Widespread polytypic species or complexes of local species? Revising bumblebees of the subgenus Melanobombus world-wide (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Bombus) Author Williams, Paul H. 38A45E0C-02A8-407E-8E89-5162D454E9FE Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW 7 5 BD, UK. paw@nhm.ac.uk Author Altanchimeg, Dorjsuren FB68F32E-4F6D-40C2-A921-20FBAD676D50 Institute of General and Experimental Biology, Peace Avenue 54 b, Ulaanbaatar 13330, Mongolia. altanchimegd@mas.ac.mn Author Byvaltsev, Alexandr B57BAD3E-9E42-4446-994E-4A45A738D404 Novosibirsk State University, ul. Pirogova 2, Novosibirsk, 630090 Russia. byvam@yandex.ru Author Jonghe, Roland De FC98CAB7-B2FF-4BEB-94FF-26F53D33CD04 Langstraat 105, B- 2260 Westerlo, Belgium. roland.de.jonghe@telenet.be Author Jaffar, Saleem 77F70375-0A19-4D0E-A05A-987BB46543C0 South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China. saleemjaffar@stu.scau.edu.cn Author Japoshvili, George CCC82B7C-A1E4-4D58-90A3-623116CBAE96 Agricultural University of Georgia, 240 Agmashenebli Alley, Tbilisi, Georgia. g.japoshvili@agruni.edu.ge Author Kahono, Sih F8513496-B409-434C-A182-4146232C89FA Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Jakarta, Indonesia. sihkahono@gmail.com Author Liang, Huan A99867E0-C686-4608-8DF7-0EDE8D2D57EC Kunming Institute of Botany (Chinese Academy of Sciences), 132 Lanhei Road, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China. lianghuan@mail.kib.ac.cn Author Mei, Maurizio 82F344C7-B98A-462C-81E0-D6F3F02348D4 Università di Roma ‘ Sapienza’, Piazzale Valerio Massimo 6, Roma 00162, Italy. maurizio.mei@uniroma1.it Author Monfared, Alireza 48CA77BA-8CF4-4812-89B1-696A11FEDE2D Yasouj University, Zirtol, Yasouj, Iran. alirezamonfared1@yahoo.com Author Nidup, Tshering BE588EE1-5E2C-46CC-8907-CD344D88C869 Sherubtse College, Royal University of Bhutan, Trashigang, Bhutan. tsheringnidup@sherubtse.edu.bt Author Raina, Rifat 48E5AE7A-D5DC-4549-94B7-FD8489D1EF9E Zoological Survey of India, Pali Road, Jodhpur 342005, Rajasthan, India. rifat72001@rediffmail.com Author Ren, Zongxin 27B9DD39-62A8-44D3-9D6A-E6C20D8AAA27 Kunming Institute of Botany (Chinese Academy of Sciences), 132 Lanhei Road, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China. renzongxin@mail.kib.ac.cn Author Thanoosing, Chawatat 6F4C150C-BC03-4F75-91A6-2A8AF6B5905C Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW 7 5 BD, UK. c.thanoosing@nhm.ac.uk Author Zhao, Yanhui 299C8EEA-699E-4B15-9BCD-9806E0E7EE63 Kunming Institute of Botany (Chinese Academy of Sciences), 132 Lanhei Road, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China. zhaoyanhui@mail.kib.ac.cn Author Orr, Michael C. 1E7F46C3-870E-460C-A611-BA1042ED99FB Institute of Zoology (Chinese Academy of Sciences), 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang, Beijing 100101, China. michael.christopher.orr@gmail.com text European Journal of Taxonomy 2020 2020-10-02 719 1 120 journal article 10.5852/ejt.2020.719.1107 7ca72f76-4fae-4305-8601-4662f4cd2b96 2118-9773 4064324 A4500016-C219-4353-B81C-5E0BB520547F Bombus eriophorus Klug, 1807 Figs 4 , 14 , 108–114 , 193 Bombus eriophorus Klug, 1807: 265 . Bombus caucasicus Radoszkowski, 1860: 482 . Bombus caucasicus var. geogr. [subsp.] tenuicinctus Vogt, 1911: 59 . Bombus caucasicus var. geogr. [subsp.] mixtocinctus Vogt, 1911: 59 . Bombus lapidarius (part) – Reinig 1935: 334 . — Williams 1998: 134 (non Linnaeus, 1758: 579 ). Vogt (1909: 41 , 49) considered the taxon eriophorus s. str. (thoracic dorsum uniformly white) and the taxon caucasicus (thoracic dorsum white with a black band between the wing bases) to be parts of B. lapidarius s. lat. (thorax black or often with anterior and sometimes posterior yellow bands). Subsequently, Vogt (1911: 69) regarded B. caucasicus as a species separate from B. lapidarius and listed the taxon eriophorus s. str. as part of B. caucasicus (even though eriophorus s. lat. is the oldest available name for the species). Reinig (1935 : text-fig. 4) considered the taxon eriophorus s. str. and the taxon caucasicus to be parts of B. lapidarius s. lat. , showing colour-pattern diagrams with apparently intermediate colour patterns as part of his evidence. Lecocq et al . (2015) considered that B. caucasicus is likely to be a species separate from B. lapidarius from evidence of COI-coalescent analysis and from differences in composition of cephalic labial gland secretions (CLGS, believed to include sex pheromones). They had no samples of B. eriophorus s. str. but considered it likely to be conspecific with B . caucasicus . In contrast to Reinig (1935) , we agree with Lecocq et al . (2015) that B. eriophorus s. lat. and B. lapidarius s. lat. are separate species from evidence of COI coalescents ( Fig. 10 ), corroborated by morphology. Our PTP analysis ( Fig. 10 ) of coalescents in the COI gene supports three coalescents for candidate species within the lapidarius- group as identified in the four gene species tree ( Figs 21–22 ): a Caucasusregion candidate species, caucasicus , supported strongly, and two more widespread candidate species within the European taxon lapidarius s. lat. , supported relatively weakly. We have been unable to secure fresh samples of the taxon eriophorus s. str. – recent collections in the Caucasus mountains made by three different collectors of bumblebees have been unable to find this taxon. From morphology, B. eriophorus s. lat. has a colour pattern distinct from B. lapidarius s. lat. for the females with a white-banded thorax. A worker from Azerbaijan in the NHMUK has the black hair of the band between the wing bases much intermixed with white hair, representing a state intermediate between that typical for the taxon eriophorus s. str. and that for the taxon caucasicus . This is slightly darker than the infrasubspecific taxon atava illustrated in Reinig (1935 : text-fig. 4-iv). However, both the NHMUK worker and Reinig’s taxon atava with their mixtures of black and white hairs between the wing bases appear to be intermediate in colour pattern between the white unbanded taxon eriophorus s. str. and the white-banded taxon caucasicus , so these two taxa are interpreted provisionally as conspecific as parts of B. eriophorus s. lat. Diagnosis Females ( Fig. 4 ) Queens medium-sized body length 17–21 mm , workers 11–15 mm . Can be distinguished in West Asia by their combination of the thoracic dorsum with some pure white hair and the hair of the face and T1–2 black (cf. B. lapidarius , B. sichelii , B. incertus , B. alagesianus ). Workers can be distinguished (cf. B. simillimus ) by the combination of the pale hair of the thoracic dorsum white with T1–2 black and the wings clear. Males Body length 12–14 mm . Can be distinguished in West Asia by their combination of thoracic dorsum with extensive yellow hair and T2 usually predominantly black. Genitalia ( Fig. 193 ) with the gonostylus as long as broad, reduced as a rounded flat scale with the inner basal process reduced to a tooth (cf. rufipesgroup , festivus- group, rufofasciatus -group); volsella with the inner distal corner broadly produced but without a narrow hook (cf. rufipes- group, festivus- group, rufofasciatus -group); penis valve head with the recurved inner hook just broader than the narrowest part of the adjacent penis valve shaft (cf. B. lapidarius ); eye unenlarged relative to female eye. Material examined Holotype ? RUSSIA • ♀ ; “monte Caucaso”; “ D. Marshall de Biberstein ” leg.; type of Bombus eriophorus Klug, 1807 not found ( ZIN , ZMHB , ZMUM ; possibly lost in a fire with other ZMUM material following the Napoleonic invasion in 1812, A. Antropov pers. com.), but identity not in doubt. Material sequenced ( 3 specimens ) GEORGIA • 1 ♀ (queen); Calka ; 41.5891° N , 44.1330° E ; 27 May 2011 ; G. Japoshvili leg.; BOLD seq: 1555A04; AUG : ML175 . TURKEY • 1 ♀ (worker); Artvin ; 41.0641° N , 42.2749° E ; H. Hines leg.; BOLD seq: 6877H04; SC : ML420 . ARMENIA • 1 ♀ (queen); Gegharkunik , Sevan Lake south of Shorzha ; 40.4959° N , 45.2788° E ; 7 Jul. 2006 ; Louda leg.; BOLD seq: 6880A03; MM : ML478 . Global distribution (West Asian mountain species) West Asia : TURKEY , GEORGIA , ARMENIA , AZERBAIJAN , RUSSIA : Krasnodar , Stavropol . (AUG, MM, NHMUK, SC.) The species is not known to be common anywhere. Behaviour Food-plant choice expected to be generalist but no records. The male mate-searching behaviour is expected to resemble the patrolling of B. lapidarius .