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Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile DNA sequences that are widely distributed in eukaryotic genomes, where they are known to serve as a major force in genome evolution. The phenotypic impacts of TEs, while less well studied, have also been discovered. Bumblebees are globally important pollinators in natural ecosystems and agriculture. Although TEs comprise a small fraction of bumblebee genomes, emerging evidence suggest that TEs are the major contributor of genome size variation across species and are involved in the formation of new coding and regulatory sequences. We review recent discoveries related to TEs in bumblebees, as well …