Bombus ( Megabombus ) religiosus (Frison)

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 : 30

14. Bombus ( Megabombus) religiosus (Frison)

( Figs 30, 31 )

Bremus (Hortobombus) religiosus Frison, 1935:344 .

Material examined. 6 workers (IAB).

Distribution in North China. Rare at medium elevations of the east Qinghai-Tibetan plateau, Hezuo, Gansu; the Liupanshan nature reserver of the the loess plateau in Ningxia, and the Taibai natural seserve of the Qinling mountains in Shaanxi. 3 localities ( Fig. 30 ) between 1303–2524 m (IAB).

Similar species in North China. This species is similar in its yellow-banded colour pattern to B. czerskii and B. sushkini (see the key; Figs 31 , 33 , 35 ).

Distribution in China. Sichuan, Yunnan, Xizang, Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia (IAB).

Forage plants. LAMIACEAE : Caryopteris incana .

Figures

FIGURES 30 – 31. 30. Map showing the distribution of B. religiosus 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. 31. B. religiosus worker from Gansu.

FIGURES 32 – 33. 32. Map showing the distribution of B. czerskii 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. 33. B. czerskii worker from Neimenggu.

FIGURES 34 – 35. 34. Map showing the distribution of B. sushkini s. l. 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. 35. B. sushkini s. l. male visiting Pedicularis kansuensis (Scrophulariaceae) in Gansu.