In three recent publications, the nesting biology of Hoplitis (Alcidamea) princeps (Ivanov & Fateryga, Entomological Review, 98, 995-1005, 2018), Osmia (Erythrosmia) andrenoides (Müller & Richter, Entomo Helvetica, 12, 69-79, 2019) and Osmia (Melanosmia) nigriventris (Müller et al., Alpine Entomology, 3, 105-119, 2019) is described. The first species nests in self excavated short burrows in loose soil, the second species colonizes empty snail shells as nesting sites and the third species tunnels out burrows in the bark of larch and pine (see species accounts for details).
Author: muelandr
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New species records 16
The examination of osmiine bee material received from several institutions and private bee researchers revealed the following new country records:
Azerbaijan: Chelostoma (Foveosmia) garrulum, Chelostoma (Gyrodromella) orientale, Heriades (Heriades) truncorum, Hoplitis (Alcidamea) acuticornis, Hoplitis (Alcidamea) eburnea, Hoplitis (Alcidamea) mollis, Hoplitis (Alcidamea) tridentata, Hoplitis (Anthocopa) bisulca, Hoplitis (Anthocopa) dalmatica, Hoplitis (Anthocopa) fasciculata, Hoplitis (Anthocopa) grumi, Hoplitis (Anthocopa) perezi, Hoplitis (Anthocopa) yermasoyiae asiae, Hoplitis (Hoplitis) flabellifera, Hoplitis (Hoplitis) manicata, Hoplitis (Hoplitis) mutica, Hoplitis (Pentadentosmia) tringa, Osmia (Allosmia) melanura, Osmia (Allosmia) rufohirta, Osmia (Erythrosmia) andrenoides, Osmia (Helicosmia) aeruginosa, Osmia (Helicosmia) dimidiata, Osmia (Helicosmia) dives, Osmia (Helicosmia) labialis, Osmia (Helicosmia) leaiana, Osmia (Helicosmia) melanogaster, Osmia (Helicosmia) saxatilis, Osmia (Helicosmia) signata, Osmia (Hemiosmia) difficilis, Osmia (Hoplosmia) bidentata, Osmia (Hoplosmia) distinguenda, Osmia (Hoplosmia) ligurica, Osmia (Hoplosmia) scutellaris, Osmia (Metallinella) brevicornis, Osmia (Osmia) apicata, Osmia (Osmia) bicornis, Osmia (Osmia) cerinthidis, Osmia (Osmia) cornuta, Osmia (Osmia) mustelina, Osmia (Osmia) nigrohirta, Osmia (Pyrosmia) cyanoxantha, Osmia (Pyrosmia) forticornis, Osmia (Pyrosmia) versicolor
Cyprus: Chelostoma (Chelostoma) mocsaryi, Hoplitis (Chlidoplitis) onychophora, Hoplitis (Hoplitis) pallicornis
France, Corsica: Hoplitis (Hoplitis) anthocopoides, Hoplitis (Hoplitis) ravouxi
Georgia: Osmia (Helicosmia) signata, Osmia (Metallinella) brevicornis, Osmia (Osmia) bicornis
Greece, Crete: Chelostoma (Chelostoma) mocsaryi, Osmia (Helicosmia) melanogaster, Osmia (Helicosmia) niveata, Hoplitis (Micreriades) illyrica
Iran: Chelostoma (Gyrodromella) clypeale, Chelostoma (Gyrodromella) orientale, Chelostoma (Gyrodromella) hebraeum, Chelostoma (Chelostoma) lucens, Hoplitis (Anthocopa) batyamae, Hoplitis (Anthocopa) bisulca, Hoplitis (Alcidamea) hofferi
Israel and Palestine: Chelostoma (Chelostoma) lucens, Chelostoma ventrale, Hoplitis (Anthocopa) fasciculata, Hoplitis (Anthocopa) nicolaei, Osmia (Helicosmia) breviata, Osmia (Hoplosmia) padri, Osmia (Osmia) cornuta, Osmia (Osmia) nigrohirta, Osmia (Pyrosmia) oramara, Protosmia (Protosmia) glutinosa
Italy, Sardinia: Chelostoma (Chelostoma) emarginatum
Kazakhstan: Hoplitis (Anthocopa) picicornis, Osmia (Helicosmia) subcornuta, Osmia (Hoplosmia) tyrneri, Osmia (Osmia) maxillaris
Russia: Heriades (Heriades) rubicola, Hoplitis (Alcidamea) beijingensis, Hoplitis (Alcidamea) curvipes, Hoplitis (Hoplitis) kaszabi, Osmia (Helicosmia) cinerea, Osmia (Hoplosmia) ligurica, Osmia (Tergosmia) tergestensis, Osmia (Pyrosmia) cyanoxantha, Protosmia (Protosmia) glutinosa
Spain, Canary Islands: Osmia (Helicosmia) latreillei
Ukraine: Hoplitis (Hoplitis) carinata
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Osmiine bees of Morocco
A critical evaluation of the occurrence of certain osmiine bee species in Morocco resulted in the following findings:
a) Hoplitis (Pentadentosmia) helouanensis most probably does not occur in Morocco as already assumed by Warncke (1991a). It is replaced in the Maghreb by the closely related H. villiersi. The records of H. helouanensis from Morocco listed by Warncke (1991a) are exactly the same as those given for H. villiersi in the same publication, which clearly points to an error made by the author. Thus, H. helouanensis is eliminated from the list of Moroccon bees.
