[Pollinator] Bombus ashtoni found in 2016 in NY! Super rare nest parasite of B. affinis

[Droege, Sam]

All:

*Bombus ashtoni*!  This is news.  This species of bumble bee is a nest
parasite.  They take over the nests of other bumble bees and use the host's
workers to produce their progeny.  This one is special because its known
hosts in the East are *B. affinis* (the endangered Rusty-patched Bumble
Bee) and *B. terricola* (a species that declined greatly from its former
numbers, but may be recovering some now).  The odds were stacked against
our parasite friend, given the great declines in its hosts.

So, how cool was it when Matt Schlesinger/Amanda Dillon passed on a few
"interesting" bumble bees collected in the Albany Pine Bush in New York by
Tim McCabe in 2016 and there was indeed this interesting nest invader
amidst the others.

Pictures are Here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/usgsbiml/32295474310/in/dateposted-public/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/usgsbiml/32295476880/in/dateposted-public/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/usgsbiml/32552433211/in/dateposted-public/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/usgsbiml/32552436171/in/dateposted-public/

Check out the major mandibles and the modified T6 and S6.

Pictures are all public domain you can download the original right from
Flickr and use as you like.

Leif Richardson (keeper of the Bumble Bee Database) writes about the last
eastern records for *B. ashtoni*:    Michael Veit got it in NH in 2010 and
MA in 2008. Sheila Colla has a 2008 record from Pinery in ON (west of the
Appalachians). I have three records 2007-2008 from Michel Savard and
Pierre-Marc Brousseau in Quebec.  Next most recent are from Cory Sheffield
in Nova Scotia, 2002.

How nice to have some good news.  Specimens will be returned to the NY
State Museum.

I took the specimen in to the National Museum to be sure I wasn't seeing a
B. suckleyi

and updated the DL guides for these two closely related species:

--------------

Female, B. ashtoni vs. B. suckleyi

B. ashtoni - Abdomen, S6, massive, angular, projecting ridges, one on both
lateral edges, their peaks about one-third of the way down from the tip,
the outer face of the ridge at its peak is concave, while the inner face is
CONVEX - Abdomen, T4, Hairs, usually ENTIRELY pale yellow with hairs in
center of segment trending to white - Thorax, Mesepisternum, Hairs, Upper
ONE-THIRD, yellow remaining black

B. suckleyi - Abdomen, S6, massive, angular, projecting ridges, one on both
lateral edges, their peaks about one-third of the way down from the tip,
the outer face of the ridge at its peak is concave, as well as the inner -
Abdomen, T4, Hairs, yellow on sides with BLACK in center and often across
the base - Thorax, Mesepisternum, Hairs, Upper TWO-THIRDS, yellow remaining
black, sometimes entirely yellow

sam

The February Bee

The bumblebee crept out on the stone steps.
No roses. Nothing to gather.
Nothing but itself, the cold air,
and the spring light.
It rubbed its legs together
as if it wished to start a fire
and wear its warmth.
Under its smart yellow bands
the black body shone like patent leather.
It groomed itself, like a pilot
ready for takeoff and yet not ready:
when my shadow fell over him
he flicked his wings, checking them,
and took off into the bare garden.

- Nancy Willard




-- 
*Bees are Not Optional*

*Apes sunt et non liberum*
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