Cuckoo Bumble Bees (Bombus (Psithyrus))

Martin, SJ ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9418-053X 2019, 'Cuckoo Bumble Bees (Bombus (Psithyrus))' , in: Encyclopedia of Social Insects , Springer.

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Abstract

There are about 250 species of bumble bees, genus Bombus, of which 30 have evolved into social parasites known as cuckoo bumble bees. All cuckoo bumble bees were at one time placed in their own genus, Psithyrus, which is now treated as a monophyletic subgenus within Bombus. That is, they appear to share a single evolutionary origin from a presumably parasitic ancestor, rather than each species evolving separately from its free-living host species.

Item Type:	Book Section
Editors:	Starr, CK
Schools:	Schools > School of Environment and Life Sciences > Ecosystems and Environment Research Centre
Journal or Publication Title:	Encyclopaedia of Social Insects. Springer, Cam
Publisher:	Springer
ISBN:	9783319903064 (online)
Related URLs:	Publication
Depositing User:	SJ Martin
Date Deposited:	02 Mar 2020 11:52
Last Modified:	02 Mar 2020 12:00
URI:	http://usir.salford.ac.uk/id/eprint/56524

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