b) Hoplitis (Anthocopa) bisulca most probably does not occur in Morocco. It is replaced in the Maghreb by the closely related H. quadrispina. Thus, H. bisulca is eliminated from the list of Moroccon bees.
c) The two records of Hoplitis (Alcidamea) grandiscapa from Morocco given by Warncke (1991h) refer to H. occidentalis; as no other records exist for Morocco, the species is eliminated from the list of Moroccon bees.
d) Among the material of Osmia (Helicosmia) melanogaster from Morocco, a female of the closely related O. labialis was found; this is the first record of this species for Morocco.
e) The identity of Protosmia (Protosmia) stelidoides described from Algeria is unclear as the type specimen is lost (Griswold, 1985). Since there are no reliable records from Morocco, the species is eliminated from the list of Moroccon bees.
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Palaearctic Wainia bees are snail shell nesters
Wainia (Caposmia) sexsignata, which occurs in southern Morocco and northern Western Sahara, nests in empty snail shells as reported in a recent publication in the Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 65, 61-89, 2018 (see species account for details). As several Afrotropical Wainia (Caposmia) species also use snail shells as nesting site, snail shell nesting appears to be a subgeneric trait of Wainia (Caposmia).
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New synonymy
Based on topotypical specimens from the Chelmos mountains (Greece) and the original description, Hoplitis (Alcidamea) abnormis Zanden 1992 is a junior synonym of Hoplitis (Alcidamea) subbutea (Warncke, 1991).
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Newly described Palaearctic osmiine bee species
An article in Zootaxa has recently been published dealing with the biology and taxonomy of Osmia (Hoplosmia) (Zootaxa, 4415, 297-329, 2017). One new species is described: Osmia (Hoplosmia) centaurea spec. nov. from Jordan, Israel and Palestine.
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New species records for France
Matthieu Aubert recently discovered Osmia (Pyrosmia) nana and Osmia (Melanosmia) steinmanni in the Mercantour national park in southeastern France. These two species have never been found in France before. For O. nana it is the westernmost record known so far. The new record of O. steinmanni, which was known only from a few localities in Switzerland and one locality in South Tyrol, indicates that this very rare species has a wider distribution than hitherto assumed.
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New Protosmia species described
In a recent paper in Entomofauna (39, 187-191, 2018), G. Le Goff and A.R. Gonçalves described a new Protosmia species from Portugal.
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Hoplitis brunnescens belongs to the subgenus Stenosmia
The assignment of Hoplitis brunnescens (Benoist, 1950) to the subgenus Hoplitis by Warncke (1992a) is erroneous. The recent investigation of the female holotype revealed that H. brunnescens belongs to the subgenus Stenosmia and that the type specimen is probably conspecific with H. tagmouta (Warncke, 1991b). However, the type slightly differs from typical females of H. tagmouta by the longer vertex and the reddish colour of legs and terga 1-3 (partly also of terga 4 and 5), rendering a synonymization premature. Only further material including males will show whether H. brunnescens and H. tagmouta are conspecific or represent two distinct species. Hoplitis brunnescens sensu Warncke (1992a) has to be renamed.
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New species records 15
The examination of osmiine bee material received from Max Schwarz (Ansfelden) and the Oberösterreichische Landesmuseum Linz revealed the following new country records:
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Osmia (Helicosmia) aurulenta
Iran: Chelostoma (Chelostoma) dolosum, Heriades (Heriades) rubicola, Hoplitis (Anthocopa) semirubra, Hoplitis (Stenosmia) flavicornis, Osmia (Pyrosmia) nana, Osmia (Pyrosmia) nigricollis
Macedonia: Hoplitis (Micreriades) mazzuccoi, Protosmia (Protosmia) glutinosa
Kazakhstan: Hoplitis (Hoplitis) adunca, Osmia (Osmia) bicornis globosa, Osmia (Osmia) cornuta cornuta
Turkmenistan: Osmia (Helicosmia) subcornuta