Key for Identification of Bumblebee Queens from Costa Rica (Apidae: Apinae: Bombini)

Abstract

In Costa Rica, five species of bumblebees of the Bombus genus are reported, however, two of these species have practically identical coloration, which makes it difficult to distinguish between populations that reside in the same site. A dichotomous key was generated to identify the bombus queens, and it is determined that the species B. ephippiatus and B. digressus can only be identified by observing their jaw characteristics. On the other hand, it is concluded that the distribution of the species B. weisi, B. digressus and B. mexicanus present more restricted distributions than those of B. pullatus, B. ephippiatus and B. volucelloides, of the latter it is also concluded that it had been confused with B. melaleucus, which is determined to be a species restricted to South America for the moment, although it is not ruled out that it can be collected in the southern part of the country, on the Pacific slope, especially in the La Amistad International Park and the Corcovado National Park.