Palaearctic Osmiine Bees

The subgenus Nanosmia Griswold is confined to the Palaearctic region. It contains 7 described species. At least 4 Palaearctic species are still undescribed (T. Griswold, personal communication; A. Müller, unpublished).

Female of Protosmia (Nanosmia) minutula (Pérez, 1896) collecting pollen on a flower of Teucrium montanum (Lamiaceae) by rapidly seesawing the abdominal scopa against the anthers. Foto A. Müller.

Species accounts

Protosmia (Nanosmia) asensioi Griswold & Parker, 1987

1987 Protosmia asensioi Griswold & Parker, Psyche, 94: 51. Type material: Holotype m, “San Miguel de Bernuy, 14 km N Cantalejo” [Spain], USNM (Washington); paratypes mm, ff. Type species of Nanosmia Griswold.

Distribution-Europe: E.

Identification-Keys, Descriptions: Zanden (1994b: 1116).

Nesting biology-Nesting site: Preexisting cavities: drilled borings in pithy stems. Nesting material: Cell partitions and nest plug are made of resin. (Griswold, 1985)

Flower preferences: Unknown.

Protosmia (Nanosmia) decipiens (Benoist, 1935)

1935 Heriades decipiens Benoist, Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France, 40: 278. Type material: Holotype f, “Tafingoult, dans le Grand-Atlas” [Morocco], MNHN (Paris).-Combination Protosmia (Rhodosmia) decipiens (Benoist) in Zanden (1988b: 127).

Distribution-Northern Africa: MA.

Identification-Keys, Descriptions: Griswold and Parker (1987: 55). Note: Male unknown.

Nesting biology: Unknown.

Flower preferences: Unknown.

Protosmia (Nanosmia) devia Tkalcu, 1978

1978 Protosmia (Rhodosmia) devia Tkalcu, Casopis Slezskeho Muzea Opava (A), 27: 158. Type material: Holotype f, “Kashmir: Gulmarg” [India], BMNH (London).

Distribution-Southwestern Asia: PAK. Extralimital: Oriental (India).

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

Nesting biology: Unknown.

Flower preferences: Unknown. The females possess curved hairs on the proboscis which probably serve to extract pollen from narrow-tubed flowers (T. Griswold, personal communication).

Protosmia (Nanosmia) limbata (Benoist, 1935)

1935 Heriades limbata Benoist, Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France, 40: 278. Type material: Holotype f, “Syrie: Ksara” [Lebanon], MNHN (Paris).-Combination Protosmia (Rhodosmia) limbata (Benoist) in Zanden (1985: 67). Combination Protosmia (Protosmia) limbata (Benoist) in Zanden (1988b: 127).

Distribution-Southwestern Asia: RL, SYR, TR.

Identification-Keys, Descriptions: Griswold and Parker (1987: 55); Mavromoustakis (1955b: 332); Zanden (1994b: 1116). Note: Male unknown.

Nesting biology: Unknown.

Flower preferences: Unknown.

Protosmia (Nanosmia) minutula (Pérez, 1896)

1895 Osmia pumila Pérez, Espèces nouvelles de mellifères de Barbarie, p. 18. NOMEN PRAEOCCUPATUM [not Osmia pumila Cresson, 1864]. Type material: Syntypes mm, f, “Marseille” [France], “Sicily” [Italy], MNHN (Paris).

1896 Osmia minutula Pérez, Correctures: Espèces nouvelles de mellifères de Barbarie, not paginated single page appendix. NOMEN NOVUM with same type specimen for preoccupied Osmia pumila Pérez, 1896 [not Osmia pumila Cresson, 1864].-Combination Heriades (Micreriades) minutulus (Pérez) in Mavromoustakis (1958: 445). Combination Hoplitis (Micreriades) minutula (Pérez) in Tkalcu (1977c: 88). Combination Heriades minutulus (Pérez) in Zanden (1986: 67).

1921 Osmia cataniae Strand, Archiv für Naturgeschichte, 87: 321. Type material: Holotype m, “Catania” [Italy: Sicily], DEI (Müncheberg).-Synonymy in Zanden (1986: 67).

Distribution-Europe: CH, E, F, I, I(Si).

Identification-Keys, Descriptions: Amiet et al. (2004); Benoist (1929a); Ducke (1900); Griswold and Parker (1987: 55); Zanden (1986: 67, 1994b: 1116).

Nesting biology: Unknown.

Flower preferences: Polylectic with a preference for small-flowered Lamiaceae (e.g. Teucrium); additional pollen sources include Helianthemum (Cistaceae) (Amiet et al., 2004; Müller, 1996b; A. Müller, unpublished, based on 5 pollen samples from 5 different localities). Pollen-collecting females climb the filaments of the stamina of Teucrium montanum, the flowers of which lack an upper lip, until the head is beyond the uppermost anthers; by rapidly seesawing the underside of the abdomen against the anthers, the bees then directly pick up the pollen into the abdominal scopa (Müller, 1996b; Müller et al., 1997).

Protosmia (Nanosmia) pulex (Benoist, 1935)

1935 Heriades pulex Benoist, Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France, 40: 278. Type material: Holotype m, “Syrie: Jaffa” [Israel], MNHN (Paris).-Combination Hoplitis (Micreriades) pulex (Benoist) in Zanden (1985: 67).

Distribution-Southwestern Asia: IL.

Identification-Keys, Descriptions: Griswold and Parker (1987: 55); Zanden (1994b: 1116). Note: Female unknown.

Nesting biology: Unknown.

Flower preferences: Unknown.

Protosmia (Nanosmia) querquedula Zanden, 1994

1994 Protosmia querquedula Zanden, Linzer Biologische Beiträge, 26: 1115. Type material: Holotype m, “Sfax, 30 km S.W.” [Tunisia], Schwarz Collection (Ansfelden); paratypes mm, ff.

Distribution-Northern Africa: TN.

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

Nesting biology: Unknown.

Flower preferences: Unknown.