Palaearctic Osmiine Bees

In a recent paper in Entomofauna (39, 187-191, 2018), G. Le Goff and A.R. Gonçalves described a new Protosmia species from Portugal.

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.

In a recent paper in Zootaxa (4358, 351-364, 2017), two new Haetosmia species are described, i.e. H. ethiopiensis spec. nov. from eastern Africa and H. pakistaniensis spec. nov. from Pakistan. Formerly considered to be restricted to the southern Palaearctic region, the genus Haetosmia was found to also occur in the Afrotropics.

Hoplitis mucida was considered to consist of two subspecies with H. mucida mucida (Dours 1873) ranging from northwestern Africa to Israel and Jordan and H. mucida stecki (Frey-Gessner 1908) occurring in southwestern Europe and Sicily. As described in a recent publication (Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 60, 99-109, 2017), the nesting biology of the two subspecies strikingly differs. In North Africa, females construct fully exposed, cake-like nests of mud on the flat surface of rocks and stones containing 8–12 vertically oriented brood cells, rendering these nests unique among osmiine bees regarding both nesting site and nest architecture. In contrast, in Europe females build their few-celled mud nests inside small rock cavities. This discrepancy in the nesting biology is paralleled by considerable morphological differences between the two subspecies suggestive of a long geographical isolation. Due to these biological and morphological differences, the European subspecies H. mucida stecki was elevated to species rank by the authors of the publication mentioned above.

An article in Zootaxa has recently been published dealing with the biology and taxonomy of Protosmia (Chelostomopsis) (Zootaxa, 4227, 287-294, 2017). One new species is described: Protosmia (Chelostomopsis) angustimandibulae spec. nov. from the Levant.

An article in Zootaxa has recently been published dealing with the biology and taxonomy of Hoplitis (Formicapis) and Hoplitis (Tkalcua) (Zootaxa, 4127, 105-120, 2016). Two new species are described: Hoplitis (Formicapis) coreensis spec. nov. from South Korea and Hoplitis (Tkalcua) emiratensis spec. nov. from the United Arab Emirates.

Based on a single female, Tkalcu (1984a) described a new subspecies of Hoplitis mitis from the Sierra Nevada (Spain), i.e. H. m. granadae. Due to several remarkable differences, Tkalcu hypothesized that the new subspecies might possibly even represent a new species. Recently, the hitherto unknown male of H. m. granadae was found in osmiine bee material collected at 3200m a.s.l. at the southern slope of Pico Mulhacen in the Sierra Nevada by G. Losapio. Comparison of the males of H. m. granadae with those of the nominate subspecies generally revealed close morphological resemblance. However, as the morphological differences between the females of H. m. granadae and the nominate subspecies as stated by Tkalcu could be confirmed, the subspecific rank of the disjunct southern Spanish population of H. mitis appears to be well justified.

Warncke (1988b) recognised two subspecies of Osmia (Tergosmia) tergestensis, i.e. O. t. tergestensis occurring in south eastern Europe and O. t. ononidis distributed in northern Africa, southwestern Europe and Turkey. The investigation of a large material of O. tergestensis from its entire distribution range, which extends from northwestern Africa over southern Europe to Turkey and the Near East, revealed no clear morphological gaps nor consistent patterns with respect to e.g. colour of pilosity or density of tergal punctation between different populations. Similarly, Osmia (Tergosmia) rhodoensis arquata and O. r. ferina are newly treated as synonymous with O. rhodoensis. The characters given by Warncke (1988b) to distinguish these two subspecies from the nominotypical subspecies, such as colour of pilosity, density of clypeal and tergal punctation or development of male sternal swellings, do not seem to be consistent within populations or strong enough to justify subspecific rank.

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.

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