32. Bombus (Pyrobombus) lepidus Skorikov

(Fig. 35)

Bombus lepidus Skorikov, 1912:606, syntype queen ZISP examined. China: Qinghai.

Bombus genitalis Friese, 1913:85, holotype male MNHU examined. Synonymised with Bombus lepidus Skorikov by Williams (1991). China: ‘Tibet’,?Xizang.

Bombus nursei var. tetrachromus Friese, 1918:85 (not of Cockerell, 1909:397 = B. kashmirensis Friese), lectotype queen (Williams, 1991:75) MNHU examined. Synonymised with Bombus lepidus Skorikov by Williams (1991). India.

Material examined. 2 queens 132 workers 20 males (IAB).

Distribution in Gansu. Abundant at medium to high elevations of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau in the southwest and western mountains; rare at low to medium elevations of the southeastern mountains, eastern loess plateau and northwestern Qilianshan mountains (Fig. 35); 27 localities between 1049 and 3656 m (IAB).

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

Forage plants. ASTERACEAE: Carduus crispus, Cirsium setosum, Ligularia sp., Saussurea sp., Sinacalia tangutica; CONVOLVULACEAE: Pharbitis nil; FABACEAE: Astragalus bhotanensis, Astragalus sp., Hedysarum gmelini, Medicago sativa, Melilotus albus, M. officinalis, Oxytropis ochrocephala, Vicia unijuga; GENTIANACEAE: Halenia elliptica; LAMIACEAE: Caryopteris divaricata, Dracocephalum heterophyllum, Elsholtzia fruticosa, Lamium album, Nepeta prattii, Phlomis umbrosa, Salvia przewalskii, Salvia sp., Thymus mongolicus; ONAGRACEAE: Epilobium angustifolium; PAPAVERACEAE: Corydalis sp.; RANUNCULACEAE: Aconitum gymnandrum, A. leucostomum, Clematis tangutica, Delphinium grandiflorum; ROSACEAE: Potentilla fruticosa; SCROPHULARIACEAE: Euphrasia pectinata, Pedicularis kansuensis, P. s p i c a t a, Pedicularis sp.