Bombus (Thoracobombus) mesomelas

Gerstaecker, 1869

Taxon referenced in page Bombus of Turkey
Author(s) : A. Murat Aytekin,Osman Kaftanoğlu & Didier Flagothier,Pierre Rasmont
Inside of the subgenus Thoracobombus, mesomelas belongs to the pomorum-group (formerly Rhodobombus). In E. Anatolia, Transcaucasia, the Caucasus and N. Iran, only the ssp. alboluteus occurs, that is very similar to B. pomorum canus. Females are always easily distinguished by the coat of T6 : reddish in B. pomorum canus, black in B. mesomelas alboluteus. Males of mesomelas alboluteus, pomorum canus and armeniacus are yet impossible to separate.
In Anatolia, Rasmont & Flagothier (1996) observed mesomelas alboluteus from 1660 m up to 3000 m, with 80 % of the specimens between 1770 and 2750 m. The species is quite common in subalpine and alpine steppes. B. mesomelas alboluteus is most commonly found with B. alagesianus, B. erzurumensis, B. handlirschianus, B. melanurus, B. pomorum canus, B. portschinsky, B. subterraneus and B. velox.
In Anatolia, we collected the following observations on foraging plants : Carduus macrocephalus (38 observations), Astragalus aureus (22), Stachys cretica (14), Carduus sp. (10), Astragalus baibutensis (9), Nepeta fissa (6), Vicia pannonica (6), Carduae sp. (5), Salvia verticillata (4), Onobrychis stenostachya (3), Trifolium sp. (3), Stachys balansae (2), Anchusa leptophylla (1), Astragalus incertus (1), Centaurea glastifolia (1), Cephalaria procera (1), Lallemantia canescens (1), Melampyrum arvense (1), Onobrychis ajastana (1), Onobrychis transcaucasica (1), Pedicularis pontica (1), Trifolium ambiguum (1), Trifolium pratense (1). By families, the count is : Compositae (54 observations), Leguminosae (48), Labiatae (27), Scrophulariaceae (2), Boraginaceae (1), Dipsacaceae (1). This includes the same three favourite families as for B. mesomelas mesomelas in the W. European mountains : Compositae, Leguminosae, Labiatae.

A l'intérieur du sous-genre Thoracobombus, mesomelas appartient au groupe de pomorum (auparavant Rhodobombus). Dans l'est de l'Anatolie, la Transcaucasie, le Caucase et le nord de l'Iran, seule la ssp. alboluteus existe, qui ressemble fortement au B. pomorum canus. Les femelles sont toujours aisément distinguables par la couleur du pelage du T6 : rousse chez B. pomorum canus, noire chez B. mesomelas alboluteus. Les mâles de mesomelas alboluteus, pomorum canus et armeniacus sont encore quasi-impossibles à séparer.
En Anatolie, Rasmont & Flagothier (1996) ont observé mesomelas alboluteus de 1660 m à 3000 m, avec 80 % des spécimens entre 1770 et 2750 m. L'espèce est assez commune dans les steppes subalpines et alpines. B. mesomelas alboluteus est le plus souvent trouvé avec B. alagesianus, B. erzurumensis, B. handlirschianus, B. melanurus, B. pomorum canus, B. portschinsky, B. subterraneus et B. velox.
En Anatolie, nous avons réunis les observations suivantes sur les plantes butinées : Carduus macrocephalus (38 observations), Astragalus aureus (22), Stachys cretica (14), Carduus sp. (10), Astragalus baibutensis (9), Nepeta fissa (6), Vicia pannonica (6), Carduae sp. (5), Salvia verticillata (4), Onobrychis stenostachya (3), Trifolium sp. (3), Stachys balansae (2), Anchusa leptophylla (1), Astragalus incertus (1), Centaurea glastifolia (1), Cephalaria procera (1), Lallemantia canescens (1), Melampyrum arvense (1), Onobrychis ajastana (1), Onobrychis transcaucasica (1), Pedicularis pontica (1), Trifolium ambiguum (1), Trifolium pratense (1). Par famille, le décompte donne : Compositae (54 observations), Leguminosae (48), Labiatae (27), Scrophulariaceae (2), Boraginaceae (1), Dipsacaceae (1). Cela inclut les trois mêmes familles que pour B. mesomelas mesomelas des les montagnes de l'ouest de l'Europe : Compositae, Leguminosae, Labiatae.

Thoracobombus altcinsi içerisinde mesomelas pomorum grubuna dahildir (eskiden Rhodobombus). Doğu Anadolu, Transkafkasya, Kafkasya ve İran'ın kuzeyinde B. pomorum canus'a çok benzeyen ssp. alboluteus bulunmaktadır. Dişiler T6'daki tüylerin B. pomorum canus'ta kızıl ve B. mesomelas alboluteus'ta siyah olması ile birbirinden kolayca ayrılabilirler. mesomelas alboluteus, pomorum canus ve armeniacus türlerinin erkeklerini birbirinden ayırtedebilecek yereli karakterler henüz bulunmamıştır.
Anadolu'da Rasmont & Flagothier (1996) mesomelas alboluteus'u örneklerin %80'i 1770 ile 2750 m arasında olacak şekilde 1660 ile 3000 m arasında gözlemlemişlerdir. Bu tür subalpin ve alpin steplerde oldukça yaygındır. B. mesomelas alboluteus genel olarak B. alagesianus, B. erzurumensis, B. handlirschianus, B. melanurus, B. pomorum canus, B. portschinsky, B. subterraneus ve B. velox ile birlikte bulunur.
Anadolu'da bu türü şu bitkiler üzerinde faaliyet halinde iken gözlemledik; Carduus macrocephalus (38 gözlem), Astragalus aureus (22), Stachys cretica (14), Carduus sp. (10), Astragalus baibutensis (9), Nepeta fissa (6), Vicia pannonica (6), Carduae sp. (5), Salvia verticillata (4), Onobrychis stenostachya (3), Trifolium sp. (3), Stachys balansae (2), Anchusa leptophylla (1), Astragalus incertus (1), Centaurea glastifolia (1), Cephalaria procera (1), Lallemantia canescens (1), Melampyrum arvense (1), Onobrychis ajastana (1), Onobrychis transcaucasica (1), Pedicularis pontica (1), Trifolium ambiguum (1), Trifolium pratense (1). Familyalar düşünüldüğünde: Compositae (54 gözlem), Leguminosae (48), Labiatae (27), Scrophulariaceae (2), Boraginaceae (1), Dipsacaceae (1). Bu gözlemler B. mesomelas mesomelas'ın batı Avrupa dağlarındaki tercihleri ile aynı görünmektedir: Compositae, Leguminosae, Labiatae.

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