Morphological Variation in Bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) After Three Decades of an Island Invasion.

ABSTRACT: Introduced social insects can be highly invasive outside of their native range. Around the world, the introduction and establishment of the eusocial bumblebee Bombus terrestris (L. 1758) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) has negatively impacted native pollinators and ecosystems. Understanding how morphological variation is linked to environmental variation across invasive ranges can indicate how rapidly species may be diverging or adapting across novel ranges and may assist with predicting future establishment and spread. Here we investigate whether B. terrestris shows morphological variation related to environmental variation across the island of Tasmania (Australia) where it was introduced three decades ago. We collected 169 workers from 16 sites across Tasmania and related relative abundance and mo

SUBMITTER: Kardum Hjort C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9972831 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature