Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dsjbd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T06:11:13.104Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Ecology of Species of Bombus Latr. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in Southern Alberta. V. Subgenus Subterraneobombus Vogt1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2012

G. A. Hobbs
Affiliation:
Canada Agriculture Research Station, Lethbridge, Alberta

Abstract

Both Nearctic species of Subterraneobombus occur in southern Alberta, but Bombus (Subterraneobombus) appositus Cress. is confined to the wooded areas whereas B. (S.) borealis Kby. is confined to the prairie. Both are adaptable in their nest-selecting habits and are among the latest species of Bombus to emerge and establish nests in their respective habitats.

Both species made large first broods; B. appositus averaged 13 ± 3 cocoons in 119 first broods. B. appositus never had more than two broods of workers, and B. borealis had only one. Both constructed pollen pockets beside and beneath the young larvae of the second and succeeding broods. Queens of B. appositus required about 23 days to rear the first workers. The largest workers of both species were considerably smaller than average-sized queens. Colonies of both species were relatively small; those of B. appositus averaged less than 100 individuals, the largest being 246. Both species were apparently sparse producers of wax.

Queens of both species apparently mated with males in the nest or immediately upon leaving the nest. New queens of B. appositus dug about one inch into the ground to hibernate.

Females of the cuckoo bee, Psithyrus insularis (Sm.), succeeded in having their young reared to maturity in nests of B. appositus.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 1966

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Burks, B. D. 1951. Tribe Bombini, pp. 12471255. In Muesebeck, C. F., Krombein, K. V., Townes, H. K., Hymenoptera of America North of Mexico. Synoptic catalog. U.S. Dep. Agric. Monogr. No. 2.Google Scholar
Frison, T. B. 1930. A contribution to the knowledge of the bionomics of Bremus americanorum (Fabr.). (Hymenoptera). Ann. ent. Soc. Amer. 23: 644665.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fye, R. E., and Medler, J. T.. 1954. Field domiciles for bumble bees. J. econ. Ent. 47: 672676.Google Scholar
Hobbs, G. A. 1962. Further studies on the food-gathering behaviour of bumble bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Canad. Ent. 94: 538541.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hobbs, G. A. 1949a. Phylogeny of bumble bees based on brood-rearing behaviour. Canad. Ent. 96: 115116.Google Scholar
Hobbs, G. A. 1949a. Ecology of species of Bombus Latr. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in southern Alberta. I. Subgenus Alpinobombus Skor. Canad. Ent. 96: 14651470.Google Scholar
Hobbs, G. A. 1949a. Ecology of species of Bombus Latr. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in southern Alberta. II. Subgenus Bombias Robt. Canad. Ent. 97: 120128.Google Scholar
Hobbs, G. A. 1949a. Ecology of species of Bombus Latr. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in southern Alberta. III. Subgenus Cullumanobombus Vogt. Canad. Ent. 97: 12931302.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hobbs, G. A. 1966. Ecology of species of Bombus Latr. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in southern Alberta. IV. Subgenus Fervidobombus Skor. Canad. Ent. 98: 3339.Google Scholar
Hobbs, G. A., Nummi, W. O. and Virostek, J. F.. 1961. Food-gathering behaviour of honey, bumble, and leaf-cutter bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in Alberta. Canad. Ent. 93: 409419.Google Scholar
Hobbs, G. A., Nummi, W. O. and Virostek, J. F.. 1962. Managing colonies of bumble bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) for pollination purposes. Canad. Ent. 94: 11211132.Google Scholar
Laberge, W. E., and Webb, M. C.. 1962. The bumble bees of Nebraska. Univ. Nebr. Coll. Agric. Res. Bull. 205.Google Scholar
Medler, J. T., and Carney, D. W.. 1963. Bumble bees of Wisconsin (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Univ. Wis. Agric. Exp. Sta. Res. Bull. 240.Google Scholar
Plath, O. E. 1934. Bumble bees and their ways. Macmillan, New York.Google Scholar
Richards, O. W. 1927. The specific characters of the British bumble bees (Hymenoptera). Trans. R. ent. Soc., Lond. 75: 223268.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sladen, F. W. L. 1912. The bumble bees. Macmillan, London.Google Scholar
Smith, F. 1891. Catalogue of the British bees. Longmans, London.Google Scholar
Stephen, W. P. 1957. Bumble bees of Western America. Ore. State College, Agric. Exp. Sta. Tech. Bull. 40.Google Scholar