63. Bombus (Bombus) minshanensis Bischoff (Figs 128, 129) Bombus (Bombus) patagiatus subsp. minshanensis Bischoff, 1936:3. Taxonomy. Revised by Williams et al. (2012a, b). This species has been confused with B. patagiatus. Material examined. 66 workers, 3 males (IAB). Distribution in North China. Only on the edge of the east Qinghai-Tibetan plateau in Gansu. Common at medium to high elevations of the east Qinghai-Tibetan plateau meadows in Xiahe, Hezuo, Luqu, Lintan and Minxian. Rare at medium elevations of the Liancheng natual reserve in Yongdeng and at high elevations of the Zhagana nature reserve in Diebu. 11 localities (Fig. 128) between 2096–3963 m (IAB). Similar species in North China. This species is very similar in its white-banded female colour pattern to some B. patagiatus (see the key; Figs 129, 131). Distribution in China. Sichuan, Xizang, Gansu, Qinghai (IAB). Forage plants. ASTERACEAE: Carduus acanthoides, Cirsium japonicum, C. setosum, Ligularia sp., Saussurea sp., FABACEAE: Hedysarum gmelinii, Medicago sativa, Melilotus albus, M. officinalis; LAMIACEAE: Dracocephalum heterophyllum, Elsholtzia densa, E. fruticosa, Salvia sp., Thymus mongolicus; ONAGRACEAE: Chamerion angustifolium; ROSACEAE: Potentilla fruticosa; SCROPHULARIACEAE: Euphrasia pectinata, Pedicularis sp.

Published as part of An, Jiandong, Huang, Jiaxing, Shao, Youquan, Zhang, Shiwen, Wang, Biao, Liu, Xinyu, Wu, Jie & Williams, Paul H., 2014, The bumblebees of North China (Apidae, Bombus Latreille), pp. 1-89 in Zootaxa 3830 (1) on pages 64-65, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3830.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/286560