45. Bombus (Melanobombus) rufofasciatus Smith

(Fig. 48)

Bombus rufo-fasciatus Smith, 1852b:48, lectotype queen (Tkalců, 1974b:340) BMNH examined. India.

Bombus Prshewalskyi Morawitz, 1880:342, type not seen. Regarded as conspecific with Bombus rufofasciatus Smith by Richards (1930). China: ‘Gan-su’, probably Qinghai.

Bombus rufocinctus Morawitz, 1880:343 (not of Cresson, 1863:106 = B. rufocinctus Cresson), syntype queen ZISP examined. Synonymised with Bombus rufofasciatus Smith by Handlirsch (1888). China: ‘Gan-su’, probably Qinghai.

Bombus chinensis Dalla Torre, 1890 [June 25]:139, replacement name for rufocinctus Morawitz, 1880:343 (not of Morawitz, 1890 [April 30]:352 = B. chinensis (Morawitz)) . Synonymised with Bombus rufofasciatus Smith by Richards (1930).

Material examined. 2 queens 224 workers 34 males (IAB).

Distribution in Gansu. Abundant at medium to high elevations of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau in the southwest and northwestern Qilianshan mountains (Fig. 48); 21 localities between 2148 and 4011 m (IAB).

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

Forage plants. ALLIACEAE: Allium cyaneum; ASTERACEAE: Carduus crispus, Cirsium japonicum, Ligularia przewalskii, Olgaea tangutica, Saussurea gossypiphora, S. purpurascens, Saussurea sp., Taraxacum mongolicum; CRASSULACEAE: Sedum sp.; FABACEAE: Hedysarum gmelini, Oxytropis sp.; GENTIANACEAE: Gentiana aristata, G. straminea, Halenia elliptica; GERANIACEAE: Geranium pratense; LAMIACEAE: Dracocephalum heterophyllum, Salvia przewalskii, Salvia sp., Thymus mongolicus; POLYGONACEAE: Polygonum macrophyllum, P. viviparum; RANUNCULACEAE: Aconitum gymnandrum, Clematis tangutica, Delphinium grandiflorum; ROSACEAE: Potentilla fruticosa; SCROPHULARIACEAE: Euphrasia pectinata, Pedicularis kansuensis, P. t o r t a, P. s p i c a t a, Pedicularis sp., Veronica sp.