THE TAXONOMIC STATUS OF BOMBUS-ALBOANALIS FRANKLIN AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER TAXA OF THE SUBGENUS PYROBOMBUS FROM NORTH-AMERICA AND EUROPE (HYMENOPTERA, APIDAE)

Bombus alboanalis Franklin, 1913, has either been regarded as a distin ct species or has been synonymized with B. frigidus Smith 1854, from w hich it differs in coat color of the abdomen. However, both taxa are s ympatric in Alaska and there is no evidence for intergradation from co at color variation. We surveyed 18 enzymes by vertical starch-gel elec trophoresis and compared B. alboanalis with B. frigidus and other spec ies of the subgenus Pyrobombus. We found that B. alboanalis differs fr om B. frigidus at two enzyme loci suggesting that these taxa are genet ically separated. According to the enzyme survey B. alboanalis belongs to a group of very closely related Pyrobombus species that includes B . frigidus, B. cingulatus Wahlberg and B. jonellus (Kirby), and more d istant B. sitkensis Nylander, B. mixtus Cresson, B. pratorum (L.), and B, pyrenaeus (Perez). We present evidence that B. alboanalis may be c onspecific with B. jonellus.