The first annotated checklist of the bees of Colombia reveals an overlooked diversity and areas with major data deficiencies
31 affiliations
- 1Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
- 2Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
- 3Laboratorio de Abejas Silvestres LABUN, Departamento de Biología, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Cundinamarca, Colombia
- 4Programa de Ecosistemas y Recursos Naturales, Instituto Amazónico de Investigaciones Científicas SINCHI, Bogotá D.C, Colombia
- 5Undergraduate Biology Program, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States of America
- 6Biodiversity Outreach Network, Flagstaff, AZ, United States of America
- 7Grupo Biodiversidad y Ecologia de Abejas Silvestres (BEAS), Facultad de Ciencias Básicas y Aplicadas, Universidad Militar Nueva Granada, Cajicá, Cundinamarca, Colombia
- 8Semillero SEIRPA, Grupo de Sistemática Molecular, Laboratorio de Entomología, Departamento de Biología, Pontifica Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Cundinamarca, Colombia
- 9Museo Entomológico Francisco Luis Gallego, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
- 10Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá, Cundinamarca, Colombia
- 11Grupo de investigación Biología de Organismos Tropicales-BIOTUN, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Cundinamarca, Colombia
- 12Facultad de Ingeniería Agronómica, Universidad del Tolima, Ibagué, Tolima, Colombia
- 13Museo de Entomología de la Universidad del Valle, Departamento de Biología, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
- 14Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Parana, Brazil
- 15Área de Entomologia, Museu de História Natural Capão da Imbuia, Curitiba, Parana, Brazil
- 16Programa de Biología, Universidad del Quindío, Armenia, Quindío, Colombia
- 17Mestrando em Ecologia e Recursos Naturais, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- 18Departamento de Biología, Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad del Cauca, Popayán, Cauca, Colombia
- 19Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Cundinamarca, Colombia
- 20Grupo Bioforense, Facultad de derecho y ciencias forenses, Coleccion entomologica, Tecnológico de Antioquia institucion Universitaria, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
- 21Universidad del Magdalena, Santa Marta, Magdalena, Colombia
- 22Departamento de Ciencias Agrícola, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Palimara, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
- 23Programa de Biología, Universidad de Cartagena, Cartagena, Bolívar, Colombia
- 24Colecciones de Entomología e Invertebrados - Centro de Colecciones y Gestión de Especies, Dirección de Conocimiento, Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt, Villa de Leyva, Boyaca, Colombia
- 25Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA, United States of America
- 26Colección de Insectos, Universidad del Quindio, Armenia, Quindío, Colombia
- 27Grupo de Entomología, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
- 28Red de Diversidad Biológica del Occidente Mexicano, Centro Regional del Bajío, Instituto de Ecología A.C, Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, Mexico
- 29Colecciones Biológicas, Universidad CES, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
- 30Colección Taxonómica Nacional de Insectos “Luis María Murillo” (CTNI), Corporacion Colombiana de Investigacíon Agropecuaria (Agrosavia), Tibaitatá, Cundinamarca, Colombia
- 31Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States of America
Abstract
Background: Most existing knowledge about bee biodiversity comes from temperate regions, where diversity is presumed highest—yet substantial data gaps across the tropics confound this pattern. Checklists are critical for documenting species presence, identifying knowledge gaps, and guiding conservation. We present the first comprehensive bee checklist for Colombia, a country in tropical northern South America that serves as a key biogeographic bridge between Central and South America. We hypothesize that Colombia’s complex topography, its position at the intersection of multiple biogeographic regions, and its partial Gondwanan origin contribute to exceptionally high bee diversity and endemism.
Methods: We built a network of local entomological collections to compile specimen data ( n = 62,158), combined with occurrence records from public datasets ( n = 25,520) and species records reported in the taxonomic literature ( n = 297). Our objectives were to: (1) synthesize the first bee species checklist for Colombia and their genus-level biological traits (ecoregional distribution, nesting habitat, sociality), (2) characterize diversity patterns at the department level using species richness, Shannon index, and weighted endemism, (3) estimate undescribed species via rarefaction curves, and (4) compare species richness and phylogenetic diversity (Faith’s phylogenetic diversity, mean pairwise distance (MPD), mean nearest taxon distance (MNTD) and standardized effect sizes of MPD and MNTD) with countries of Gondwanan origin (Brazil, Chile) versus those in the Holarctic region (USA).
