Subgenus Ozbekosmia
The subgenus Ozbekosmia Zanden is confined to the Palaearctic region. It contains a single species.
Brood cell of Osmia (Ozbekosmia) avosetta Warncke, 1988 at the end of an excavated burrow in loose soil; the cell consists of petals of Hedysarum (Fabaceae) and mud. Foto C. Sedivy.
Species accounts
Osmia (Ozbekosmia) avosetta Warncke, 1988
1988 Osmia (Tergosmia) avosetta Warncke, Entomofauna (Ansfelden), 9: 394. Type material: Holotype f, “Erçek/Van” [Turkey], OLML (Linz); paratypes mm, ff. Type species of Ozbekosmia Zanden.-Combination Osmia (Heterosmia) avosetta Warncke in Tkalcu (1993a: 56).
Distribution-Southwestern Asia: IR, JOR, SYR, TR.
Identification-Keys, Descriptions: Zanden (1994a: 168).
Nesting biology-Nesting site: Excavated burrows (3-7cm deep) in rather loose, sandy to gravelly ground with usually one cell at the end of the burrow, rarely with two cells immediately beside each other. Nesting material: Cells walls are made entirely from imported material; they are distinctly three-layered with a mud layer sandwiched between two layers of large petal pieces (e.g. of Hedysarum or Onobrychis). (Rozen et al., 2010).
Flower preferences: Oligolectic on Hedysareae (Fabaceae), e.g. Onobrychis, Hedysarum (Rozen et al., 2010).