Subgenus Megalosmia
The subgenus Megalosmia Schmiedeknecht is confined to the Palaearctic region. It contains 7 species. However, the three Chinese species attributed to Megalosmia by Wu (1990, 2004, 2006) probably do not all belong to this subgenus.
Species accounts
Hoplitis (Megalosmia) mongolica Wu, 1990
1990 Hoplitis mongolica Wu, Entomotaxonomia (Yangling), 12: 245, 251. Type material: Holotype m, “Inner Mongolia: Zhenglan B., Xilin Gol L.” [China], IZCAS (Beijing).
Distribution-Northern Asia: RC(NO).
Identification-Keys, Descriptions: Wu (2006). Note: Female unknown.
Nesting biology: Unknown.
Flower preferences: Unknown.
Hoplitis (Megalosmia) popovi Wu, 2004
2004 Hoplitis (Megalosmia) popovi Wu, Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica, 29: 536. Type material: Holotype f, “Gansu: Zhangye (38.9°N, 100.4°E), 1700 m” [China], IZCAS (Beijing); paratypes mm, ff.
Distribution-Northern Asia: RC(NW).
Identification-Keys, Descriptions: Wu (2006).
Nesting biology: Unknown.
Flower preferences: Unknown.
Hoplitis (Megalosmia) pyrrhosoma Wu, 1990
1990 Hoplitis (Megalosmia) pyrrhosoma Wu, Entomotaxonomia (Yangling), 12: 244, 250. Type material: Holotype f, “Inner Mongolia: Alxa Right B., Alxa L.” [China], IZCAS (Beijing).
Distribution-Northern Asia: RC(NO).
Identification-Keys, Descriptions: Wu (2006).
Nesting biology: Unknown.
Flower preferences: Unknown. Flower records: Tetraera mongolica (Wu, 2006).
dorni group
Hoplitis (Megalosmia) dorni Tkalcu, 1995
1995 Hoplitis (Megalosmia) dorni Tkalcu, Entomologische Abhandlungen (Dresden), 57: 131. Type material: Holotype m, “Bajanchongor Aimak, O-/S-Ufer Orog-nuur, Halbwüste, 1300 m” [Mongolia], MLUH (Halle); paratype f.
Distribution-Northern Asia: MGL.
Identification-Keys, Descriptions: No supplementary or more detailed morphological description known. Note: The characters given by Tkalcu (1995) do not allow to reliably separate the females of Hoplitis princeps (Morawitz) from those of Hoplitis dorni (Tkalcu). So far, no characters are known to differentiate the females of these two species.
Nesting biology: Unknown.
Flower preferences: Probably polylectic with a preference for Fabaceae (A. Müller, unpublished, based on 10 pollen samples from 6 different localities; these 10 pollen samples, however, probably originate from both H. dorni and H. princeps).
Hoplitis (Megalosmia) fulva (Eversmann, 1852)
1852 Osmia fulva Eversmann, Bulletin de la Société Impériale des Naturalistes de Moscou, 25: 63. Type material: m(m), “prov. Orenburg. australi, in prov. Saratov. et Astrachanensi et in terris transuralensibus” [Russia].-Combination Osmia (Osmia) fulva Eversmann in Friese (1911b: 105). Combination Osmia (Alcidamea) fulva Eversmann in Warncke (1991h: 722).
1872 Osmia grandis Morawitz, Horae Societatis Entomologicae Rossicae (St. Petersburg), 9: 54. Type material: Syntypes m(m), f(f), “Gubernio Saratov” [Russia], “in Asia minore (Amasia)” [Turkey]. Type species of Megalosmia Schmiedeknecht.-Combination Osmia (Megalosmia) grandis Morawitz in Schmiedeknecht (1885: 23 [889]).-Synonymy in Ducke (1900: 202).
Distribution-Europe: ARM, AZ, H, RO, RUS(SR). Northern Asia: KZ, MGL, RC, RUS(FS). Southwestern Asia: JOR, SYR, TR.
Identification-Keys, Descriptions: Banaszak and Romasenko (2001); Ducke (1900); Medvedeva (1978); Móczár (1958); Popov (1962a); Radoszkowski (1887a: 275-276); Romankova (1995); Schmiedeknecht (1885-1886); Tkalcu (1995: 134-136); Warncke (1991h).