Results: We report 738 species across 123 genera and five families, including 246 new country records and 140 endemic species (19% of total fauna). Sampling effort was highly uneven: 41% of the records were concentrated in the Andean region, while xeric areas—where highest diversity is expected—remain critically undersampled. Species in the family Apidae dominated assemblages (69%), and the Andes ecoregion held the highest richness and endemism. Biological traits across the 738 species showed that solitary (57%) and above-ground nesting (57%) strategies predominate. Accumulation curves suggested that ∼26% of the bee fauna remains undescribed or unreported. Phylogenetic analyses did not support the hypothesis of higher diversity in Colombia relative to other countries of Gondwanan or Holarctic origin. We also found weak support for the relationship between species richness and geographic area across countries.
Conclusions: This study provides essential baseline knowledge for ecological, taxonomic, and conservation research of Neotropical bees. Geographic sampling biases highlight urgent needs for surveys in undersampled regions, especially xeric ecosystems. The multi-institutional network developed here demonstrates the value of collaborative frameworks for biodiversity documentation in megadiverse tropical regions and lays the foundation for long-term pollinator monitoring and conservation.
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BibTeX
@article{martinrojas2026first,
title = {{The first annotated checklist of the bees of Colombia reveals an overlooked diversity and areas with major data deficiencies}},
author = {Ruben D. Martín-Rojas and Diego A. Guevara and Juan Diego Maldonado Cepeda and Nicolás David Gutiérrez Rubiano and Danny Vélez and Victor H. Gonzalez and Rodulfo Ospina-Torres and Neil S. Cobb and M Lucia Aguilar-Benavides and Eduardo A.B. Almeida and Julián Álvarez Romero and María José Arenas-Herrera and Jose Luis Benavides-Lopez and M. Argenis Bonilla-Gómez and Nelson A. Canal and Nancy S. Carrejo and Cindy J. Celis and Juan Camilo Dorado-Suarez and Giovanny Fagua and Delly Rocío García-Cárdenas and Victor Alfonso García-Moya and Dario Guevara-Plata and Fernando Fernández and Luz Miryam Gómez-P and Roberto J. Guerrero and Maria R. Manzano and Juan Diego Herrera-Manrique and Mario Alejandro Marín and Gabriel R. Navas-S and Jhon César Neita Moreno and Santiago R. Ramírez and Maria Cristina Gallego Ropero and Mateo Restrepo-Rúa and Luis F. Sánchez-Alvarán and Antonella Sardi-Saavedra and Valentina Sarria-Rodríguez and Paula Andrea Sepúlveda Cano and Ángela Soto-Correa and Edwin Daniel Torres Pineda and Juliana Torres-Toro and Elder A. Vásquez-Lenis and María C. Vélez Naranjo and Erika Valentina Vergara-Navarro and Marta Wolff and Laura Melissa Guzman and Margarita M. López-Uribe},
journal = {PeerJ},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.7717/peerj.21684},
url = {https://peerj.com/articles/21684},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The first annotated checklist of the bees of Colombia reveals an overlooked diversity and areas with major data deficiencies
AU - Ruben D. Martín-Rojas
AU - Diego A. Guevara
AU - Juan Diego Maldonado Cepeda
AU - Nicolás David Gutiérrez Rubiano
AU - Danny Vélez
AU - Victor H. Gonzalez
AU - Rodulfo Ospina-Torres
AU - Neil S. Cobb
AU - M Lucia Aguilar-Benavides
AU - Eduardo A.B. Almeida
AU - Julián Álvarez Romero
AU - María José Arenas-Herrera
AU - Jose Luis Benavides-Lopez
AU - M. Argenis Bonilla-Gómez
AU - Nelson A. Canal
AU - Nancy S. Carrejo
AU - Cindy J. Celis
AU - Juan Camilo Dorado-Suarez
AU - Giovanny Fagua
AU - Delly Rocío García-Cárdenas
AU - Victor Alfonso García-Moya
AU - Dario Guevara-Plata
AU - Fernando Fernández
AU - Luz Miryam Gómez-P
