Bombus (Alpigenobombus) breviceps Smith 1852
Creators: name: Williams, Paul H.
name: An, Jiandong
name: Dorji, Phurpa
name: Huang, Jiaxing
name: Jaffar, Saleem
name: Japoshvili, George
name: Narah, Jaya
name: Ren, Zongxin
name: Streinzer, Martin
name: Thanoosing, Chawatat
name: Tian, Li
name: Orr, Michael C.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Apidae
Bombus
Bombus breviceps

description: 9. Bombus (Alpigenobombus) breviceps Smith, 1852
Figs 7–8, 76‒93, 114
Bombus nasutus Smith, 1852: 44.
Bombus breviceps Smith. 1852: 44. Note 1.
Bombus dentatus Handlirsch, 1888: 227.
Bombus simulus Gribodo, 1892: 114.
Bombus Channicus Gribodo. 1892: 116.
Bombus laticeps Friese, 1905: 513.
Bombus orichalceus Friese, 1916: 107.
Bombus channicus var. [subsp.] brevigenalis Friese, 1918: 81.
BOMBUS RUFOCOGNITUS Cockerell, 1922: 4.
Bombus (Alpigenobombus) dentatus [subsp.] pretiosus Bischoff, 1936: 11, not of Friese 1911a: 572 (= B. polaris Curtis).
Bombus (Alpigenobombus) channicus [subsp.] cantonensis Bischoff, 1936: 14.
Alpigenobombus breviceps [subsp.] coloricontrarius Tkalců, 1968: 14.
Alpigenobombus breviceps [subsp.] colorilaetus Tkalců, 1968: 14.
Alpigenobombus breviceps [subsp.] vicinus Tkalců, 1968: 21.
Alpigenobombus breviceps [subsp.] bischoffiellus Tkalců, 1977: 224. Replacement name for Bombus (Alpigenobombus) dentatus [subsp.] pretiosus Bischoff, 1936.
Bombus rufocognitus var. [not subsp.] nefandus ‒ Cockerell 1931: 6, infrasubspecific.
Bremus (Alpigenobombus) dentatus var. [not subsp.] concinnus ‒ Frison 1935: 352, infrasubspecific.
Bremus (Alpigenobombus) dentatus var. [not subsp.] surdus ‒ Frison 1935: 353, infrasubspecific.
Bremus (Alpigenobombus) orichalceus var. [not subsp.] conjunctus ‒ Frison 1935: 355, infrasubspecific.
NOTE 1. Acceptance of B. breviceps as the valid name in preference to B. nasutus follows Tkalců (1968) as the First Reviser (ICZN 1999: Article 24).
Species-taxon concept and variation
The taxon concept of the species B. breviceps here agrees with the long-standing interpretation (Williams 2022a) that it is separate from the taxon concepts of other species in the subgenus Alpigenobombus, based on: (1) our PTP analysis supports independent species-level coalescents in the COI gene (Fig. 12); corroborated by (2) diagnostic morphological character states (see the keys).
The PTP and morphological results (Fig. 12, keys) support the interpretation that B. breviceps and B. genalis are separate species. The available COI-barcode-like sequences may all be low-divergence neonumts (Fig. 11).
The PTP and morphological results (Fig. 12, keys) support and confirm the interpretation that the divergent colour patterns of the taxa breviceps s. str., channicus, and dentatus are conspecific as parts of the species B. breviceps (Tkalců 1968; Williams et al. 2009; Hines & Williams 2012).
Variation in the colour-pattern diagrams of B. breviceps in Figs 76‒93 is arranged for the black-thorax Himalayan individuals approximately from west (Kashmir) to east (Myanmar) and for the orange-banded Chinese and Southeast Asian individuals from north (Gansu) to south (Thailand). Bombus breviceps, with the black-thorax colour pattern in the west (Himalaya) and centre (Hengduan) of its range (Figs 76‒80, 85‒89) and the orange-banded colour pattern in the south-east (Southeast Asia: Figs 81‒84, 90‒93), appears to mimic the abundant B. (Orientalibombus) haemorrhoidalis Smith, 1852, and B. (Megabombus) montivagus Smith, 1878 (Williams 2007: fig. 5h–i). The black-tailed colour patterns occur on the India / Myanmar border (Figs 80, 89) and in southern China (Figs 82‒83, 91‒92).
