Subgenus Bytinskia

The subgenus Bytinskia Mavromoustakis occurs with 3 described species in the Palaearctic region and with 1 still undescribed species in the Afrotropical region (Michener, 2007; Ungricht et al., 2008). 1 Palaearctic species is still undescribed (A. Müller, unpublished).

Species accounts

Hoplitis (Bytinskia) erythrogastra (Mavromoustakis, 1954)

1954 Bytinskia erythrogastra Mavromoustakis, Bulletin of the Research Council of Israel, 4: 270. Type material: Holotype f, “Bat Yam” [Israel], DAAN (Nicosia); paratypes mm, ff. Type species of Bytinskia Mavromoustakis.

Distribution-Northern Africa: MA, TN. Southwestern Asia: IL, JOR, RL.

Identification-Keys, Descriptions: Mavromoustakis (1949: 288, as Osmia sordida); Warncke (1991f).

Nesting biology: Cleptoparasite of Hoplitis (Annosmia) zonalis and possibly other species of the subgenus Annosmia. (Mavromoustakis, 1954b; A. Müller, personal observation)

Hoplitis (Bytinskia) negevensis (Warncke, 1991)

1991 Bytinskia negevensis Warncke, Linzer Biologische Beiträge, 23: 486. Type material: Holotype f, “Giv’ ot Loven/13 km S Paran in der Wüste Negev” [Israel], OLML (Linz).

Distribution-Southwestern Asia: IL.

Identification-Keys, Descriptions: No supplementary or more detailed morphological description known.

Nesting biology: Cleptoparasite of Hoplitis (Annosmia) christae and possibly other species of the subgenus Annosmia. (Warncke, 1991f)

Hoplitis (Bytinskia) parasitica (Warncke, 1991)

1991 Bytinskia parasitica Warncke, Linzer Biologische Beiträge, 23: 484. Type material: Holotype f, “Tal südlich des Gevria-Passes in 3000 m im Sat-Gebirge/Prov. Hakkari” [Turkey], OLML (Linz); paratypes mm, ff.

Distribution-Southwestern Asia: IR, TR.

Identification-Keys, Descriptions: No supplementary or more detailed morphological description known.

Nesting biology: Cleptoparasite of Hoplitis (Annosmia) eremophila and probably other species of the subgenus Annosmia. (Warncke, 1991f)