Four species of bees live in the same alpine meadow:
- Yellow-banded bumblebee (Bombus terricola\textit{Bombus terricola}Bombus terricola)
- Western bumblebee (Bombus occidentalis\textit{Bombus occidentalis}Bombus occidentalis)
- Alfalfa leafcutter bee (Megachile rotundata\textit{Megachile rotundata}Megachile rotundata)
- European orchard bee (Osmia cornuta\textit{Osmia cornuta}Osmia cornuta)
Which two species of bees do scientists classify as being most closely related? Give a reason for your answer.
What is the biological definition of a species that explains why the yellow-banded bumblebee and the western bumblebee are classified as separate species?
The populations of four bee species (AAA, BBB, CCC, and DDD) in this meadow were monitored over one calendar year.
Using this information: Describe how the population of species BBB changes during the year.
In August and September, a fungal pathogen affected the populations. Which species (AAA, BBB, CCC, or DDD) had the lowest resistance to this pathogen? Give a reason for your answer.
One of the species is a migratory species that only nests in this alpine meadow during the warmer months of the year. Identify this species and support your answer with evidence from the graph.