Type material
Bombus breviceps Smith, 1852: 44. Holotype by monotypy: ♀ (worker) Zhejiang, China (NHMUK). Examined.
Morphological diagnosis
Female
Wings very darkly clouded with brown with the veins dark brown, hair short, oculo-malar area shorter than broad, clypeus in its central area with many small punctures (cf. B. genalis, B. grahami); hair of the thoracic dorsum black, often with orange bands anteriorly and posteriorly, hair of T1 yellow.
Male
Wings very darkly clouded with brown with the veins dark brown, hair short; genitalia (Fig. 114) with the gonostylus nearly equally short on both its outer side and its inner side but with the distal lobe projecting inwards as a long narrowly pointed almost spine-like process, rounded in section (cf. B. genalis, B. grahami).
Material sequenced in Fig. 12
BHUTAN • 1 ♀ (worker); Trashigang, Doksum; 27.4377° N, 91.5833° E; 23 May 2017; W. Klein leg.; PW seq: NBC10098; RMNH: AG#149.
CHINA • 1 ♁; Zhejiang, [Huangjiaotang]; 28.805° N, 120.961° E; GenBank seq: FJ175356; SC: AG#069.
THAILAND • 1 ♀ (worker); Chiang Mai, Doi Inthanon; 18.545° N, 98.516° E; 10 Aug. 2016; C. Sinpoo leg.; GenBank seq: MF582612; BEEP: AG#155 • 1 ♀ (worker); Chiang Mai, Doi Inthanon; 18.554° N, 98.582° E; 19 Jul. 2016; C. Sinpoo leg.; GenBank seq: MF582613; BEEP: AG#156.
Additional sequences in Fig. 10 and haplotype duplicates
CHINA • 1 ♀ (worker); Zhejiang, Gaolaoshan; 28.9043° N, 120.5496° E; 4 Apr. 2021; Y. Chen leg.; CAU seq: TL01; CAU: AG#192 • 1 ♀ (worker); Gansu, Qingyugou; 32.7734° N, 105.4137° E; 23 Jun. 2021; Y. Chen leg.; CAU seq: TL02; CAU: AG#193 • 1 ♀ (worker); Guangdong, Nanxiang; 24.7677° N, 113.5932° E; 18 Jul. 2021; Y. Chen leg.; CAU seq: TL03; CAU: AG#194 • 1 ♀ (worker); Zhejiang, Pingding cun; 29.6615° N, 120.0088° E; 1 Oct. 2020; L. Tian leg.; CAU seq: TL04; CAU: AG#195 • 1 ♀ (worker); Hunan, Dazhushan; 26.1662° N, 110.1746° E; 23 Jul. 2021; L. Tian leg.; CAU seq: TL05; CAU: AG#196 • 1 ♀ (worker); Hunan, Nanshan; 26.1513° N, 110.1644° E; 22 Jul. 2021; L. Tian leg.; CAU seq: TL06; CAU: AG#197 • 1 ♀ (worker); Gansu, Liushuwan; 33.0474° N, 105.2562° E; 21 Jun. 2021; Y. Chen leg.; CAU seq: TL07; CAU: AG#198 • 1 ♀ (worker); Guangdong, Nanxiang; 24.7677° N, 113.5932° E; 18 Jul. 2021; Y. Chen leg.; CAU seq: TL08; CAU: AG#199 • same collection data as for preceding; GenBank seq: KP259094; IOZ: AG#152 • same collection data as for preceding; GenBank seq: MF478986; IAR: AG#153 • Ningxia; IAR seq: NX2; IAR: AG#093.
