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Characterizing bumble bee (Bombus) communities in the United States and assessing a conservation monitoring method

Citation

Strange J, Tripodi A, Ikerd H (2019). Characterizing bumble bee (Bombus) communities in the United States and assessing a conservation monitoring method. Version 1.2. USDA-ARS Pollinating Insect-Biology, Management, Systematics Research. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4783 accessed via GBIF.org on 2025-05-23.

Description

Occurrence records used in the Publication, "Characterizing bumble bee (Bombus) communities in the United States and assessing a conservation monitoring method"

Sampling Description

Study Extent

In 2015 (26-Jun to 10-Aug), we conducted systematic surveys of bumble bees from 31 sites in 15 states (Fig 1). Survey efforts were focused on areas where bumble bees are important for agricultural production and over half of our collections occurred in agricultural landscapes with the majority of other collections being in suburban landscapes adjacent to agricultural areas.

Sampling

At each site, a collection of approximately 100 foraging bees was taken in a single day between 10:00 and 18:00 local time. We only collected in good weather conditions defined as: temperature 15-35°C, no precipitation, <50% cloud cover, and wind speed <15km/hr. We conducted surveys using two or three collectors using aerial insect nests to capture bumble bees as they foraged on flowering plants for pollen or nectar. Collectors captured foraging bees until a total of 100 worker or male bees were taken at a site, where possible. In most cases, sites were defined as an agricultural field and the field margin directly surrounding the field. However, non-agricultural sites were defined as a patch of flowers not to exceed 5 hectares. Collectors conducted a random walk through the patch or field margins, collecting a bee, stopping to process the bee, then continuing to the next bee they encountered. Netted bees were placed in individual vials and chilled and then given a preliminary field species determination before being killed by freezing on dry ice, except for five sites where time constrains prohibited field identification. Frozen bees were transported back to the USDA-ARS- Pollinating Insect- Biology, Management and Systematics Research Unit in Logan, UT where field species identifications were verified or corrected using available taxonomic keys (J. Koch et al., 2012; Mitchell, 1962; P. H. Williams et al., 2014).

Method steps

  1. Skip

Taxonomic Coverages

The most common of the 30 species encountered was B. impatiens, the common eastern bumble bee, which comprised 36.04% (n = 1172) of the bees encountered nationwide. Several species were represented by only one (B. vandykei) or two (B. flavidus, B. insularis, and B. melanopygus) individuals in the surveys.
  1. Bombus
    common name: Bumbule bee rank: genus

Geographic Coverages

Systematic surveys of bumble bees from 31 sites in 15 states within the contiguous United States.

Bibliographic Citations

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Contacts

James Strange
originator
position: Research Entomologist
USDA-ARS
5310 Old Main Hill
Logan
843225310
UT
US
Telephone: 4357970530
email: James.Strange@ars.usda.gov
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9612-6868
Amber Tripodi
originator
position: Research Entomologist
USDA-ARS Pollinating Insect-biology, Management, Systematics Research
5310 Old Main Hill
Logan
84322
Utah
US
email: amberdtripodi@gmail.com
homepage: http://www.ambertripodi.com
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7368-6638
Harold Ikerd
metadata author
position: Data Manager
USDA-ARS Pollinating Insect-biology, Management, Systematics Research
5310 Old Main Hill, BNR 244
Logan
843225310
UT
US
Telephone: 4352275711
email: harold.ikerd@ars.usda.gov
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5043-6484
Harold Ikerd
metadata author
position: Data Manager
USDA-ARS Pollinating Insect-biology, Management, Systematics Research
5310 Old Main Hill, BNR 244
Logan
843225310
UT
US
Telephone: 4352275711
email: harold.ikerd@ars.usda.gov
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5043-6484
James Strange
author
position: Research Entomologist
USDA-ARS
5310 Old Main Hill
Logan
843225310
UT
US
Telephone: 4357970530
email: James.Strange@ars.usda.gov
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9612-6868
Amber Tripodi
author
USDA-ARS
5310 Old Main Hill
Logan
843225310
Utah
US
Telephone: 4357970530
email: amberdtripodi@gmail.com
homepage: http://www.ambertripodi.com/
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7368-6638
James Strange
administrative point of contact
USDA-ARS
5310 Old Main Hill
Logan
843225310
UT
US
Telephone: 4357970530
email: James.Strange@ars.usda.gov
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9612-6868
Amber Tripodi
administrative point of contact
position: Research Entomologist
USDA-ARS
5310 Old Main Hill
Logan
843225310
Utah
US
Telephone: 4357970530
email: amberdtripodi@gmail.com
homepage: http://www.ambertripodi.com
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7368-6638
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