Bombus (Subterraneobombus) melanurus Lepeletier

An, Jiandong, Huang, Jiaxing, Shao, Youquan, Zhang, Shiwen, Wang, Biao, Liu, Xinyu, Wu, Jie & Williams, Paul H., 2014, The bumblebees of North China (Apidae, Bombus Latreille), Zootaxa 3830 (1), pp. 1-89 : 22-23

4. Bombus (Subterraneobombus) melanurus Lepeletier

( Figs 10, 11 )

Bombus melanurus Lepeletier de Saint-Fargeau, [1835]:469.

Bombus Tschitscherini Radoszkowski, 1862:591 , by indication of Radoszkowski (1860:485). Bombus (Subterraneobombus) lantschouensis Tkalců, 1961:360 , by indication of Vogt, 1909:53 (not of Vogt, 1908:101 = B. lantschouensis Vo g t).

Taxonomy. Revised by Williams et al. (2011).

Material examined. 11 queens, 1462 workers, 183 males (IAB).

Distribution in North China. Widely distributed in the transition dry zone between the Neimenggu plateau, the loess plateau, and the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau. Most abundant at medium elevations of the Liupanshan nature reserve of the loess plateau in southern Ningxia. Common at high elevations of the Qilianshan nature reserve and the Liancheng nature reserve of the edge of the northeast Qinghai-Tibetan plateau in western Gansu, at medium elevations of the Ziwuling nature reserve of the loess plateau in eastern Gansu and western Shaanxi, and at medium elevations of the edge of the southern Neimenggu plateau through Neimenggu, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Ningxia and Gansu. Rare at medium elevations of the Beihuashan nature reserve of the Taihangshan mountains in Beijing, at medium elevations of the northern Lvliangshan mountains and the northern Taihangshan mountains in Shanxi, at medium elevations of the Helanshan mountains in northern Ningxia, and at high elevations of the Dangjinshan pass of Aerjinshan mountains in northwestern Gansu. 133 localities ( Fig. 10 ) between 632–2959 m (IAB).

Variation in North China. This species shows strong variation in the colour pattern of the hair across its global distribution (Williams et al., 2011). In North China it varies in colour pattern with the presence or absence of a black band in the hair between the wing bases.

Similar species in North China. This species is very similar in its black- and yellow-banded colour pattern to B. difficillimus (see the key; Figs 11 , 13 ).

Distribution in China. Beijing, Hebei, Shanxi, Neimenggu, Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia, Xinjiang (IAB).

Forage plants. ASTERACEAE : Cosmos bipinnatus , Olgaea tangutica , Saussurea sp., Sinacalia tangutica ; BRASSICACEAE : Brassica rapa ; CAMPANULACEAE : Adenophora polyantha ; FABACEAE : Astragalus bhotanensis , A. adsurgens , Hedysarum mongolicum , H. tanguticum , Melilotus albus , M. officinalis , Onobrychis viciifolia , Oxytropis ochrocephala ; LAMIACEAE : Dracocephalum heterophyllum , Leonurus sibiricus , Scutellaria baicalensis , Thymus mongolicus ; MALVACEAE : Alcea rosea , Gossypium hirsutum , Malva cathayensis ; PAPAVERACEAE : Corydalis sp.; SOLANACEAE : Solanum melongena ; ROSACEAE : Rubus sp.

Figures

FIGURES 10 – 11. 10. Map showing the distribution of B. melanurus in North China with records as black spots, the province boundaries in dark grey, and all sites with records of all bumblebee species in light grey. 11. B. melanurus worker visiting Astragalus adsurgens (Fabaceae) in Gansu.

FIGURES 12 – 13. 12. Map showing the distribution of B. difficillimus in North China with record as black spot, the province boundaries in dark grey, and all sites with records of all bumblebee species in light grey. 13. B. difficillimus worker from Gansu.