Bombus atratus

Bombus atratus is a neotropical bumblebee that is found throughout regions of South America, including Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil, and Argentina. It lives in social colonies that include a founder queen/queens, workers and brood. B. atratus is somewhat unusual because of its potential to oscillate between polygynous (multiple queens) and monogynous (one queen) nesting cycles.[1] Bombus atratus was the first species in the genus Bombus that was discovered to display such polygynous nesting patterns.[1] The polygynous nesting cycles lead to certain specific types of behavior including queen-queen aggression.[2] Nests can also be perennial, which is a characteristic rarely found in other bumblebees. B. atratus can be helpful agriculturally because of their ability to pollinate different species of plants. B. atratus has been found to occupy a range of geographic areas and climates throughout South America.[3] Colonies have the ability to thermoregulate nests and keep them a little bit warmer than the outside environment. Foraging workers use muscle contractions to maintain stable temperatures and coupe with seasonal and daily fluctuations in temperature.[1]
Category:Animals
Category:Creatures