Bumblebee diversity and abundance in the Iranian Alborz Mountains (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Abstract

In this survey, which extended from February to September of 2005 to 2007, bumblebee queens, workers and males were collected from five provinces in the north and northwest of Iran in the Central Alborz and Sabalan. In total, 26 species of bumblebees were collected and identified. Overall, 21 species were collected from the Sabalan while 16 species were collected from the Central Alborz Mountains. A list of species assemblages and abundance is provided for the various provinces in each of the mountain ranges. Although the number of specimens collected from the Central Alborz (867 specimens) was about three times higher than the Sabalan region (264 specimens), Sabalan had 80.7% and Alborz 61.5% of all species. Results from rarefaction analysis (species accumulation curves) indicated that the Sabalan and the Central Alborz Mountains do not differ in bumblebee diversity. Moreover, the two sample sites within the Sabalan Mountains do not differ in species diversity while in the Central Alborz Mountains samples sites indicate significant differences in species diversity. In this region, the Qazvin region had higher species diversity than the other regions. Most species of bumblebee were collected in altitudinal ranges of 1500–2500m.