UK Bumblebee Museum Specimen Metadata With Wing Asymmetry Measurements

UK museum specimen metadata and procrustes distance between left and right forewings, for five bumblebee species. The data comprise collection label details for specimens from five UK museums, including species, collector, date collected, location, and caste. Specimen locations were geotagged, and wing shape asymmetry was quantified using Procrustes distance.

Use Cases

• Analyze Procrustes distance between left and right forewings to study fluctuating asymmetry as a stress indicator in five bumblebee species.
• Map specimen location coordinates to examine geographic distribution patterns for species like Bombus hortorum and B. lapidarius.
• Investigate temporal trends in specimen collection dates across different caste categories.
• Correlate wing shape asymmetry metrics with collection location or date to assess environmental stress factors.

Strengths

• Includes data for five distinct bumblebee species (Bombus hortorum, B. muscorum, B. lapidarius, B. pascuorum, B. sylvarum).
• Specimens sourced from five major UK museums, providing institutional diversity.
• Location data enhanced via geotagging using the Google Maps Geocoding API.
• Contains a calculated morphometric feature (Procrustes distance) quantifying wing shape asymmetry.

Limitations

• Sample size (number of specimens/rows) is unknown, limiting assessment of statistical power.
• Geographic scope is restricted to the United Kingdom, limiting global applicability.
• Relies on historical museum collection dates, which may not reflect current populations.

Provenance

Source

Environmental Information Data Centre, originating from a NERC-funded Standard Grant.

Collection Method

Digitization of museum specimen labels and landmarking of forewings for Procrustes alignment and distance calculation.

Time Range

null

Freshness

Last updated March 2026.

Geography

United Kingdom, with specimens from five UK museums.