TY - JOUR

T1 - Integrating evidence to disentangle multiple cryptic speciation events in a cuckoo bumblebee species group

AU - Paolo Biella, Davide Maggioni, Martin Streinzer, Paul H. Williams, Alexandr Byvaltsev, Frode Ødegaard, Fausto Ramazzotti, Cory S. Sheffield, George Japoshvili, Johann Neumayer, Maxim Yu. Proshchalykin, Zong-Xin Ren, Andrea Galimberti

AU - Бывальцев, Александр Михайлович

PY - 2026

Y1 - 2026

N2 - Integrating multiple approaches for the study of lineages is fundamental, and searching for coherent evidence is generally accepted as a way to discover newspecies. Bumblebee speciation is ideal for study due to taxonomic history, color mimicry, and morphological challenges. Here, we focused on the Bombus flavidusspecies group, cuckoo bumblebees, by characterizing the genetic lineages and variation, investigating morphometrics of wing shape and body parts, and studyingmorphology. From 553 COI sequences within the B. flavidus species group, B. barbutellus species and B. bohemicus group, and 265 morphological specimens,lines of evidence coherently demonstrated distinct lineages, especially within the B. flavidus, B. norvegicus, and B. sylvestris complexes. Multiple gene-baseddelimitation algorithms identified three new lineages, and morphology and morphometrics also confirmed this, leading to a new taxonomic status for Bombuslutescens stat. nov. in South Europe, Bombus sichuanicus Biella sp. nov. in South-East Asia, and Bombus popovi stat. nov. in East Asia. Since these new cladesoccur at the periphery of the species complex's range, speciation at the distribution edges is interpreted as a possible mechanism, while possible host-shifts are alsodiscussed. This study illuminates broad zoological research questions, showing that integrating sources of evidence is operationally useful for studying speciationevents in the context of cryptic lineages, while also clarifying the evolutionary history of an intricate bumblebee group.

AB - Integrating multiple approaches for the study of lineages is fundamental, and searching for coherent evidence is generally accepted as a way to discover newspecies. Bumblebee speciation is ideal for study due to taxonomic history, color mimicry, and morphological challenges. Here, we focused on the Bombus flavidusspecies group, cuckoo bumblebees, by characterizing the genetic lineages and variation, investigating morphometrics of wing shape and body parts, and studyingmorphology. From 553 COI sequences within the B. flavidus species group, B. barbutellus species and B. bohemicus group, and 265 morphological specimens,lines of evidence coherently demonstrated distinct lineages, especially within the B. flavidus, B. norvegicus, and B. sylvestris complexes. Multiple gene-baseddelimitation algorithms identified three new lineages, and morphology and morphometrics also confirmed this, leading to a new taxonomic status for Bombuslutescens stat. nov. in South Europe, Bombus sichuanicus Biella sp. nov. in South-East Asia, and Bombus popovi stat. nov. in East Asia. Since these new cladesoccur at the periphery of the species complex's range, speciation at the distribution edges is interpreted as a possible mechanism, while possible host-shifts are alsodiscussed. This study illuminates broad zoological research questions, showing that integrating sources of evidence is operationally useful for studying speciationevents in the context of cryptic lineages, while also clarifying the evolutionary history of an intricate bumblebee group.

U2 - 10.48130/jzser-0026-0016

DO - 10.48130/jzser-0026-0016

M3 - статья

JO - Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research

JF - Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research

SN - 1439-0469

IS - e016

ER -