Floral Choices, Parasites and Micro-organisms in Natural Populations of Bumblebees (Apidae: Hymenoptera) in Ankara Province

Authors: AHMET MURAT AYTEKİN, NEŞE ÇAĞATAY, SELÇUK HAZIR

Abstract: In this study, the flower choices of different bumblebee species in Ankara province regarding their associations among various parasites and micro-organisms were determined. A total of 21 different species of the genera Bombus Latreille and Psithyrus Lepeletier were examined. The motile hypopus of the mite species Acarus farris (Oudemans, 1905) (Acaridae) was found to be phoretic on Bombus (Bombus) terrestris, Megabombus (Megabombus) argillaceus, Megabombus (Thoracobombus) zonatus and Pyrobombus (Sibiricobombus) niveatus queens. Nosema bombi was also determined to be an internal parasite of B. terrestris. Finally, a nematode species belonging to the family Allantonematidae (Tylenchida) was isolated from Megabombus (Thoracobombus) sylvarum citrinofasciatus. The flower choices of the discussed Bombus and Psithyrus species were examined by using diversity and richness indices. It was observed that Anchusa leptophylla, Onopordum anatolicum, Echium italicum, Trifolium pratense, Galega officinalis and Astragalus sp. were the most preferred plant species of bumblebees in Ankara province.

Keywords: Bombus, Psithyrus, Flower choice, Acarus farris, Nosema bombi

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