Morphology and food plants of subgenus Bombus sensu stricto (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Apinae) from Indian Himalaya

Abstract

Subgenus Bombus sensu stricto is represented by two species, viz. Bombus tunicatus Smith and B. lucorum L from the Oriental region including Indian Himalayan belt. Morphology of 8 variants, synonymy and illustrations of this subgenus from Indian Himalayan belt is given. Besides this, new plants visited by them are also enumerated. Samples collected from Kashmir Himalayas showed great variation in the colour pattern of both species were noted. The worker size of B. tunicatus is variable with one having a size of a peanut and others having much larger size. B. tunicatus queens show different shades of white and brown colour on pronotum; white, brown and black on metanotum; abdominal tergum 1and 2 white and black. The colour pattern is very similar to B. simillimus with difference in having a black band between the bases of wings on the thorax. Females (queens) of B. lucorum show different shades of pale brown and yellow on pronotum and abdominal tergum 2; abdominal tergum 1 is pale brown, black and yellow; abdominal tergum 5 is white and yellow.

Keywords

• Bumblebees
• Food plants
• India
• Morphometry
• Population variation
• Subgenus Bombus sensu stricto.