BOMBUS. 



545 



2 3 



Fig. 183. — Bomhits. 1, mandible; 

 2, maxilla; 3, labium. (Much enlarged.) 



basal two joints varying in different species, apical two joints 

 always minute; maxillary palpi 2-jointed, of variable length. 



Thorax globose : wings long ; 

 fore wing with the radial cell 

 narrow towards the apex, 

 rounded and slightly appendi- 

 culate ; three cubital cells, the 

 2nd cell of very characterislic 

 shape, narrowed, curved, and 

 produced inwards towards the 

 base, receiving the 1st recur- 

 rent nervure, in all the Indian 

 species known to me, before the 

 middle ; the 3rd cubital ce 1 

 narrowed towards the radial, 

 receiving the 2nd recurrei.t 

 nervure towards the apex ; legs 

 stout, the posterior pair in the 

 female smooth, with the tibia? 

 and tarsi broad and flattened, 

 the former densely fringed with 

 long curled hair on the outer side, forming a corbicula or pollen- 

 basket ; the basal joint of the tarsi oblong, externally concave, 

 its edges fringed with short stiff hairs ; the inner surface furnished 

 with a dense brush of short hairs ; the joint is notched at base, with 

 a stout external tooth ; claws of the tarsi bifid ; in the male the 

 legs are longer, the posterior tibiae only slightly widened at apex 

 and convex externally. Abdomen always more or less densely 

 pubescent. 



The Indian species of Bombus occur, so far as I know, only on 

 the higher hiUs, especially in the Himalayas. The habits are very 

 similar to those of their British allies, but no observations have 

 been recorded as to which species are surface-builders and which 

 burrow ers-under-grouud. The female, males, and workers differ 

 considerably in size. 



Kei/ to the Species. 



A. Mesonotum above with a transverse band of 

 pubescence differently coloured to rest of 

 pubescence on thorax. 



a. Pubescence on 2nd abdominal segment 



black. 

 a! . Pubescence on 1st abdominal segment 



hoary white B. rufofasciatus, p. 547. 



b' . Pubescence on 1st abdominal segment 

 yellow. 



a-. Pubescence on legs black B. montivagus, p. 547. 



b'. Pubet^cence on legs fulvous. 



«■'. Clypeus much longer than broad . B. maijrettii, p. 548. ' "**' 

 />■■'. Clypeus much broader than long . U. chnnnicm, p. 548. aS 



b. Pubescence on 2nd abdouiinai segment ^ 



yellow B. trifasciatus, p. 548. 



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