BOMBUS MUSCORUM 197 



17. BOMBUS MUSCORUM, Linnaeus. 

 Large Carder-bee. 



Synonyms : venustus, Smith, this also includes B. helferamts ; 

 cognatus (Stevens), according to Schmiedeknecht ; smithianus, 

 White. 



QUEEN. Slightly larger than B. agrorum and B. hel- 

 feranns ; length 18-19 mm., expanse 33-35 mm. 



The colouring has hitherto been supposed to be indis- 

 tinguishable from that of B. lielferanus, but after having 

 bred and compared many examples of each species, I 

 notice that the following differences are constant, and it 

 will probably be found that they are sufficient for identi- 

 fication in every case. 



The orange-brown on the thorax never has any black hairs 

 mixed with it ; in agrorum and lielferanus black hairs are 

 frequently present. 



In specimens from England the orange-brown on the 

 thorax is more or less encroached upon from in front and from 

 behind by very pale yellow, this colour in immature 

 specimens being almost white, and in faded ones pale 

 brown ; this is the variety sladeni of Vogt. But in speci- 

 mens from Scotland there is little or no encroachment of 

 pale hairs, and the orange-brown is slightly redder than 

 in the south of England ; this is the variety pallidus of 

 Evans. 



The abdomen is slightly yellower than in lielferanus. 

 The brown band on the 2nd segment and the fainter one on 

 the 3rd segment are much lighter and more diffuse than in 

 lielferanus, in fact they are usually only faintly discernible ; 

 in perfectly fresh specimens they are often of a beautiful 

 brownish lemon colour which is very evanescent and soon 

 fades to pale brown. The hairs on the 2nd segment look 

 darker than they really are on account of their erectness. 



The coat is slightly longer, slightly more even, and 

 slightly denser than in lielferanus, and denser and more 

 even than in agrorum. In specimens from the south of 