AU - Roberto J. Guerrero
AU - Maria R. Manzano
AU - Juan Diego Herrera-Manrique
AU - Mario Alejandro Marín
AU - Gabriel R. Navas-S
AU - Jhon César Neita Moreno
AU - Santiago R. Ramírez
AU - Maria Cristina Gallego Ropero
AU - Mateo Restrepo-Rúa
AU - Luis F. Sánchez-Alvarán
AU - Antonella Sardi-Saavedra
AU - Valentina Sarria-Rodríguez
AU - Paula Andrea Sepúlveda Cano
AU - Ángela Soto-Correa
AU - Edwin Daniel Torres Pineda
AU - Juliana Torres-Toro
AU - Elder A. Vásquez-Lenis
AU - María C. Vélez Naranjo
AU - Erika Valentina Vergara-Navarro
AU - Marta Wolff
AU - Laura Melissa Guzman
AU - Margarita M. López-Uribe
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - PeerJ
DO - 10.7717/peerj.21684
UR - https://peerj.com/articles/21684
AB - Background: Most existing knowledge about bee biodiversity comes from temperate regions, where diversity is presumed highest—yet substantial data gaps across the tropics confound this pattern. Checklists are critical for documenting species presence, identifying knowledge gaps, and guiding conservation. We present the first comprehensive bee checklist for Colombia, a country in tropical northern South America that serves as a key biogeographic bridge between Central and South America. We hypothesize that Colombia’s complex topography, its position at the intersection of multiple biogeographic regions, and its partial Gondwanan origin contribute to exceptionally high bee diversity and endemism. Methods: We built a network of local entomological collections to compile specimen data ( n = 62,158), combined with occurrence records from public datasets ( n = 25,520) and species records reported in the taxonomic literature ( n = 297). Our objectives were to: (1) synthesize the first bee species checklist for Colombia and their genus-level biological traits (ecoregional distribution, nesting habitat, sociality), (2) characterize diversity patterns at the department level using species richness, Shannon index, and weighted endemism, (3) estimate undescribed species via rarefaction curves, and (4) compare species richness and phylogenetic diversity (Faith’s phylogenetic diversity, mean pairwise distance (MPD), mean nearest taxon distance (MNTD) and standardized effect sizes of MPD and MNTD) with countries of Gondwanan origin (Brazil, Chile) versus those in the Holarctic region (USA). Results: We report 738 species across 123 genera and five families, including 246 new country records and 140 endemic species (19% of total fauna). Sampling effort was highly uneven: 41% of the records were concentrated in the Andean region, while xeric areas—where highest diversity is expected—remain critically undersampled. Species in the family Apidae dominated assemblages (69%), and the Andes ecoregion held the highest richness and endemism. Biological traits across the 738 species showed that solitary (57%) and above-ground nesting (57%) strategies predominate. Accumulation curves suggested that ∼26% of the bee fauna remains undescribed or unreported. Phylogenetic analyses did not support the hypothesis of higher diversity in Colombia relative to other countries of Gondwanan or Holarctic origin. We also found weak support for the relationship between species richness and geographic area across countries. Conclusions: This study provides essential baseline knowledge for ecological, taxonomic, and conservation research of Neotropical bees. Geographic sampling biases highlight urgent needs for surveys in undersampled regions, especially xeric ecosystems. The multi-institutional network developed here demonstrates the value of collaborative frameworks for biodiversity documentation in megadiverse tropical regions and lays the foundation for long-term pollinator monitoring and conservation.
SN - 2167-8359
ER -