Species diversity of bumblebees from the eastern Qinghai Province

Using morphological characteristics and mitochondrial 16S rDNA barcoding, we identified bumblebee (Bombus spp.) samples collected from 20 counties of eastern Qinghai Province, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). We also investigated the species composition of bumblebees in each sampling site and analyzed the relationship between species diversity and related environmental factors. A total of 3 195 specimens was collected from 20 sampling sites, of which 23 species belonging to 10 subgenera were identified. The total Shannon-Wiener diversity was 2.67 and Pielou evenness index was 0.85, showing a high level of species diversity. Five species (B. lantschouensis, B. patagiatus, B. lucorum, B. pyrosoma, and B. melanurus) possibly have the potential for economic development, comprising 17.9% of the total sample. The results of Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression analysis showed that the annual temperature was the key factor influencing species diversity, and as the temperature decreased, species richness, Shannon-Wiener diversity, and Pielou evenness all significantly decreased (P<0.05). Our research provides fundamental information for the understanding, utilization, and conservation of bumblebee diversity in the QTP.