The bumblebees of Gansu, Northwest China (Hymenoptera, Apidae) Author An, Jiandong Author Williams, Paul H. Author Zhou, Bingfeng Author Miao, Zhengying Author Qi, Wenzhong text Zootaxa 2011 2865 1 36 journal article 10.5281/zenodo.204407 edb85fb3-1682-4a1b-9252-eba9ee0b9706 1175-5326 204407 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 .