Data and code from: Resurrecting historical observations to characterize species-specific nesting traits of bumblebees

In recent years, ecological research has become increasingly synthetic, relying on revolutionary changes in data availability and accessibility. In spite of their strengths, these approaches may cause us to overlook natural history knowledge that is not part of the digitized English-language scientific record. In our manuscript "Resurrecting historic natural history accounts to characterize the nesting ecology of bumble bees", we combine historic and modern documents to quantify species-specific nesting habitat associations of bumblebees (Bombus spp. Latreille, 1802 Apidae). We compiled nest location data from 316 documents, of which 81 were non-English, and 93 published before 1950. We tested whether nesting traits show phylogenetic signal, examined relationships between habitat associations at different scales, and compared methodologies used to locate nests. We found no clear phylogenetic signals, but found that nesting habitat associations were somewhat generalizable within subgenera. Land cover associations were related to nesting substrate associations; for example, surface-nesting species also tended to be associated with grasslands. Methodology was associated with nest locations; community scientists were most likely and researchers using nest boxes were least likely to report nests in human-dominated environments. These patterns were not apparent in past syntheses based only on the modern digital record. Our findings highlight the tremendous value of historic accounts for quantifying species’ traits and other basic biological knowledge needed to interpret global-scale patterns.Here, we provide the data and code associated with the manuscript "Resurrecting historic natural history accounts to characterize the nesting ecology of bumble bees" and README file with usage notes. To improve reusability of datasets, we include information extracted from manuscripts that was not used in statistical analyses, e.g. detailed notes on nest locations and substrate used by nesting bumblebees, descriptions of study sites, notes on the elevation at which nests were found, etc.NOTE: Data from one unpublished report protected by copyright (Montgomery 1958) is excluded from the data set.