On their excursion to Tunisia in spring 2012, C. Sedivy, C. Praz and A. Müller recorded the following four species for the first time for Tunisia: Hoplitis (Anthocopa) batyamae, Hoplitis (Chlidoplitis) taenioceras, Hoplitis (Stenosmia) jordanica and Osmia (Hemiosmia) argyropyga.
Several samples of osmiine bees received from M. Schwarz, C. Sedivy, C. Praz and the Oberösterreichische Landesmuseum Linz (F. Gusenleitner) revealed the following new country records:
Bulgaria: Hoplitis (Alcidamea) acuticornis, Hoplitis (Alcidamea) ciliaris, Hoplitis (Pentadentosmia) laevifrons, Osmia (Allosmia) sybarita, Osmia (Helicosmia) subcornuta, Osmia (Pyrosmia) cyanoxantha, Osmia (Pyrosmia) laticauda
China: Hoplitis (Annosmia) kaszabi
Greece: Osmia (Osmia) mustelina griseohirta
Israel: Hoplitis (Annosmia) tunica
Jordan: Chelostoma (Gyrodromella) hebraeum, Osmia (Pyrosmia) versicolor
Kyrgyzstan: Hoplitis (Anthocopa) alatauensis
Moldova: Chelostoma (Chelostoma) florisomne, Heriades (Heriades) crenulatus, Heriades (Heriades) truncorum, Osmia (Helicosmia) caerulescens, Osmia (Hoplosmia) spinulosa
Tunisia: Hoplitis (Alcidamea) limassolica, Hoplitis (Annosmia) israelica, Hoplitis (Anthocopa) rugidorsis
Uzbekistan: Heriades (Heriades) truncorum
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
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.
In a recent paper, Rightmyer, Griswold and Arduser (2010) review the non-metallic Osmia (Melanosmia) species of North America. Interestingly, Osmia laticeps Thomson, 1872 and Osmia maritima Friese, 1885, which were thought to be confined to the Palaearctic region, also occur in North America. Other Melanosmia species with a holarctic distribution are Osmia inermis (Zetterstedt, 1838) and Osmia nigriventris (Zetterstedt, 1838). The northern temperate to boreoalpine distribution of most non-metallic Melanosmia species may have facilitated the intercontinental exchange of some species via Beringia.
Several samples of osmiine bees received from F. Gusenleitner, R. Prosi, M. Schwarz, H. Özbek, A. Dorchin, A. Gotlieb and R. Khodaparast revealed the following new country records:
Bulgaria: Osmia (Helicosmia) aurulenta, Osmia (Helicosmia) dives, Osmia (Osmia) cornuta, Hoplitis (Alcidamea) tridentata
Corsica: Osmia (Helicosmia) aurulenta, Osmia (Helicosmia) caerulescens
Iran: Hoplitis (Anthocopa) mocsaryi, Osmia (Helicosmia) subcornuta
Israel: Osmia (Helicosmia) caerulescens, Osmia (Helicosmia) milenae, Osmia (Helicosmia) pennata
Kazakhstan: Osmia (Tergosmia) tergestensis
Kyrgyzstan: Hoplitis (Alcidamea) acuticornis, Hoplitis (Alcidamea) praestans, Osmia (Helicosmia) dimidiata, Osmia (Melanosmia) pamirensis
Portugal: Hoplitis (Anthocopa) antigae, Hoplitis (Anthocopa) saundersi (first record in Europe)
Tunisia: Hoplitis (Anthocopa) antigae
Turkey: Hoplitis (Anthocopa) saxialis
Uzbekistan: Osmia (Helicosmia) dives
In a recent publication, Jozan (2009) lists 48 osmiine bee species for Croatia, 11 of which are new records for this country: Chelostoma (Foveosmia) styriacum, Hoplitis (Alcidamea) acuticornis, Hoplitis (Alcidamea) praestans, Hoplitis (Prionohoplitis) campanularis, Osmia (Allosmia) rufohirta, Osmia (Helicosmia) aurulenta, Osmia (Helicosmia) leaiana, Osmia (Hoplosmia) scutellaris, Osmia (Metallinella) brevicornis, Osmia (Osmia) mustelina and Osmia (Tergosmia) tergestensis. The species identity of two of the listed species is doubtful: Hoplitis (Micreriades) tenuispina is rather Hoplitis (Micreriades) mazzuccoi due to the known distribution ranges of these two species and Protosmia (Protosmia) tauricola might possibly be another Protosmia species due to the difficulties in reliably identifying females of this genus.
A closer study of the Hoplitis (Anthocopa) species belonging to the singularis group (“Glossosmia“) revealed that several erroneous or doubtful records exist in the literature, which are due to difficulties in reliably separating the different species in the female sex. In addition, three names have to be synonymized. The following new findings were incorporated into the website:
i) Hoplitis bipartita (Friese, 1899) is a synonym of Hoplitis grumi (Morawitz, 1894) based on the original description, Zanden (1986) and new material from Central Asia.
ii) Hoplitis cypriaca bayburtensis (Tkalcu, 1980) from eastern Turkey was hitherto known only in the female sex. In a sample of bees collected in the region around Erzurum (coll. H. Özbek), a single male was found. Morphologically, this specimen closely corresponds to Hoplitis grumi (Morawitz, 1894) as do the females. Thus, H. cypriaca bayburtensis is newly synonymized with H. grumi.
iii) Hoplitis fasciculata described by Alfken (1934) in the female sex from Sardinia is not synonymous with Hoplitis rugidorsis (Pérez, 1895) as claimed by Zanden (1986), but is identical to Hoplitis idalia (Mavromoustakis, 1948). In fact, all Glossosmia males recorded so far from Sardinia are typical H. idalia. Thus, H. idalia is a junior synonym of H. fasciculata.
iv) The record of Hoplitis anipuncta (Alfken, 1935) from Crete (Zanden, 1989), which is based on collected females, is most probably erronoeus. These females certainly belong to Hoplitis fasciculata (Alfken, 1934).
v) Hoplitis hemisphaerica (Alfken, 1935) also occurs in Iran.
vi) The literature records of Hoplitis singularis (Morawitz, 1875) from Israel and Turkey are highly doubtful.
vii) Hoplitis grumi (Morawitz, 1894), for which reliable records exist for Spain, also occurs in Morocco.
viii) All females of Hoplitis grumi from Spain and Portugal in the collection of G. van der Zanden (Naturalis, Leiden) belong to Hoplitis zaianorum (Benoist, 1927). Thus, no reliable record of H. grumi exists for Portugal.
A closer study of the Hoplitis (Anthocopa) species belonging to the villosa group (“Arctosmia“) revealed several erroneous distribution records and one new synonymy:
i) The records of Hoplitis graeca (Tkalcu, 2000) and Hoplitis villosa (Schenck, 1853) from Turkey and of Hoplitis unispina (Alfken, 1935) from Greece are erroneous.
ii) Hoplitis graeca ionica (Tkalcu, 2000) is synonymous to Hoplitis obtusa (Friese, 1899) based on material from Rhodes and western Turkey.
Several samples of osmiine bees received from W. Arens, A. Dorchin, and M. Schwarz revealed the following new country records:
Greece: Osmia (Helicosmia) breviata (first record in Europe), Hoplitis (Anthocopa) saxialis, Hoplitis (Micreriades) mazzuccoi
Israel: Hoplitis (Anthocopa) yermasoyiae
Jordan: Hoplitis (Anthocopa) daniana
Syria: Hoplitis (Anthocopa) daniana
Turkey: Hoplitis (Anthocopa) daniana