Palaearctic Osmiine Bees

Author: muelandr

  • New synonymy

    Chelostoma siciliae Müller, 2012 is a junior synonym of Chelostoma stefanii Nobile, 1995.

  • 3 Palaearctic osmiine bee species newly described

    Two articles in Zootaxa have recently been published dealing with the biology and taxonomy of Hoplitis (Platosmia) and Chelostoma (Gyrodromella) (Zootaxa, 3936, 71-81, 408-420, 2015). Three new species are described: Hoplitis (Platosmia) arabiae spec. nov. from the Arabian peninsula, and Chelostoma (Gyrodromella) clypeale spec. nov. and Chelostoma (Gyrodromella) tonsum spec. nov. from Turkey.

  • New species record for Cyprus

    C. Schmid-Egger collected a male of Hoplitis (Pentadentosmia) pomarina on Cyprus in late spring 2013. This is the first record of this species on Cyprus.

  • Thrilling new species record for Italy

    Hoplitis (Anthocopa) saxialis is a very rare osmiine bee species, which seems to be restricted to high elevations. In Europe, the species has been found so far only in Greece on the Tymfi mountain and on the Mount Olympus above 2000m. It has further been recorded in eastern Turkey near Erzurum (2500m), around the Itkol in the Russian Caucasus (2100-2300m) and on the Alam-Kuh in the Elburz mountains in northern Iran (3500-4000m). Interestingly, C. Schmid-Egger has collected a male of H. saxialis in the Aosta valley mid July 2012 at an elevation of 2300m. Such a highly disjunct distribution area with occurrences in the Italian Alps, northern Greece and eastern Turkey/northern Iran is very unusual in the osmiine bees.

  • New species records for Iran

    Shahram Falamarzi (Yasouj University, Iran) collected Hoplitis (Stenosmia) aravensis and Hoplitis (Anthocopa) fasciculata in southwestern Iran in spring 2014. H. aravensis was known before only from the Levant, and the record of H. fasciculata is the easternmost record for this species so far. Interestingly, the females of H. fasciculata from Iran are partly red-coloured in contrast to the entirely black females of more western populations.

  • A new Nearctic subgenus of Osmia

    Based on a new molecular phylogeny of the bee genus Osmia with emphasis on North American Melanosmia, Rightmyer et al. (2013) erected a new Nearctic subgenus of Osmia, Hapsidosmia, for a single species formerly treated as a member of the subgenus Melanosmia. Furthermore, they synonymized the two Nearctic subgenera Mystacosmia and Acanthosmioides under Melanosmia. This study also clarified the phylogenetic relationships among the different subgenera of Osmia, e.g. Osmia (Erythrosmia) is newly supported as sister to Osmia (Tergosmia). In addition, a key is given for the identification of the eight Nearctic subgenera of Osmia.

  • New osmiine bee species in France

    The examination of osmiine bees received from Matthieu Aubert revealed the presence of Hoplitis (Anthocopa) fasciculata in Corsica. In Europe, this species has been known so far only from Sardinia, Greece and Crete.

  • Nests of two osmiine bee species detected for the first time

    G. Le Goff discovered the hitherto unknown nests of Hoplitis (Anthocopa) zaianorum and Hoplitis (Hoplitis) tenuiserrata in southern Morocco in spring 2013. For details see the species accounts on the Palaearctic osmiine bee website.

  • New osmiine bee species in Egypt

    Three osmiine bee species have been recorded for the first time in Egypt: Hoplitis (Alcidamea) epeoliformis, Hoplitis (Platosmia) africana and Hoplitis (Platosmia) gerofita.

  • New osmiine bee species in Israel

    The examination of osmiine bee material received from Yael Mandelik and coworkers revealed the following new species records for Israel: Hoplitis (Anthocopa) serainae and Hoplitis (Micreriades) antalyiae.