Bombus ladakhensis Richards, 1928

Williams, Paul H., Altanchimeg, Dorjsuren, Byvaltsev, Alexandr, Jonghe, Roland De, Jaffar, Saleem, Japoshvili, George, Kahono, Sih, Liang, Huan, Mei, Maurizio, Monfared, Alireza, Nidup, Tshering, Raina, Rifat, Ren, Zongxin, Thanoosing, Chawatat, Zhao, Yanhui & Orr, Michael C., 2020, Widespread polytypic species or complexes of local species? Revising bumblebees of the subgenus Melanobombus world-wide (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Bombus), European Journal of Taxonomy 719, pp. 1-120 : 79-80

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5852/ejt.2020.719.1107

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A4500016-C219-4353-B81C-5E0BB520547F

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4335588

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/252087CA-1F0C-9576-FDB9-FC46DFD2F845

treatment provided by

Valdenar

scientific name

Bombus ladakhensis Richards, 1928
status

 

Bombus ladakhensis Richards, 1928 View in CoL

Figs 6 View Figs 1‒6 , 16 View Figs 14‒16 , 139–147 View Figs 139–180 , 198 View Figs 190‒198

Bombus rufofasciatus View in CoL var. [not subsp.] ladakhensis Richards, 1928b: 336 View in CoL , but not infrasubspecific after

Tkalců (1974a): 335 ( ICZN 1999: Art. 45.6.4.1).

Bombus rufofasciatus View in CoL var. [not subsp.] phariensis Richards, 1930: 642, but not infrasubspecific after

Tkalců (1974a): 336 ( ICZN 1999: Art. 45.6.4.1).

Bombus variopictus Skorikov, 1933a: 248 View in CoL .

Bombus variopictus subsp. bianchii Skorikov, 1933a: 248 View in CoL .

Bombus reticulatus Bischoff, 1936: 7 View in CoL .

The name Bombus variopictus was first published without description by Skorikov (1923) and the taxon was not described with a name available at the time until Skorikov (1933a).

Williams (1991) regarded the yellow-banded taxon ladakhensis s. str. and the white-banded taxon phariensis as parts of the same species based on similarity in morphology. There is also a tendency for some individuals from Yunnan to have much more extensive black hair.

Our PTP analysis ( Fig. 10 View Fig ) of coalescents in the COI gene supports a single candidate species that includes both the taxon ladakhensis s. str. and the taxon phariensis, corroborated by differences in morphology.

From morphology, there is only the difference in colour pattern (pale bands yellow or white) between the taxon ladakhensis s. str. and the taxon phariensis. These taxa share the uniquely fused reflexed head of the male penis valve. They are considered parts of the single species, B. ladakhensis s. lat.

Diagnosis

Females

Queens medium-sized body length 16–19 mm, workers 9–13 mm. Can be distinguished on the QTP by their combination of the hair on the side of the thorax predominantly yellow or white extending

ventrally as far as the leg bases (cf. B. rufofasciatus , B. prshewalskyi ) with the hair of T5 white (or at least extensively white tipped).

Males ( Fig. 6 View Figs 1‒6 )

Body length 11–13 mm. Can be distinguished on the QTP by their combination of either T1 yellow or T2 white (cf. B. rufofasciatus , B. prshewalskyi ) with the hair of T6–7 white or at least extensively white tipped. Genitalia ( Fig. 198 View Figs 190‒198 ) with the gonostylus as long as broad, reduced as a rounded flat scale with the inner basal process reduced to a tooth (cf. rufipes- group, festivus- group, rufofasciatus -group); volsella with the inner distal corner broadly produced but without a narrow hook (cf. rufipes- group, festivus- group, rufofasciatus -group); penis valve with the recurved hook of the head fused throughout most of its length to the adjacent penis-vale shaft (cf. all other Melanobombus ); eye unenlarged relative to female eye.

Material examined

Holotype

INDIA • ♀ (queen, not a worker), holotype of Bombus rufofasciatus var. ladakhensis Richards, 1928 by monotypy ( Williams 1991); Kashmir, Ladakh, Chushal; Jun. 1925; R. Meinertzhagen leg.; NHMUK (examined PW).

