Bombus magnus has been the topic of many discussions. It belongs to the same group as B. cryptarum and B. patagiatus, with a rather homogeneous morphology. As the species has been described recently and is difficult to recognise, it has been the topic of rather few articles.
B. magnus seems the most abundant in the Atlantic region.. The species could be common in the maritime moors, from central Portugal (Serra de Estrela) to Narvik, in Norway. Contrarily to B. cryptarum, it is present in the Pyrenees, and in the Iberian Peninsula. (Rasmont, 1984). It is less common eastwards, far from the Atlantic, though it has been found in a few places in S. Finland (Pamilo et al., 1997) and in Poland (Banaszak & Rasmont, 1995). Scattered specimens are found even more east, the most oriental locations being near St Petersburg and Moscow. Still more eastern findings could be related to other species. B. magnus has not been found in the Balkan, nor in Asia Minor.
P. Rasmont