New Occurrence Records for the Southern Plains Bumblebee, <i>Bombus fraternus</i> Smith, 1854 (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Apinae), in Virginia

Abstract

The Southern Plains Bumblebee (Bombus fraternus Smith, 1854) is a bumblebee species that commonly occurs in grassland and open habitats in the Southeastern and Great Plains regions of the United States. The species is thought to be in decline due to habitat loss/alteration, widespread pesticide use, and other factors. This bumblebee species was originally assumed to be restricted to the southeastern portion of Virginia in recent times, though historically was found along the eastern coast of the United States. Here we report the collections of individuals from two locations with no previous records of the species with descriptions of the characters used to identify the specimens.