Bombus pratorum subsp. santonae Tkalcu 1985

Bombus pratorum santonae (Tkalců, 1985)

It spreads mainly in some mountain ranges of the Iberian Peninsula, between 600 and 2152 m (up to 3300 m outside the Pyrenees), in forest biotopes as well as in areas of scrubland, meadows, pastures, gardens, roadsides and even in steppe zones (Castro & Ornosa 1985; Ornosa & Ortiz-Sanchez 2004; Vargas et al. 2013).

In the Pyrenees, it has been collected in forest biotopes and meadows of altitude between 1310 and 2152 m (Fig. 7), on Buglossoides arvensis (L.) I. M. Johns., Centaurea scabiosa L., Epilobium angustifolium L., Lathyrus pratensis L., Lotus corniculatus L., Onobrichis vicifolia Scop., Ranunculus pyrenaeus L., Rhododendron ferrugineus L., Silene acaulis (L.) Jacq., Trifolium pratense L., Trifolium repens L. and Vaccinium myrtillus L.

According to current records (Table 2), the Pyrenaean population of B. pratorum seems to suffer decline and exhibits greater elevational tendency (Fig. 7). It was relatively common in the past (Ornosa & Ortiz-Sánchez 2004) and it seems to maintain its Iberian distribution. Furthermore, there are recent records outside the Pyrenees, some of them new for the Iberian Peninsula (Castellón: Fredes, VII-2011, 1 worker, IML leg., 1090 m, C. Ornosa det., RBGM; Jaén: Sierra de Cazorla, Nacimiento del Río Guadalquivir, 1350 m, 16- VI-2010, 3 males, C. Ornosa leg., UCME; Granada: Sierra Nevada, Pico Veleta, 3400 m, VII-2011, 1 male, P. Vargas leg., RBGM).

New records. Spain: Girona: La Molina, Roc Blanco, 25- VII-2009, 2 workers, C. Ornosa leg., UCME; La Molina, ski resort, 9- VII-2015, 1 worker, C. Ornosa leg., UCME. Huesca: Chía, Mirador, Valle de Benasque, 14- VII-2011, 1 male, C. Ornosa leg., UCME; Ordesa, 4- VII-2006, 4 males, C. Ornosa leg., UCME; Ordesa, Gradas de Soaso, 4- VII-2006, 1 male, C. Ornosa leg., UCME; 8- VIII-2014, 1 worker, P. Acosta leg., UMU; Ordesa, Gradas de Soaso slope, 4- VII-2006, 4 males, C. Ornosa leg., UCME. Lleida: Aigüestortes threshold, 7- VII-2014, 1 male, C. Ornosa leg., UCME; San Nicolás chapel-Estany Llebrera, 9- VII-2014, 2 workers, F. Torres leg., UCME; Estany Sant Maurici, 26- VII-2006, 7 workers, C. Ornosa leg., UCME; Estany Ratera track, 26- VII-2006, 3 workers, C. Ornosa leg., UCME; Estany Ratera – Mirador track, 8- VII- 202014, 1 worker, C. Ornosa leg., UCME.