@article {140656, title = {Cuticular Hydrocarbon Profiles of Himalayan Bumble Bees (Hymenoptera: Bombus Latreille) are Species-Specific and Show Elevational Variation.}, journal = {J Chem Ecol}, year = {2024}, month = {2024 Mar 12}, abstract = {

Bumble bees are important pollinators in natural environments and agricultural farmlands, and they are in particular adapted to harsh environments like high mountain habitats. In these environments, animals are exposed to low temperature and face the risk of desiccation. The Eastern Himalayas are one of the recognized biodiversity hotspots worldwide. The area covers subtropical rainforest with warm temperature and high precipitation as well as high mountain ranges with peaks reaching up to 7,000\ m, shaping a diverse floral and faunal community at the different elevational zones. To identify possible adaptation strategies, we investigated the cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of four bumble bee species occurring at different elevational ranges in Arunachal Pradesh, the northeastern most state in India. At 17 locations along an elevational gradient, we collected workers of two species from lower elevations (B. albopleuralis and B. breviceps; ~ 100\ m - 3,000\ m asl) and two species from higher elevations (B. prshewalskyi and B. mirus; ~ 2,800\ m - 4,500\ m asl). The CHC profiles of all four species showed a significant degree of variation in the composition of hydrocarbons, indicating species specificity. We also found clear correlation with elevation. The weighted mean chain length of the hydrocarbons significantly differed between the low and high elevation species, and the proportion of saturated hydrocarbons in CHC profiles significantly increased with the elevational range of the bumble bee species. Our results indicate that bumble bees living at high elevations reduce the risk of water loss by adapting their CHC composition on their cuticle, a phenomenon that has also been found in other insects like ants and fruit flies.

}, issn = {1573-1561}, doi = {10.1007/s10886-024-01486-x}, author = {Narah, Jaya and Streinzer, Martin and Chakravorty, Jharna and Megu, Karsing and Spaethe, Johannes and Brockmann, Axel and Schmitt, Thomas} } @article {80779, title = {Geographical distribution of the giant honey bee Smith, 1871 (Hymenoptera, Apidae).}, journal = {Zookeys}, volume = {951}, year = {2020}, month = {2020}, pages = {67-81}, abstract = {

Worldwide pollinator declines have dramatically increased our need to survey and monitor pollinator distributions and abundances. The giant honey bee, , is one of the important pollinators at higher altitudes of the Himalayas. This species has a restricted distribution along the Himalayas and neighbouring mountain ranges of Asia. Previous assessments of its distribution, published more than 20 years ago, were based on museum specimens. Since then, 244 additional localities have been revealed through field trips by the authors, publications, and websites. We present a revised distribution for that better defines its range and extends it eastward to the mountains of northern Vietnam, southward along the Arakan Mountains to west-central Myanmar, into the Shillong Hills of Meghalaya, India, and northwestward in Uttarakhand, India. This species is generally found at elevations between 1000-3000 m a.s.l.. In northeastern India colonies occur during summer at sites as low as 850 m a.s.l. and some lower elevation colonies maintain their nests throughout the winter. Finally, we report three regions in Arunachal Pradesh, India, and nine locations in northern Vietnam, where we observed workers of and foraging sympatrically; their co-occurrence supports the species status of .

}, issn = {1313-2989}, doi = {10.3897/zookeys.951.49855}, author = {Kitnya, Nyaton and Prabhudev, M V and Bhatta, Chet Prasad and Pham, Thai Hong and Nidup, Tshering and Megu, Karsing and Chakravorty, Jharna and Brockmann, Axel and Otis, G W} } @article {59701, title = {Species composition and elevational distribution of bumble bees (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Latreille) in the East Himalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, India.}, journal = {Zookeys}, volume = {851}, year = {2019}, month = {2019}, pages = {71-89}, abstract = {

The East Himalaya is one of the world{\textquoteright}s most biodiverse ecosystems. However, very little is known about the abundance and distribution of many plant and animal taxa in this region. Bumble bees are a group of cold-adapted and high elevation insects that fulfil an important ecological and economical function as pollinators of wild and agricultural flowering plants and crops. The Himalayan mountain range provides ample suitable habitats for bumble bees. Systematic study of Himalayan bumble bees began a few decades ago and the main focus has centred on the western region, while the eastern part of the mountain range has received little attention and only a few species have been verified. During a three-year survey, more than 700 bumble bee specimens of 21 species were collected in Arunachal Pradesh, the largest of the north-eastern states of India. The material included a range of species that were previously known from a limited number of collected specimens, which highlights the unique character of the East Himalayan ecosystem. Our results are an important first step towards a future assessment of species distribution, threat, and conservation. Clear elevation patterns of species diversity were observed, which raise important questions about the functional adaptations that allow bumble bees to thrive in this particularly moist region in the East Himalaya.

}, issn = {1313-2989}, doi = {10.3897/zookeys.851.32956}, author = {Streinzer, Martin and Chakravorty, Jharna and Neumayer, Johann and Megu, Karsing and Narah, Jaya and Schmitt, Thomas and Bharti, Himender and Spaethe, Johannes and Brockmann, Axel} }