Friese (1899) described Osmia lativentris albiscopa from Tunisia. Zanden (1988b) synonymized this species with Hoplitis pulchella (Pérez, 1895). The examination of the female lectotype of O. lativentris albiscopa revealed that this synonymization is erroneous and that Hoplitis (Anthocopa) albiscopa is a valid species, which is widely distributed from the Iberian peninsula to Tunisia.
Author: muelandr
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New synonymies 8
Based on the original descriptions and topotypical specimens, the male of Osmia (Allosmia) decorata described by Morawitz (1886) is conspecific with the female of Osmia (Allosmia) melanura described by Morawitz (1871). Thus, O. decorata is a junior synonym of O. melanura.
Based on the original description, Tkalcu (1974b) and a large Allosmia material from North Africa, Osmia (Allosmia) fossoria Pérez, 1890 is a junior synonym of Osmia (Allosmia) lhotelleriei Pérez, 1887 and not a subspecies of Osmia (Allosmia) sybarita Smith, 1853 as assumed by Tkalcu (1974b). O. sybarita most probably does not occur in North Africa.
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Nest of Osmia distinguenda discovered for the first time
In May 2011, G. Pisanty observed several females of Osmia (Hoplosmia) distinguenda nesting in small rock cavities in Israel (see species account for details). While Hoplosmia species of the spinulosa and the pinguis group all seem to exclusively nest in empty snail shells, the species of the bidentata group also use other nesting sites, such as hollow stems, insect borings in dead wood or rock cavities as now observed for O. distinguenda (photo by G. Pisanty).
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Osmia lamina is a species of Hoplitis (Anthocopa)
Osmia lamina Pérez, 1896 is, based on the original description, a Hoplitis species of the subgenus Anthocopa rather than of Alcidamea. The description of the female of H. maghrebensis by Zanden (1992) refers to the female of Hoplitis lamina (see post “New synonymies 5”).
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New synonymies 7
Based on the type material, Osmia (Helicosmia) gutturalis Warncke, 1988 is a senior synonym of Osmia (Helicosmia) milenae Tkalcu, 1992 (A. Müller, unpublished).
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New species records 7
Several samples of osmiine bees received from L. Noren, C. Schmid-Egger and E. Scheuchl revealed the following new country records:
Bulgaria: Hoplitis (Anthocopa) perezi, Osmia (Neosmia) jason
United Arab Emirates: Hoplitis (Stenosmia) minima
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Specialized pollen-harvesting device in Erythrosmia
The females of all four species of the subgenus Erythrosmia are equipped with a specialized facial pilosity composed of curved bristles. As has been observed in Osmia andrenoides (Müller, 1996b), this facial pilosity serves to remove pollen from nototribic anthers of Lamiaceae and Antirrhineae. In fact, nototribic flowers are important pollen sources of all four Erythrosmia species (see species accounts for details).
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Osmia (Erythrosmia)
A closer study of the four species of the subgenus Erythrosmia clarified their distribution. i) Osmia sparsipuncta is confined to the Maghreb. ii) Osmia relicta exclusively occurs in Central Asia. iii) Osmia erythrogastra, which is a valid species based on the examination of the type material, occurs in Southern Europe, Turkey and the Near East. iv) Osmia andrenoides occurs in Central, Eastern and Southern Europe as well as in Turkey and the Near East; all literature records of Osmia andrenoides from Northern Africa are most probably erroneous and refer to Osmia sparsipuncta. v) Osmia erythrogastra and Osmia andrenoides are sympatric in Southern Europe, Turkey and the Near East and were in several cases even found to be syntopic.
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Pollen hosts of Osmia nasoproducta
Osmia nasoproducta is a rare southwestern mediterranean bee whose biology is virtually unknown. Ivo Raemakers observed numerous females of this species collecting pollen on Cistus flowers near Perpignan in spring 2010, which is in line with recent observations made by A. Müller in the Alpilles, where several females visited the flowers of Cistus. As the few pollen samples analysed so far also contain small amounts of Asteraceae and Lamiaceae pollen, Osmia nasoproducta is probably not a Cistaceae oligolege. It appears, however, to have a strong preference for Cistus flowers, which might explain why this species is so rarely found.
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New results of pollen analytical studies 3
Results of the microscopical analysis of 350 pollen samples from about 110 osmiine bee species were incorporated into the species accounts. For the following 6 species, the first pollen samples became available: Hoplitis (Alcidamea) decaocta, Hoplitis (Annosmia) fulica, Hoplitis (Annosmia) gentilis, Hoplitis (Annosmia) eremophila, Hoplitis (Anthocopa) antigae, Osmia (Hemiosmia) chrysolepta.
