Work

Scientific note: New natural history observations expanding the feeding habits of the high-Andean bumblebee Bombus funebris

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Bees are the main group of pollen and nectar foragers in terrestrial habitats around the world. However, many species visit other resources facultatively, to feed, build nests, or collect essences for reproductive or breeding purposes. In the case of the genus Bombus , visits to non-floral resources have been documented in a few species restricted to the Old World, North and Central America. Here, we describe and illustrate, for the first time, necrophagy and coprophagy in a South American bumblebee, the high-Andean Bombus funebris (Smith, 1854) associated with Andean condor ( Vultur gryphus) in Pichincha Province, Ecuador. This natural history information provides novel knowledge on the trophic habits and behavior of South American Bombus species.

Source: Apidologie

DOI: 10.1007/s13592-026-01296-y

Authors: Yarina Tapuy-Avilés, Joceline López-Poveda, Rúben Pineida, Sebastián Kohn, Marcio Luiz de Oliveira, Alex Pazmiño-Palomino

Institutions: Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Fundación Cóndor Andino, Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Chimborazo

Language: English

Topic: Plant and animal studies

Subfield: Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,990

Funders: Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico