Bombus rubicundus Smith 1854

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Autores principales: bees, Ecuadorian bumble, Apidae, Bombus, diversity, Species, Padrón, Pablo Sebastián, Rasmussen, Claus
Formato: Recurso digital
Publicado: Zenodo 2025
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author bees, Ecuadorian bumble
Apidae
Bombus
diversity, Species
Padrón, Pablo Sebastián
Rasmussen, Claus
author_facet bees, Ecuadorian bumble
Apidae
Bombus
diversity, Species
Padrón, Pablo Sebastián
Rasmussen, Claus
contents <p><b><i>Bombus rubicundus</i> Smith, 1854</b></p><p>(Figs. 39–44)</p><p>IDENTIFICATION: The pubescence is fine, dense, and uneven, with longer, looser hairs on the scutellum and metasoma terga IV and V. The female castes exhibit two color patterns: the queen is entirely reddish, while the workers have a red thorax, red tergum I, black terga II and III, and red terga IV and VI (Fig. 40). The head is pale reddish with little black (Fig. 42), the thorax and metasomal terga are coppery red, and the legs are black with a trace of reddish pile on the coxae and femora (Figs. 41, 42). The wings are uniformly stained with brownish-black (Fig. 43). Milliron (1973b), described the queen as larger than the workers, with a trapezoidal head and broadly rounded temples. The compound eyes are noticeably larger and more rounded than those of workers, and the face bears short yellow and dark hair like those seen in workers. The thorax is predominantly reddish-orange with black areas, particularly between the wings, and the pubescence on the head and posterior metasoma is longer than in workers. The legs are mainly reddish-orange, with short, dense hair on the hind-tibiae and hind-tarsi. The metasoma displays diffuse brown patches and a paler ventral surface, while the wings are large, uniformly dark, and show a faint violaceous reflection. It is important to note that queens of <i>B. rubicundus</i> and <i>B. handlirschi</i> look somewhat similar, but the hind tibiae are bordered with black hair in <i>B. rubicundus</i> (Fig. 44) and with red hair in <i>B. handlirschi</i> (Fig. 22).</p><p>DISTRIBUTION: This species is distributed from Venezuela to Bolivia (Abrahamovich & Díaz, 2002; Rasmussen, 2003; Abrahamovich <i>et al.,</i> 2004). In Ecuador, along with <i>B. funebris</i>, <i>B. robustus</i>, <i>B. handlirschi</i>, and <i>B. hortulanus</i>, it is found among the bumble bee species present in the higher regions of the Andes (1,413 –4,409 m), including páramo ecosystems (Fig. 39).</p><p>HOST PLANTS: 21 species belonging to 7 families (Table S3).</p><p>NATURAL HISTORY: Its nest has been described by Aguilar (2004) in Colombia. Riveros <i>et al.</i> (2006) described the differences in foraging behavior, they found that <i>B. rubicundus</i> engaged in nectar robbing, accessing nectaries through holes instead of pollinating the flowers. In recent years, a potential case of Batesian mimicry between this bumble bee and the fly <i>Mallota rubicunda</i> (Syrphidae) has been identified and quantified, finding a high level of external similarity between the two insects (PSP, in review). Also, in 2024, the first author observed several individuals entering a hole, possibly the entrance to a nest, which was located at the base of a tree. The soil around the entrance was covered in moss. This observation was made in a forest located in the Cajas National Park in Azuay at an elevation of 3,160 m.</p>
format Recurso digital
id zenodo_https___doi_org_10_5281_zenodo_20246310
institution Zenodo
language
publishDate 2025
publisher Zenodo
record_format zenodo
spellingShingle Bombus rubicundus Smith 1854
bees, Ecuadorian bumble
Apidae
Bombus
diversity, Species
Padrón, Pablo Sebastián
Rasmussen, Claus
Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Apidae
Bombus
Bombus rubicundus
<p><b><i>Bombus rubicundus</i> Smith, 1854</b></p><p>(Figs. 39–44)</p><p>IDENTIFICATION: The pubescence is fine, dense, and uneven, with longer, looser hairs on the scutellum and metasoma terga IV and V. The female castes exhibit two color patterns: the queen is entirely reddish, while the workers have a red thorax, red tergum I, black terga II and III, and red terga IV and VI (Fig. 40). The head is pale reddish with little black (Fig. 42), the thorax and metasomal terga are coppery red, and the legs are black with a trace of reddish pile on the coxae and femora (Figs. 41, 42). The wings are uniformly stained with brownish-black (Fig. 43). Milliron (1973b), described the queen as larger than the workers, with a trapezoidal head and broadly rounded temples. The compound eyes are noticeably larger and more rounded than those of workers, and the face bears short yellow and dark hair like those seen in workers. The thorax is predominantly reddish-orange with black areas, particularly between the wings, and the pubescence on the head and posterior metasoma is longer than in workers. The legs are mainly reddish-orange, with short, dense hair on the hind-tibiae and hind-tarsi. The metasoma displays diffuse brown patches and a paler ventral surface, while the wings are large, uniformly dark, and show a faint violaceous reflection. It is important to note that queens of <i>B. rubicundus</i> and <i>B. handlirschi</i> look somewhat similar, but the hind tibiae are bordered with black hair in <i>B. rubicundus</i> (Fig. 44) and with red hair in <i>B. handlirschi</i> (Fig. 22).</p><p>DISTRIBUTION: This species is distributed from Venezuela to Bolivia (Abrahamovich & Díaz, 2002; Rasmussen, 2003; Abrahamovich <i>et al.,</i> 2004). In Ecuador, along with <i>B. funebris</i>, <i>B. robustus</i>, <i>B. handlirschi</i>, and <i>B. hortulanus</i>, it is found among the bumble bee species present in the higher regions of the Andes (1,413 –4,409 m), including páramo ecosystems (Fig. 39).</p><p>HOST PLANTS: 21 species belonging to 7 families (Table S3).</p><p>NATURAL HISTORY: Its nest has been described by Aguilar (2004) in Colombia. Riveros <i>et al.</i> (2006) described the differences in foraging behavior, they found that <i>B. rubicundus</i> engaged in nectar robbing, accessing nectaries through holes instead of pollinating the flowers. In recent years, a potential case of Batesian mimicry between this bumble bee and the fly <i>Mallota rubicunda</i> (Syrphidae) has been identified and quantified, finding a high level of external similarity between the two insects (PSP, in review). Also, in 2024, the first author observed several individuals entering a hole, possibly the entrance to a nest, which was located at the base of a tree. The soil around the entrance was covered in moss. This observation was made in a forest located in the Cajas National Park in Azuay at an elevation of 3,160 m.</p>
title Bombus rubicundus Smith 1854
topic Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Apidae
Bombus
Bombus rubicundus
url https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20246310