In a recently published paper, Müller (2015c) describes nest architecture and flower preferences of the boreoalpine Hoplitis (Alcidamea) tuberculata. The nest architecture of H. tuberculata is unique among Palaearctic osmiine bees. However, it corresponds to that of three North American species closely related to H. tuberculata. For details see the species account on the Palaearctic osmiine bee website.
Author: muelandr
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Female of Hoplitis manuelae discovered
Hoplitis manuelae Müller, 2012 could not be assigned to a subgenus so far as only the male was known. Recently, the female of H. manuelae was discovered in a bee sample from southern Spain. The female characters clearly reveal that the species is a member of the subgenus Anthocopa. The lack of membraneous basal flaps on male sternum 6 suggests that H. manuelae might belong to a basal clade within Anthocopa.
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New species records 14
The examination of osmiine bee material received from the Oberösterreichische Landesmuseum Linz revealed the following new country records:
Greece: Chelostoma ventrale
Jordan: Chelostoma (Foveosmia) isabellinum
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Biology of Ochreriades fasciatus
In a recently published paper, Rozen et al. (2015) describe the nesting biology, flower preferences and larval morphology of Ochreriades fasciatus, a rare bee species restricted in its distribution to the Levant. For details see the species account on the Palaearctic osmiine bee website.
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Nesting biology of Hoplitis (Tkalcua) zandeni uncovered
The biology of the two Hoplitis species of the subgenus Tkalcua was entirely unknown so far. On their excursion to Fuerteventura in spring 2015, V. Mauss and A. Müller detected nests of H. (Tkalcua) zandeni in empty snail shells. For details see the species account on the Palaearctic osmiine bee website.
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New synonymy
Chelostoma siciliae Müller, 2012 is a junior synonym of Chelostoma stefanii Nobile, 1995.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.