5. Bombus (Subterraneobombus) melanurus Lepeletier

(Fig. 8)

Bombus melanurus Lepeletier de Saint-Fargeau, [1835]:469, lectotype queen by designation of Tkalců (1969:202), UMO examined. Syria.

Bombus altaicus Eversmann, 1846:436, holotype queen by monotypy (Skorikov, 1910c:572), ZISP not seen. Altai. Synonymised with Bombus melanurus Lepeletier by Morawitz (in Fedtschenko 1875:5).

Bombus Tschitscherini Behr in Radoszkowski, 1862:591, by indication of Radoszkowski (1860:485), holotype queen by monotypy, ISEAK examined. Russia: Siberia. Regarded as conspecific (in the form Bombus melanurus tschitscherini Behr) by Vogt (1909:53); synonymised with Bombus melanurus Lepeletier by Williams (1991:62).

Material examined. 6 queens 146 workers 31 males (IAB).

Distribution in Gansu. Abundant at low to medium altitudes of the eastern loess plateau, western mountains, northwestern Qilianshan mountains (Fig. 8); 23 localities between 1423 and 2923 m (IAB).

Distribution in China. Beijing, Hebei, Shanxi, Neimenggu, Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia, Xinjiang (IAB).

Forage plants. ASTERACEAE: Olgaea tangutica, Cosmos bipinnatus, Saussurea sp., Sinacalia tangutica; BRASSICACEAE: Brassica napus; CAMPANULACEAE: Adenophora polyantha; FABACEAE: Astragalus bhotanensis, A. adsurgens, Hedysarum tanguticum, Oxytropis ochrocephala; LAMIACEAE: Dracocephalum heterophyllum, Thymus mongolicus; MALVACEAE: Althaea rosea; PAPAVERACEAE: Corydalis sp.; ROSACEAE: Rubus sp.