Identification of Bombus species based on wing venation structure

Peter Kozmus , Meta Virant-Doberlet , Vladimir Meglič , Peter Dovč

About 250 bumblebee species in 15 subgenera are known in the world. Identification of some species is difficult due to small morphological differences. In this study, wing venation patterns were analysed to obtain characters for species identification. Four hundred and sixty-nine bumblebees from 121 localities in Slovenia and 61 imported individuals were included in the analyses. The coordinates of 19 vein junctions on the forewings were measured and used in the calculation of 37 wing characters. Based on discriminate method, more than 97% of all analysed bumblebees were assigned to the correct species. The most informative characters were angles J16, A4 and discoidal shift. Wing venation pattern also differed between autochthonous and imported Bombus terrestris individuals.

Mots clés: bumblebees; identification; wing venation; Slovenia

Domaines: Zoologie des invertébrés; Biodiversité; Ecologie, Environnement; Science des productions animales

Peter Kozmus, Meta Virant-Doberlet, Vladimir Meglič, Peter Dovč. Identification of Bombus species based on wing venation structure. Apidologie, 2011, 42 (4), pp.472-480. ⟨10.1007/s13592-011-0037-5⟩. ⟨hal-01003570⟩