Subgenus Megahoplitis
The subgenus Megahoplitis Tkalcu is confined to the Palaearctic region. It contains a single species.
Species accounts
Hoplitis (Megahoplitis) tigrina (Morawitz, 1871)
1871 Osmia tigrina Morawitz, Horae Societatis Entomologicae Rossicae (St. Petersburg), 8: 206. Type material: m(m), “Epirus” [Greece]. Type species of Megahoplitis Tkalcu.-Combination Osmia (Osmia) tigrina Morawitz in Friese (1911b: 103). Combination Hoplitis (Tridentosmia) tigrina (Morawitz) in Zanden (1987: 82).
1873 Osmia tricuspitata Sichel, in: Dours, Revue et Magasin de Zoologie Pure et Appliqué, ser. 3, 1: 293. Type material: Syntypes mm, “Iles de l’Archipel grec” [Greece], Dours Collection, presumed destroyed (Zanden 1990: 52).-Synonymy in Ungricht et al. (2008: 115).
1934 Osmia deserti Benoist, Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France, 39: 106. Type material: Holotype f, “Sahara” [Sahara], MNHN (Paris).-Synonymy in Zanden (1991b: 352).
Distribution-Europe: GR. Northern Africa: DZ, MA; Sahara. Southwestern Asia: IR, SYR, TR.
Identification-Keys, Descriptions: Ducke (1900); Schmiedeknecht (1885-1886); Tkalcu (1993a: 55); Zanden (1987: 82).
Nesting biology: Unknown.
Flower preferences: Probably oligolectic on Carduoideae (Asteraceae) (A. Müller, unpublished, based on 8 pollen samples from 5 different localities and on flower records on labels). Flower records: Centaurea solstitialis (C. Praz, personal observation).