Material sequenced (24 specimens)

CHINA – Qinghai Province • 1 ♀ (worker); Xiangpishan ; 36.7589° N, 99.6041° E; 30 Aug. 2010; P. Williams leg.; BOLD seq: 6876H04; PW: ML19 GoogleMaps 1 ♀ (worker); same collection data as for preceding; BOLD seq: 6876H05; PW: ML20 GoogleMaps 1 ♀ (worker); Kunlun Shan ; 35.6920° N, 94.052° E; 13 Aug. 2013; P. Williams leg.; NHMUK seq: NHM2; PW: ML22 GoogleMaps 1 ♀ (worker); Burhan Budai Shan, Qushiang ; 35.8304° N, 98.0816° E; 16 Aug. 2013; P. Williams leg.; BOLD seq: 1555C02; PW: ML233 GoogleMaps . – Xizang Province • 1 ♀ (queen); Tanggula Shan ; 32.8614° N, 91.9174° E; 29 May 1999; K. Huber leg.; BOLD seq: 1552H05; OLML: ML208 View Materials GoogleMaps 1 ♀ (queen); Sugela [= Shogu La]; 29.9154° N, 90.1421° E; 24 Aug. 1999; K. Huber leg.; BOLD seq: 1552H04; OLML: ML209 View Materials GoogleMaps 1 ♀ (queen); Mt Kailas ; 30° N, 82° E; 16 Jul. 2004; T. Bardell leg.; BOLD seq: 1555G10; PW: ML300 GoogleMaps 1 ♀ (worker); Sejilashan ; 29.64141° N, 94.69818° E; 26 Jul. 2018; Z. Ren leg.; KIB seq: SJLSM102012; KIB: ML544 GoogleMaps 1 ♀ (worker); Milashan ; 29.85301° N, 92.33378° E; 27 Jul. 2018; Z. Ren leg.; KIB seq: MLSH103002; KIB: ML545 GoogleMaps 1 ♀ (worker); Yelashan ; 30.16394° N, 97.2860° E; 22 Jul. 2018; Z. Ren leg.; KIB seq: YLSH202002; KIB: ML546 GoogleMaps . – Sichuan Province • 1 ♀ (worker); Hongyuan ; 32.3282° N, 102.4543° E; 3 Aug. 2002; P. Williams leg.; BOLD seq: 1555G12; PW: ML302 GoogleMaps 2 specs; Hongyuan ; 32.3282° N, 102.4543° E; Y. Dong leg.; YD seq: DYX24.1, DYY28; YD: ML438 , ML439 GoogleMaps 1 ♀ (worker); Que’er shan; 31.94192° N, 98.93244° E; 4 Aug. 2018; Z. Ren leg.; KIB seq: QESH304003; KIB: ML547 GoogleMaps . – Yunnan Province • 1 ♀ (worker); Baima Snow Mountain ; 28.37252° N, 98.99982° E; 16 Jul. 2018; Z. Ren leg.; KIB seq: BMXSH102017; KIB: ML543 GoogleMaps 9 ♀♀; Baima Snow Mountain ; 28.3373° N, 99.0771° E; 14–18 Aug. 2019; M. Orr leg.; IOZ seq: 14F5 to 14F8, 14F10, OR15, OR17, OR22, OR26; IOZ: ML590 to ML598 GoogleMaps .

Global distribution

(Qinghai-Tibetan-Plateau species) East Asia: CHINA: Xizang, Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan, Yunnan. – Himalaya: INDIA: Kashmir, Uttaranchal, Sikkim; NEPAL. (IAR, INHS, IOZ, NHMUK, NMS, OLML, PW, SC, USNM, YD, ZIN, ZMHB.) The species is usually not common.

Behaviour

Food-plant generalists ( Williams 1991; Williams et al. 2009; An et al. 2014). The male mate-searching behaviour is expected to resemble the patrolling of B. keriensis .

NHMUK

Natural History Museum, London

PW

Paleontological Collections

OLML

Oberösterreichisches Landesmuseum

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Apidae

Genus

Bombus

SubGenus

Melanobombus

Loc

Bombus ladakhensis Richards, 1928

Williams, Paul H., Altanchimeg, Dorjsuren, Byvaltsev, Alexandr, Jonghe, Roland De, Jaffar, Saleem, Japoshvili, George, Kahono, Sih, Liang, Huan, Mei, Maurizio, Monfared, Alireza, Nidup, Tshering, Raina, Rifat, Ren, Zongxin, Thanoosing, Chawatat, Zhao, Yanhui & Orr, Michael C. 2020
2020
Loc

Bombus rufofasciatus

Richards O. W. 1928: 336
1928
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