Recently, a molecular phylogeny of the genus Hoplitis has been published including 23 out of the 27 currently recognized subgenera (Sedivy et al., Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 167, 28-42, 2013). Unfortunately, in figures 1 and 2 Hoplitis (Prionohoplitis) epeoliformis and Hoplitis (Alcidamea) acuticornis have been mixed. In fact, H. acuticornis is sister to all the other species of the Alcidamea group, whereas H. epeoliformis is sister to H. curvipes.
Author: muelandr
-
Molecular phylogeny of the Annosmia-Hoplitis group
The phylogeny of 46 species of the Annosmia-Hoplitis group (subgenera Annosmia, Bytinskia, Coloplitis and Hoplitis) has recently been inferred by Sedivy et al. (Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 108, 35-54, 2013).
-
New species records 10
A sample of osmiine bees from Bulgaria and Greece contained several specimens of a new European Heriades species of the subgenus Michenerella. The females exactly correspond morphologically to the females of Heriades hissaricus, which was known so far from Central Asia, Iran and Turkey. The new European records indicate that H. hissaricus has a much larger distribution area than hitherto thought. However, as the male of H. hissaricus is not yet known, the European specimens might possibly represent a still undescribed species, which cannot be distinguished from H. hissaricus in the female sex.
-
Evolution of host range and nesting behaviour in the Annosmia-Hoplitis group
Two recent papers in the Biological Journal of the Linnean Society by Sedivy et al. report on the host range evolution (108, 35-54, 2013) and the evolution of nesting behaviour and kleptoparasitism (108, 349-360, 2013) in a species-rich clade of Hoplitis bees, the Annosmia-Hoplitis group.
-
New synonymies 10
Protosmia (Protosmia) exenterata (Pérez, 1895) is conspecific with Protosmia (Protosmia) humeralis (Pérez, 1895) syn. nov. based on the type material.
-
Changes in subgeneric classification 2
A recent study (Sedivy et al., 2013c) proposed to unite all Hoplitis species of the subgenera Annosmia, Bytinskia, Coloplitis and Hoplitis (the “Annosmia-Hoplitis group”) in a single subgenus Hoplitis because i) Annosmia is polyphyletic in its current circumscription, ii) the cleptoparasitic Bytinskia species have evolved from the same lineage as their Annosmia hosts, iii) the most basal clade of Hoplitis is morphologically and biologically intermediate between Annosmia and Hoplitis, and iv) Coloplitis is morphologically very close to Annosmia. An alternative solution to eliminate the polyphyly of Annosmia would be the establishment of a monotypic subgenus for the most basal species of the Annosmia-Hoplitis group, Hoplitis bassana, which, however, appears unjustified owing to the morphological similarity of H. bassana with Annosmia. Merging all four subgenera into a single large subgenus results in a monophylectic taxon, which is morphologically distinctive due to a conspicuous yellowish membrane below the lateral extremity of the labrum that is present in all species.
-
Changes in subgeneric classification 1
The species of the subgenus Tergosmia and and the only species of the subgenus Ozbekosmia, Osmia avosetta, share many morphological characteristics (Warncke, 1988b). In addition, the construction of their brood cells is unique in that the cells are composed of two layers of flower petals that sandwich a thin middle layer of mud (Rozen et al., 2010). Furthermore, all Tergosmia species as well as Osmia avosetta exhibit a strong or exclusive preference for Fabaceae as pollen hosts (Müller, 2013). For these reasons, we propose to merge the subgenera Tergosmia and Ozbekosmia into one subgenus Tergosmia comb. nov.
-
New species records for Iran
In a recent paper, Nadimi et al. (2013) report on the occurrence of 25 osmiine bee species from northern Iran. Six species are recorded for the first time for Iran: Chelostoma (Chelostoma) diodon, Chelostoma (Gyrodromella) rapunculi, Heriades (Heriades) truncorum, Heriades (Rhopaloheriades) clavicornis, Hoplitis (Alcidamea) ciliaris and Osmia (Hoplosmia) bidentata.
-
New synonymies 9
The examination of a number of type specimens of osmiine bee species described by Benoist, van der Zanden, Pérez and Warncke revealed several new synonymies:
Heriades (Heriades) hierosolomita Benoist, 1935 is a junior synonym of Heriades (Heriades) rubicola Pérez, 1890;
Zanden (1995: 429) erroneously synonymized the female of Heriades syriaca Benoist, 1928 with the male of Heriades (Michenerella) punctulifera Schletterer, 1899. Instead, Heriades syriaca Benoist, 1928 is a junior synonym of Heriades (Rhopaloheriades) clavicornis Morawitz, 1875;
Hoplitis (Alcidamea) dumonti (Benoist, 1929) is a junior synonym of Hoplitis (Prionohoplitis) epeoliformis (Ducke, 1899);
Hoplitis (Hoplitis) oreades (Benoist, 1934) is a junior synonym of Hoplitis (Hoplitis) fortispina (Pérez, 1895);
Hoplitis (Stenosmia) denticulata (Zanden, 1992) is a junior synonym of Hoplitis (Stenosmia) jordanica (Warncke, 1991);
Osmia (Helicosmia) niveibarbis Pérez, 1902 is a junior synonym of Osmia (Helicosmia) alfkeni Ducke, 1899; Osmia niveibarbis sensu Warncke (1988a) is Osmia (Helicosmia) heteracantha Pérez, 1896;
Protosmia (Protosmia) exenterata (Pérez, 1895) is conspecific with Protosmia (Protosmia) octomaculata (Pérez, 1895) syn. nov.;
Protosmia limbata (Benoist 1935) is a junior synonym of Protosmia mirabilis (Friese 1899), which has been synonymized with Protosmia monstrosa (Pérez 1895) by Alfken (1935);
Wainia (Caposmia) guichardi (Zanden, 1991) is a junior synonym of Osmia sexsignata Benoist, 1950.
-
Osmia maxschwarzi, a new Palaearctic Orientosmia species
In a recent paper (Journal of the Swiss Entomological Society, 85, 27-53, 2012), a new Palaearctic species of the subgenus Orientosmia is described, and the reexamination of the three currently recognized subspecies of Osmia (Orientosmia) maxillaris Morawitz, 1874 revealed that O. m. scheherezade Peters, 1978 is identical to O. m. dinazade Peters, 1978, syn. n. and that O. m. scheherezade deserves species rank: O. scheherezade Peters, 1978.