43. Bombus (Alpigenobombus) nobilis Friese s. l.

(Fig. 46)

Bombus validus Friese, 1905:510, syntype queen (Tkalců, 1987:60) MNHU examined. Synonymised provisionally with Bombus nobilis Friese by Williams (1998). ‘Turkestan Kashgar’, believed incorrect.

Bombus nobilis Friese, 1905:513, type not found (Williams et al., 2009). China: Sichuan.

Bombus sikkimi Friese, 1918:82, syntype queen MNHU examined. Synonymised provisionally with Bombus nobilis Friese by Williams (1998). [India]

Nobilibombus morawitziides Skorikov, 1933b:62, holotype worker ZISP examined. Synonymised with Alpigenobombus validus (Friese) by Tkalců (1987). Synonymised provisionally with Bombus nobilis Friese by Williams (1998). China: ‘Gansu’, probably Qinghai.

Bombus (Nobilibombus) xizangensis Wang, 1979:188, holotype worker IZB examined. Synonymised provisionally with Bombus nobilis Friese by Williams (1998). China: Xizang.

Bombus (Nobilibombus) chayaensis Wang, 1979:189, holotype queen IZB examined. Synonymised provisionally with Bombus nobilis Friese by Williams (1998). China: Xizang.

Taxonomy. For a discussion of the taxonomy of this species see Williams et al. (2009) and Williams (2011).

Material examined. 8 workers 1 male (IAB).

Distribution in Gansu. Common at medium to high elevations of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau in the southwest and western mountains (Fig. 46); 4 localities between 2196 and 3524 m (IAB).

Distribution in China. Yunnan, Gansu (IAB).

Forage plants. ASTERACEAE: Carduus crispus, Ligularia sp., Saussurea sp.; ONAGRACEAE: Epilobium angustifolium .