| Bombus rainai | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Apidae |
| Genus: | Bombus |
| Subgenus: | Alpigenobombus |
| Species: | B. rainai |
| Binomial name | |
| Bombus rainai Williams, 2022 | |
Bombus rainai is a species of bumblebee found in West Himalaya. [1] [2]
Females have nearly clear wings with dark brown veins and hair of medium length. The oculo-malar area (the space between the eye and the mandible) is shorter than it is broad. The clypeus (the front part of the face) is slightly raised in the center. A key identifying feature is the hair on the fifth abdominal segment, which is entirely orange without any paler or white tips. The hair on the side of the thorax is white only on the upper third, and the scutellum is predominantly black. [2]
Males also have nearly clear wings with dark brown veins and medium-length hair. The male eye is distinctly enlarged relative to the female eye. The male genitalia are distinctive; the gonostylus is long and rounded at the tip, and the penis-valve head is recurved into a long, narrow hook that tapers gradually. The hair on the side of the thorax is a mix of black and white, often predominantly black in the lower half. The third abdominal segment is often predominantly orange, and the sides of fifth and sixth segments are orange. [2]
The species has a white-banded and red-tailed color pattern. This appearance is likely a form of mimicry, allowing it to resemble the more abundant species B. longiceps and similar bumblebees that share its Himalayan habitat. [2]
B. rainai is found in the western Himalaya, specifically in Pakistan and the Kashmir region of India. This species is a high-altitude species, recorded from approximately 2,500 meters up to 4,200 meters above sea level. It lives primarily above the tree line in the alpine zone. [2]
Taraxacum officinale , Artemisia absinthium , Cirsium spp. (Asteraceae), Trifolium repens , Trifolium pratense , Aconitum heterophyllum . [2]