Indian Bumblebees

This Title embodies the various aspects of Bumble bee fauna of Indian Himalayas. Belonging to the genus Bombus Latreille, 1802 of the family Apidae (Hymenoptera), bumble bees rank among the most abundant and conspicuous of flower visitors in alpine, temperate and arctic environment of the northern continents. They are primitively eusocial and are associated with the high lands playing a key role in conserving a fabulous tapestry of biodiversity. However, due to the massive induction of high technology and numerous other anthropic factors, their role as conservators of vegetation germplaasm is being ruthlessly brought under great ecological stress and strain in the Himalayan ecosystem. This stress and strain has not only resulted in the shrinkage of the distributional ranges of large number of entomophilous flowering plant species, it has also affected the species diversity and population level of these enthophilous insects as well. There are two hundred and fifty known species of bumblebees present on global basis, placed in a single genus Bombus Laterille, 1802. However, from the Indian faunistic limits only 48 species are on record, which are mostly confined to the Himalayan belt. Since all previous works on this group of insects from Indian Himalaya were attempted by foreigners so the type material is lying scattered in the various museums of the world. This made the Indian workers handicapped and hindered the further research.