Morphology and Food Plants of Cuckoo Bees (Apidae: Hymenoptera) From Indian Himalayas
Journal Title: Ecologia Balkanica - Year 2015, Vol 7, Issue 1
Abstract
Cuckoo bees belong to the genus Bombus (Apidae: Hymenoptera) under sub genus Psythrus Lepeletier and is widely distributed subgenus from the oriental region represented by 17 valid species. This subgenus is represented by eight valid species from Indian Himalayas viz. B. ferganicus B. novus, B. morawatizianus, B. cornutus, B. branickii, B. skorikovi, B. tibetanus and B. turneri. Due emphasis has been laid on their altitudional distribution, food plants, taxonomy, synonymy, and illustrations. Being their parasitic nature these species lack worker caste and has negligible role in pollination ecology although they have got preference to forage on different host plants. The species were observed feeding sluggishly on flower heads of Rosa weibbiana, Cirsium spp. and Trifoium spp. Many new food plants of these species have been recorded for the first time from the area under study. During the present studies six species of the cuckoo bees were collected and identified and one species viz. B. turneri which could not found during the present study were procured on exchanged from BMNH, London.
Authors and Affiliations
Rifat Raina, Malkiat Saini
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP132700
- DOI -
- Views 126
- Downloads 0
Stochastic Modeling of Problematic Air Pollution with Particulate Matter in the City of Pernik, Bulgaria
Air quality in urban areas is an important prerequisite for a healthy environment. This paper focuses on the study of the problematic pollutant PM10 in the air over the city of Pernik in order to prevent the worsening of...
Nesting Activity of Loggerhead Turtles ([i]Caretta caretta[/i]) at Göksu Delta, Turkey during 2004 and 2008 nesting seasons
Göksu Delta is one of the most important nesting beaches in Turkey for the endangered loggerhead turtle ([i]Caretta caretta[/i]). This paper provides information on the nesting activities of loggerhead turtles, the spati...
Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals by Grasshoppers and a Mantid Along a Pollution Gradient
The concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, and Zn were studied in soil, plants, three grasshopper species (Aiolopus thalassinus (Fabricius, 1781), Calephorus compressicornis (Latreille, 1804), and Acrotylus patruelis...
Contribution to the Study of the Structure of the Main Ligneous Species in the Preservation of Forest Spaces in the Monts of Saida and Dhaya (Algerian West)
In arid Mediterranean region, the structure of forest stands is the image of their capabilities durability and resistance demonstrated by the rate of land by persistent vegetation recovery rate by stratum and living spac...
Recognition of Endemic Plants in Zagros Region (Case Study: Lorestan Province, Iran)
The present study was carried out in the Hashtadpahlou and Sefidkoh mountains which are important vegetation regions in the western Iran, Lorestan. The endemic plants and their life form in these mountain regions were de...