Status and monitoring of the buff-tailed bumblebee Bombus terrestris Linnaeus (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in Southern Finland

Abstract

Bombus terrestris can cause pollination disturbance in native plants and compete with native bumblebees and other pollinators. The accompanying non-native parasites may also threaten native bees. We report new observations of the commercially used Bombus terrestris (Linnaeus, 1758) using trapping data and sporadic samples identified with a PCR–RFLP-method for degraded DNA. A total of 863 individuals (355 queens, 442 workers, 66 drones) of Bombus sensu stricto were collected during the years 2008–9, of which, 642 were B. lucorum, ten B. cryptarum, four B. terrestris and none were B. magnus. Three trap types were compared in two modified transects near areas that use the commercial B. terrestris for pollination in Southern Finland: the tree trap that was hung at approximately 3 metres height was the most effective. Regular monitoring is important in the risk assessment of B. terrestris, and for correct species identification, molecular methods are recommended.