First record of the invasive bumblebee Bombus terrestris (L.) (Hymenoptera, Apidae) in Argentina

Abstract

A recent (March 2006) field survey of plant-pollinator interactions in North Patagonia, Argentina, revealed the presence of Bombus terrestris as flower visitors to several plant species in a natural environment. This is the first record of this invasive bumblebee in Argentina. The available evidence suggests that B. terrestris entered Argentina from Chile, where it was introduced in 1998, through low-altitude passes across the Andes.