Subgenus Chlidoplitis
The subgenus Chlidoplitis Griswold is confined to the Palaearctic region. It contains 7 described species. 2 Palaearctic species are still undescribed (A. Müller, unpublished).
Brood cell of Hoplitis (Chlidoplitis) heinrichi Zanden, 1980 in a preexisting insect burrow in the ground; the cell is entirely constructed from chewed leaves; below the cell, a partition of chewed leaves has been built, separating the cell from the lower part of the burrow. Foto A. Müller.
Species accounts
heinrichi group
Hoplitis (Chlidoplitis) heinrichi Zanden, 1980
1980 Hoplitis (Hoplitis) heinrichi Zanden, Faunistische Abhandlungen (Dresden), 7: 234. Type material: Holotype m, “Urfa” [Turkey], SMFD (Frankfurt); paratypes mm. Type species of Chlidoplitis Griswold.
Distribution-Southwestern Asia: IR, SYR, TR.
Identification-Keys, Descriptions: Zanden (1992c: 818-819).
Nesting biology-Nesting site: One brood cell was found about 5cm deep in a preexisting insect burrow in rather loamy ground. Nesting material: The urn-shaped cell, which had a length of about 11mm, entirely consisted of chewed green leaves, without admixture of sand or pebbles. However, the cell was over much of its length directly attached to the walls of the insect burrow so that it could not be removed from the burrow without damaging it. About 1mm below the cell, a partition of chewed leaves was built, separating the cell from the lower part of the burrow. (C. Praz, C. Sedivy and A. Müller, unpublished)
Flower preferences: Probably oligolectic on Fabaceae with a preference for Hedysareae (A. Müller, unpublished, based on the pollen content of one brood cell and on 15 pollen samples from 3 different localities).
Hoplitis (Chlidoplitis) illustris Zanden, 1992
1992 Hoplitis (Hoplitis) illustris Zanden, Linzer Biologische Beiträge, 24: 817. Type material: Holotype m, “Ürgüp” [Turkey], RMNH (Leiden); paratypes mm, ff.
Distribution-Southwestern Asia: IR, TR.
Identification-Keys, Descriptions: No supplementary or more detailed morphological description known.
Nesting biology: Unknown.
Flower preferences: Probably oligolectic on Fabaceae with a preference for Hedysareae (A. Müller, unpublished, based on 13 pollen samples from 6 different localities).
onychophora group
Hoplitis (Chlidoplitis) onychophora (Mavromoustakis, 1939)
1939 Osmia onychophora Mavromoustakis, The Annals and Magazine of Natural History (London), ser. 11, 3: 227. Type material: Holotype m, “Gazah” [Palestine], DAAN (Nicosia).
Distribution-Southwestern Asia: IL, JOR, SYR, TR.
Identification-Keys, Descriptions: No supplementary or more detailed morphological description known.
Nesting biology: Unknown.
Flower preferences: Probably oligolectic on Allium (Alliaceae) (A. Müller, unpublished, based on 16 pollen samples from 2 different localities).
taenioceras group
Hoplitis (Chlidoplitis) loreicornis (Benoist, 1934)
1934 Osmia loreicornis Benoist, Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France, 39: 159. Type material: Holotype m, “Ain Leuh” [Morocco], MNHN (Paris).-Combination Hoplitis (Hoplitis) loreicornis (Benoist) in Zanden (1985: 66).
Distribution-Northern Africa: MA.
Identification-Keys, Descriptions: Zanden (1985: 66).
Nesting biology: Unknown.
Flower preferences: The only two pollen samples available so far (from the same locality) consist of pollen of Fabaceae (A. Müller, unpublished).
Hoplitis (Chlidoplitis) lysholmi (Friese, 1899)
1899 Osmia lysholmi Friese, Entomologische Nachrichten (Berlin), 25: 331. Type material: Syntypes mm, ff, “Jericho” [Palestine], “Brumana” [Lebanon], “Mersina” [Turkey], ZMHB (Berlin).-Combination Hoplitis (Hoplitis) lysholmi (Friese) in Zanden (1988b: 121).
Distribution-Europe: E?, GR(Lesbos, Rhodos). Southwestern Asia: IL, JOR, RL, SYR, TR.
Identification-Keys, Descriptions: Benoist (1927a: 173); Morice (1901).
Nesting biology: Three females were observed to close the entrance of nests of the masarid wasp species Ceramius palaestinensis with mud, indicating that preexisting burrows in the ground serve as nesting site. (Mauss, Müller and Yildirim, 2010)
Flower preferences: Possibly oligolectic on Fabaceae (A. Müller, unpublished, based on 6 pollen samples from 4 different localities). Flower record: Trifolium repens (label information).
Hoplitis (Chlidoplitis) taenioceras (Benoist, 1927)
1927 Osmia taenioceras Benoist, Bulletin de la Société des Sciences Naturelles du Maroc (Rabat), 7: 173. Type material: Holotype m, “M’rirt” [Morocco], MNHN (Paris).-Combination Hoplitis (Hoplitis) taenioceras (Benoist) in Zanden (1985: 52).
Distribution-Northern Africa: DZ, MA.
Identification-Keys, Descriptions: Zanden (1985: 52).
Nesting biology: Unknown.
Flower preferences: Oligolectic on Reseda (Resedaceae) and possibly closely related genera (A. Müller, unpublished, based on 41 pollen samples from 7 different localities and on field observations).
Hoplitis (Chlidoplitis) teucrii (Benoist, 1927)
1927 Osmia teucrii Benoist, Bulletin de la Société des Sciences Naturelles du Maroc (Rabat), 7: 171. Type material: Lectotype m, by designation of Zanden (1985: 52), “Meknès” [Morocco], MNHN (Paris); paralectotype f.-Combination Hoplitis (Hoplitis) teucrii (Benoist) in Zanden (1985: 52).
Distribution-Northern Africa: MA.
Identification-Keys, Descriptions: Zanden (1985: 52).
Nesting biology: Unknown.
Flower preferences: Several females and males were observed on Teucrium resupinatum (Benoist, 1927). 4 pollen samples from the same locality indeed contain pollen of Lamiaceae (A. Müller, unpublished), indicating a (exclusive?) preference of H. teucrii for flowers of the Lamiaceae.