INDIA • 1 ♀ (worker); Arunachal Pradesh, Jang; 27.5821° N, 91.9704° E; 24 Sep. 2015; J. Neumayer leg.; NCBS BE653 seq: PWB6; NCBS: AG#041.
THAILAND • 1 ♀; Chiang Mai, Doi Inthanon; 18.5893° N, 98.4859° E; 21 Sep. 2006; Y. Areeluck leg.; BOLD seq: 3261H02; PCYU: AG#102 • 1 ♀ (worker); Chiang Mai, Doi Suthep; 18.815° N, 98.4920° E; 26 Jun. 2016; C. Sinpoo leg.; GenBank seq: MF582617; BEEP: AG#157 • 2 ♀♀ (workers); Chiang Mai, Doi Inthanon; 18.543° N, 98.548° E; 19 Jul. 2016; C. Sinpoo leg.; GenBank seq: MF582618, MF582619; BEEP: AG#158, AG#159 • 1 ♀ (worker); Chiang Mai, Doi Inthanon; 18.545° N, 98.516° E; 10 Aug. 2016; C. Sinpoo leg.; GenBank seq: MF582622; BEEP: AG#160 • 1 ♀ (worker); Chiang Mai, Doi Inthanon; 18.5892° N, 98.48872° E; 21 Jul. 2015; N. Warrit et al. leg.; CT seq: CT540; CUNHM: AG#177 • 1 ♀ (worker); Chiang Mai, Doi Inthanon; 18.5447° N, 98.5179° E; 21 Jul. 2015; N. Warrit et al. leg.; CT seq: CT552; CUNHM: AG#178 • 1 ♀ (worker); Chiang Mai, Khun Chang Khian; 18.8387° N, 98.8965° E; 18 Jul. 2015; N. Warrit et al. leg.; CT seq: CT607; CUNHM: AG#179 • 1 ♀ (worker); Chiang Mai, Doi Kiew Lom; 19.3175° N, 98.6006° E; 20 Nov. 2017; N. Warrit et al. leg.; CT seq: CT623; CUNHM: AG#180 • 1 ♀ (worker); Chiang Mai, Doi Ang Khang; 19.8823° N, 99.0437° E; 21 Nov. 2017; N. Warrit et al. leg.; CT seq: CT625; CUNHM: AG#181.
Global distribution
One of the most widespread Oriental species, in the Himalaya, Hengduan, Central and southern China, and Southeast Asia: India (Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh), Nepal, Bhutan, China (Xizang, Yunnan, Sichuan, Gansu, Shaanxi, Chongqing, Hubei, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guizhou, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi), Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand: BEEP, CAU, CUNHM, IAR, IOZ, MCSN, NCBS, NHMUK, PCYU, PW, RMNH, SC, USNM, ZMHB.
This species is recorded at elevations of 484‒3000 m in the Himalaya (Williams et al. 2010; Streinzer et al. 2019), and at 270‒3350 m in the Hengduan and in Shaanxi (Williams et al. 2009; An et al. 2014). It is one of the few bumblebee species that occurs down to lower elevations in subtropical habitats, where it may be relatively common, even inside cities. However, in the warmer habitats it may be active only in the early morning and evening (Yunnan and Guangdong, PW pers. obs.; Thailand, C. Thanoosing pers. obs.).
Behaviour
Male eye very slightly enlarged relative to female eye, male mate-searching behaviour unknown.
description: Published as part of Williams, Paul H., An, Jiandong, Dorji, Phurpa, Huang, Jiaxing, Jaffar, Saleem, Japoshvili, George, Narah, Jaya, Ren, Zongxin, Streinzer, Martin, Thanoosing, Chawatat, Tian, Li & Orr, Michael C., 2023, Bumblebees with big teeth: revising the subgenus Alpigenobombus with the good, the bad and the ugly of numts (Hymenoptera: Apidae), pp. 1-65 in European Journal of Taxonomy 892 (1) on pages 42-45, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2023.892.2283, http://zenodo.org/record/8382675