All the species of the subgenus Alpinobombus are restricted to the northern tundra or the higher alpine stages of some mountains. Among them, the best known is Bombus alpinus. Whereas the three other West-Palaearctic Alpinobombus species are restricted to the Arctic tundra and spread eastwards to the tundra of N. Russia, alpinus is not found east of the Kola peninsula (see Pittioni, 1942), but spreads southwards to the alpine stages of the Alps and the Carpathians.
P.Rasmont