Bombus (Thoracobombus) atripes Smith

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 : 45

34. Bombus (Thoracobombus) atripes Smith

( Figs 70, 71 )

Bombus atripes Smith, 1852a:44 .

Material examined. 11 workers (IAB).

Distribution in North China. Only in the Qin-Ba mountains in southern Shaanxi. Rare at low to medium elevations of the Changqing nature reserve of the Qinling mountains, and at low elevations of the Micangshan mountains in southern Shaanxi. 7 localities ( Fig. 70 ) between 272–1137 m (IAB).

Similar species in North China. This species is similar in its brown colour pattern to B. pascuorum , schrencki , B. hedini and B. tricornis (see the key; Figs 55 , 57 , 59, 69, 71).

Distribution in China. Chongqing, Shaanxi (IAB).

Forage plants. ARALIACEAE : Aralia chinensis ; LYTHRACEAE : Lagerstroemia indica ; SAXIFRAGACEAE : Astilbe chinensis .

Figures

FIGURES 70 – 71. 70. Map showing the distribution of B. atripes 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. 71. B. atripes worker visiting Aralia chinensis (Araliaceae) in Shaanxi.

FIGURES 54 – 55. 54. Map showing the distribution of B. pascuorum 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. 55. B. pascuorum worker visiting Serratula coronata (Asteraceae) in Neimenggu.

FIGURES 56 – 57. 56. Map showing the distribution of B. schrencki 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. 57. B. schrencki male visting Serratula coronata (Asteraceae) in Neimenggu (PW).