Cryptic subarctic diversity: a new bumblebee species from the Yukon and Alaska (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Researchers have identified a previously unrecognized bumblebee species, Bombus(Alpinobombus) kluanensis, from the subarctic mountains of the Yukon and Alaska. This discovery, made through analysis of Cytochrome c Oxidase subunit I barcodes, challenges traditional morphological identification methods and highlights the cryptic diversity in this region. The species is associated with the Denali Fault, spanning from the Alaska Range to Kluane in the Saint Elias Mountains, with 247 female specimens documented so far. The study also provides a global checklist of the subgenus Alpinobombus, contributing significantly to our understanding of bumblebee biodiversity in subarctic ecosystems.

Williams, P. H., Cannings, S. G., & Sheffield, C. S. (2016). Cryptic subarctic diversity: a new bumblebee species from the Yukon and Alaska (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Journal of Natural History, 50(45-46), 2881–2893. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2016.1214294