (toll free) Fax.: (867) 873-0293 E-mail: [email protected] www.nwtspeciesatrisk.ca ABOUT THE SPECIES AT RISK COMMITTEE The Species at Risk Committee was established under the Species at Risk (NWT) Act.
    [Show full text]
  • Guide to Bumble Bees of the Western United States
    Bumble Bees of the Western United States By Jonathan Koch James Strange A product of the U.S. Forest Service and the Pollinator Partnership Paul Williams with funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Executive Editor Larry Stritch, Ph.D., USDA Forest Service Cover: Bombus huntii foraging. Photo Leah Lewis Executive and Managing Editor Laurie Davies Adams, The Pollinator Partnership Graphic Design and Art Direction Marguerite Meyer Administration Jennifer Tsang, The Pollinator Partnership IT Production Support Elizabeth Sellers, USGS Alphabetical Quick Reference to Species B. appositus .............110 B. frigidus ..................46 B. rufocinctus ............86 B. balteatus ................22 B. griseocollis ............90 B. sitkensis ................38 B. bifarius ..................78 B. huntii ....................66 B. suckleyi ...............134 B. californicus ..........114 B. insularis ...............126 B. sylvicola .................70 B. caliginosus .............26 B. melanopygus .........62 B. ternarius ................54 B. centralis ................34 B. mixtus ...................58 B. terricola ...............106 B. crotchii ..................82 B. morrisoni ...............94 B. vagans ...................50 B. fernaldae .............130 B. nevadensis .............18 B. vandykei ................30 B. fervidus................118 B. occidentalis .........102 B. vosnesenskii ..........74 B. flavifrons ...............42 B. pensylvanicus subsp. sonorus ....122 B. franklini .................98 2 Bumble Bees of the
    [Show full text]
  • Patterns of Rangewide Genetic Variation in Six North American Bumble Bee (Apidae: Bombus) Species
    Molecular Ecology (2011) 20, 4870–4888 doi: 10.1111/j.1365-294X.2011.05314.x Patterns of range-wide genetic variation in six North American bumble bee (Apidae: Bombus) species JEFFREY D. LOZIER,*† JAMES P. STRANGE,‡ ISAAC J. STEWART†§ and SYDNEY A. CAMERON† *Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA, †Department of Entomology, 320 Morrill Hall, 505 South Goodwin Avenue, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA, ‡USDA-ARS Pollinating Insect Research Unit, Utah State University, UMC 5310, Logan, UT 84322, USA, §Fisher High School, 211 West Division Street, Fisher, IL 61843, USA Abstract The increasing evidence for population declines in bumble bee (Bombus) species worldwide has accelerated research efforts to explain losses in these important pollinators. In North America, a number of once widespread Bombus species have suffered serious reductions in range and abundance, although other species remain healthy. To examine whether declining and stable species exhibit different levels of genetic diversity or population fragmentation, we used microsatellite markers to genotype populations sampled across the geographic distributions of two declining (Bombus occidentalis and Bombus pensylvanicus) and four stable (Bombus bifarius; Bombus vosnesenskii; Bombus impatiens and Bombus bimaculatus) Bombus species. Populations of declining species generally have reduced levels of genetic diversity throughout their range compared to codistributed stable species. Genetic diversity can be affected by overall range size and degree of isolation of local populations, potentially confounding comparisons among species in some cases. We find no evidence for consistent differences in gene flow among stable and declining species, with all species exhibiting weak genetic differentiation over large distances (e.g.
    [Show full text]
  • North American Bumble Bee Species Conservation Planning Workshop
    NORTH AMERICAN BUMBLE BEE SPECIES CONSERVATION PLANNING WORKSHOP Final Report 9-12 November 2010 St Louis, Missouri Cover photos courtesy of: B. affinis – Johanna James-Heinz B. terricola – Leif Richardson B. franklini – Pete Schroeder B. pensylvanicus – Thom Wilson. Sponsored by: A contribution of the IUCN/SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group. © Copyright 2011 CBSG IUCN encourages meetings, workshops and other fora for the consideration and analysis of issues related to conservation, and believes that reports of these meetings are most useful when broadly disseminated. The opinions and views expressed by the authors may not necessarily reflect the formal policies of IUCN, its Commissions, its Secretariat or its members. The designation of geographical entities in this book, and the presentation of the material, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IUCN concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Cameron, S., S. Jepsen, E. Spevak, J. Strange, M. Vaughan, J. Engler, and O. Byers (eds.). 2011. North American Bumble Bee Species Conservation Planning Workshop Final Report. IUCN/SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group: Apple Valley, MN. An electronic version of this report can be downloaded at www.cbsg.org. 2 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4 II. WORKING GROUP REPORTS A. IMPORT ISSUES AND REGULATIONS 8 B. DISEASES AND PESTS (PARASITES AND PATHOGENS) 14 C. HABITAT LOSS AND DEGRADATION 25 D. CLIMATE CHANGE AND RANGE SHIFTS 34 E. GENETIC AND DEMOGRAPHIC ISSUES IN CONSERVATION STRATEGIES 40 F. BOMBUS EDUCATION, OUTREACH AND CITIZEN SCIENCE 49 G.
    [Show full text]
  • The Decline and Conservation Status of North American Bumble Bees
    Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU All Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 8-2011 The Decline and Conservation Status of North American Bumble Bees Jonathan B. Koch Utah State University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd Part of the Biology Commons Recommended Citation Koch, Jonathan B., "The Decline and Conservation Status of North American Bumble Bees" (2011). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 1015. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/1015 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE DECLINE AND CONSERVATION STATUS OF NORTH AMERICAN BUMBLE BEES by Jonathan Berenguer Koch A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE in Biology Approved: ________________________ ________________________ Dr. James P. Pitts Dr. James P. Strange Major Professor Committee Member ________________________ ________________________ Dr. David N. Koons Dr. Byron R. Burnham Committee Member Dean of Graduate Studies UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY Logan, Utah 2011 ii Copyright © Jonathan Berenguer Koch 2011 All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT The decline and conservation status of North American bumble bees by Jonathan Berenguer Koch, Master of Science Utah State University, 2011 Major Professor: Dr. James P. Pitts Department: Biology Several reports of North American bumble bee (Bombus Latreille) decline have been documented across the continent, but no study has fully assessed the geographic scope of decline. In this study I discuss the importance of Natural History Collections (NHC) in estimating historic bumble bee distributions and abundances, as well as in informing current surveys.
    [Show full text]