ArticlePeerJ2017
Eumelanin and pheomelanin are predominant pigments in bumblebee (Apidae:
Article in PeerJ, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 30 citations in OpenAlex.
- The genetic basis of mimicry in the snowy bumble bee (Bombus niveatus) in Anatolia with insights from a color polymorphic gynandromorph.PLoS genetics · 2026Article
- Similar Genetic Routes Are Independently Targeted for Mimetic Color Convergence in Bumble Bees.Molecular biology and evolution · 2025Article
- Tanning of the tarsal and mandibular cuticle in adultInterface focus · 2024Article
- Hymenoptera and biomimetic surfaces: insights and innovations.Beilstein journal of nanotechnology · 2024Review
- Rapid and non-destructive identification of Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles arabiensis mosquito species using Raman spectroscopy via machine learning classification models.Malaria journal · 2023Article
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- Skin Pigmentation Types, Causes and Treatment-A Review.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
- The diversity, evolution, and development of setal morphologies in bumble bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae:PeerJ · 2022Article
- A combined RAD-Seq and WGS approach reveals the genomic basis of yellow color variation in bumble bee Bombus terrestris.Scientific reports · 2021Article
- Benefits of insect colours: a review from social insect studies.Oecologia · 2020Review
- Article
- Pheomelanin synthesis varies with protein food abundance in developing goshawks.Journal of comparative physiology. B, Biochemical, systemic, and environmental physiology · 2019Article
- Solar and terrestrial radiations explain continental-scale variation in bird pigmentation.Oecologia · 2018Article
- Melanins in Fossil Animals: Is It Possible to Infer Life History Traits from the Coloration of Extinct Species?International journal of molecular sciences · 2018Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundBumblebees (Hymenoptera: Apidae:
methodsBy using dispersive Raman spectroscopy analysis on 12 species/subspecies of bumblebees from seven subgenera, we tested the hypothesis that eumelanin and pheomelanin, the two main melanin types occurring in animals, are largely responsible for bumblebee pubescence coloration.
resultsEumelanin and pheomelanin occur in bumblebee pubescence. Black pigmentation is due to prevalent eumelanin, with visible signals of additional pheomelanin, while the yellow, orange, red and brown hairs clearly include pheomelanin. On the other hand, white hairs reward very weak Raman signals, suggesting that they are depigmented. Additional non-melanic pigments in yellow hair cannot be excluded but need other techniques to be detected. Raman spectra were more similar across similarly colored hairs, with no apparent effect of phylogeny and both melanin types appeared to be already used at the beginning of bumblebee radiation. DISCUSSION: We suggest that the two main melanin forms, at variable amounts and/or vibrational states, are sufficient in giving almost the whole color range of bumblebee pubescence, allowing these insects to use a single precursor instead of synthesizing a variety of chemically different pigments. This would agree with commonly seen color interchanges between body segments across
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