| Abstrakt: |
While Bombus ephippiatus (Say, 1837) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) is a widespread bumble bee in Mesoamerica, most work on this species has been conducted in Mexico, and little is known about its life history at high elevations, particularly the genetically distinct Costa Rican population. Here we report observations of this species in remote high elevation areas of the Cordillera de Talamanca in Costa Rica, with occurrences reported from cloud forest to páramo ecosystems. We provide two new nest site elevation records, 750m higher than any previously published and report life history observations of plant use, copulation and new queen emergence above 2550m. These data establish B. ephippiatus as a resident member of the high elevation pollinator community in Costa Rica, and provide important elevational distribution information for a species of potential future economic importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