Nesting biology-Nesting site: Nests are built in loess scarps within preexisting cavities, as for example in burrows of other bees (Xylocopa and others) or in natural cavities; the females sometimes excavate their own cavities. The nests contain 6-15 cells, which are glued together or arranged in a linear series. Nesting material: The brood cells are entirely built from chewed leaves of Sophora alopecuroides. The passage running from the cell cavity towards the nest entrance is filled with small packages of coarsely gnawed green leaves and closed by a plug made of mud; sometimes this plug is lacking. (Banaszak & Romasenko, 2001; Marikovskaya, 1968)
Flower preferences: Polylectic with a preference for Fabaceae (Banaszak and Romasenko, 2001; A. Müller, unpublished, based on 4 pollen samples from 2 different localities). Flower records: Dodartia orientalis and Delphinium camptocarpum (Marikovskaya, 1968), Astragalus lydius (Warncke, 1991h).
Hoplitis (Megalosmia) princeps (Morawitz, 1872)
1872 Osmia princeps Morawitz, Horae Societatis Entomologicae Rossicae (St. Petersburg), 9: 57. Type material: Syntypes m(m), f(f), “Gub. Astrachan” [Russia].-Combination Osmia (Osmia) princepsMorawitz in Friese (1911b: 106).-Combination Osmia (Alcidamea) princeps Morawitz in Warncke (1991h: 723).
Distribution-Europe: H, RUS(SR), UA. Northern Asia: KZ, MGL,RC(NW), RC(WP), RUS(FS).
Identification-Keys, Descriptions: Banaszak and Romasenko (2001); Ducke (1900); Medvedeva (1978); Móczár (1958); Popov (1962a); Romankova (1995); Schmiedeknecht (1885-1886); Tkalcu (1995: 134-136); Wu (2006). Note: The characters given by Tkalcu (1995) do not allow to reliably separate the females of Hoplitis princeps (Morawitz) from those of Hoplitis dorni (Tkalcu). So far, no characters are known to differentiate the females of these two species.
Nesting biology: Unknown.
Flower preferences: Probably polylectic with a preference for Fabaceae (A. Müller, unpublished, based on 10 pollen samples from 6 different localities; these 10 pollen samples, however, probably originate from both H. dorni and H. princeps). Flower records: blue Fabaceae (Warncke, 1991h).
laboriosa group (“Calohoplitis“)
Hoplitis (Megalosmia) laboriosa (Smith, 1878)
1878 Osmia laboriosa Smith, Scientific Results of the Second Yarkand Mission, p. 3. Type material: Lectotype f, by designation of Zanden (1991b: 354), “the neighbourhood of Yarkand” [China], BMNH (London). Type species of Calohoplitis Tkalcu.-Combination Anthocopa (Anthocopa) laboriosa (Smith) in Zanden (1988b: 118). Combination Osmia (Alcidamea) laboriosa Smith in Warncke (1991h: 722). Combination Hoplitis (Calohoplitis) laboriosa (Smith) in Tkalcu (1995: 129).
1880 Osmia maculata Morawitz, Bulletin de l’Académie Impériale des Sciences de St.-Pétersbourg, 26: 383. Type material: Lectotype m, by designation of B. Tkalcu (Zanden, 1991b: 354), “Ili-Thale bei Kuldsha (Mittel-Asien)” [Turkestan], ZIN (St. Petersburg).-Combination Osmia (Osmia) maculata Morawitz in Friese (1911b: 106).-Synonymy in Warncke (1991h: 722) and in Zanden (1991b: 354).
1899 Osmia magrettii Ducke, Entomologische Nachrichten (Berlin), 25: 214. Type material: Lectotype f, by designation of B. Tkalcu (Zanden, 1991b: 355), “Mangyschlack” [Kazakhstan], NMW (Wien).-Combination Osmia (Osmia) magrettii Ducke in Friese (1911b: 106).-Synonymy in Zanden (1988b: 118).
Distribution-Europe: RUS(SR). Northern Asia: KZ, MGL, RC(WP), RUS.
Identification-Keys, Descriptions: Ducke (1900); Tkalcu (1995: 129-131); Zanden (1991b: 359).
Nesting biology: Unknown.
Flower preferences: Unknown.