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Dehon M, Engel MS, Gérard M, Aytekin AM, Ghisbain G, Williams PH, Rasmont P, Michez D. Morphometric analysis of fossil bumble bees (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Bombini) reveals their taxonomic affinities. Zookeys 2019; 891:71-118. [PMID: 31802973 PMCID: PMC6882928 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.891.36027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 09/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Bumble bees (Bombus spp.) are a widespread corbiculate lineage (Apinae: Corbiculata: Bombini), mostly found among temperate and alpine ecosystems. Approximately 260 species have been recognized and grouped recently into a simplified system of 15 subgenera. Most of the species are nest-building and primitively eusocial. Species of Bombus have been more intensely studied than any other lineages of bees with the exception of the honey bees. However, most bumble bee fossils are poorly described and documented, making their placement relative to other Bombus uncertain. A large portion of the known and presumed bumble bee fossils were re-examined in an attempt to better understand their affinities with extant Bombini. The taxonomic affinities of fossil specimens were re-assessed based on morphological features and previous descriptions, and for 13 specimens based on geometric morphometrics of forewing shape. None of the specimens coming from Eocene and Oligocene deposits were assigned within the contemporary shape space of any subgenus of Bombus. It is shown that Calyptapis florissantensis Cockerell, 1906 (Eocene-Oligocene boundary, Florissant shale, Colorado, USA) and Oligobombus cuspidatus Antropov, 2014 (Late Eocene, Bembridge Marls) likely belong to stem-group Bombini. Bombus anacolus Zhang, 1994, B. dilectus Zhang, 1994, B. luianus Zhang, 1990 (Middle Miocene, Shanwang Formation), as well as B. vetustus Rasnitsyn & Michener, 1991 (Miocene, Botchi Formation) are considered as species inquirenda. In the Miocene, affinities of fossils with derived subgenera of Bombus s. l. increased, and some are included in the shape space of contemporary subgenera: Cullumanobombus (i.e., B. pristinus Unger, 1867, B. randeckensis Wappler & Engel, 2012, and B. trophonius Prokop, Dehon, Michez & Engel, 2017), Melanobombus (i.e., B. cerdanyensis Dehon, De Meulemeester & Engel, 2014), and Mendacibombus (i.e., B. beskonakensis (Nel & Petrulevičius, 2003), new combination), agreeing with previous estimates of diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Dehon
- Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute of Biosciences, University of Mons, Place du parc 20, 7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Michael S. Engel
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th, New York, NY 10024-5192, USA
- Division of Entomology, Natural History Museum, and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, 1501 Crestline Drive – Suite 140, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - Maxence Gérard
- Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute of Biosciences, University of Mons, Place du parc 20, 7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - A. Murat Aytekin
- Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute of Biosciences, University of Mons, Place du parc 20, 7000 Mons, Belgium
- Pamukkale Sitesi, B Blok, Çayyolu, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Guillaume Ghisbain
- Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute of Biosciences, University of Mons, Place du parc 20, 7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Paul H. Williams
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Pierre Rasmont
- Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute of Biosciences, University of Mons, Place du parc 20, 7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Denis Michez
- Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute of Biosciences, University of Mons, Place du parc 20, 7000 Mons, Belgium
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