Colour patterns do not diagnose species: quantitative evaluation of a DNA barcoded cryptic bumblebee complex.

ABSTRACT: Cryptic diversity within bumblebees (Bombus) has the potential to undermine crucial conservation efforts designed to reverse the observed decline in many bumblebee species worldwide. Central to such efforts is the ability to correctly recognise and diagnose species. The B. lucorum complex (Bombus lucorum, B. cryptarum and B. magnus) comprises one of the most abundant and important group of wild plant and crop pollinators in northern Europe. Although the workers of these species are notoriously difficult to diagnose morphologically, it has been claimed that queens are readily diagnosable from morphological characters. Here we assess the value of colour-pattern characters in species identification of DNA-barcoded queens from the B. lucorum complex. Three distinct molecular operational taxono

SUBMITTER: Carolan JC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3253071 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature