D3083: An optimized sampling strategy for determining bumble bee (Bombus: Apidae) community composition

Bumble bees (Bombus) are vital pollinators in temperate ecosystems. Community composition studies are used to document changes in the abundance of individual Bombus species for conservation purposes. Our overall goal in this project was to determine the optimum sampling to represent community compositions accurately, considering variable sites and seasonality. We sampled four sites in northern Utah at five distinct time points throughout a growing season. The four sites consisted of two at higher elevations and two at lower elevations. At each location, we collected samples of 50 bees at multiple time frames throughout the season and a sample of 100 bees for a single mid-season time point, enabling us to gain insight into the impacts of phenology across the four locations. We reconstructed historic estimates of community structure calculated from the USDA National Pollinating Insect Database (NPID, Logan, UT). We compared each sampling event to the historic dataset using Z-tests to identify the optimum sampling scheme. During the summer of 2018, we collected 957 bees across five different dates from June to September at each of the four sites. We identified an optimal sampling strategy to reflect the historic community structure. By optimizing sampling strategies, we can provide valuable information for future studies on community composition, contributing to the conservation of bumble bee species.