Palaearctic Osmiine Bees

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

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.

As recently noticed by Ivanov et al. (2013), the synonymization of Pseudosmia taurica Radoszkowski, 1874 with Osmia dimidiata Morawitz, 1870 by Ungricht et al. (2008) is erroneous. P. taurica is a member of Hoplitis (Anthocopa) and appears to be closely related to Hoplitis bisulca (Gerstaecker, 1869).

A recent study (Haider et al., 2013) on the phylogeny and floral hosts of Osmia bees of the subgenera Monosmia, Osmia and Orientosmia revealed paraphyly of the largest subgenus Osmia. Given this paraphyly in conjunction with the pronounced morphological resemblance among the species of all three subgenera, the authors propose to to merge Monosmia (1 species), Osmia (25 species) and Orientosmia (3 species) into one single large subgenus Osmia.

Based on the type material, Heriades (Michenerella) dalmatica Maidl, 1922 is a junior synonym of Heriades (Michenerella) punctulifera Schletterer, 1889. Apart from the colour of the antenna, which is often yellowish in specimens from the Balkans and usually brownish in specimens from Turkey and the Near East, individuals from Europe and Asia exactly correspond to each other morphologically in both the female and the male sex.

New osmiine bee material from eastern Europe, which contained males of an Allosmia species with a peculiar morphology, and the re-examination of the female lectotype of Osmia nuda Friese, 1899 revealed that the recent synonymization of Osmia nuda with Osmia rufohirta Latreille, 1811 by A. Müller is erroneous (see “New synonymies 6” from 5.1.2011) . O. nuda is a species of its own. It is very similar to dwarfish females of O. rufohirta, but distinctly differs from that species in male sternal characters.

The male holotype of Heriades integra Benoist, 1934 could not be localized at the Musée d’Histoire Naturelle de Paris. The species is treated as a member of the genus Stenoheriades by Griswold (1994) and Ungricht et al. (2008). However, the original description lists several characters (spined axilla, rounded tergum 7, no transversal carina between vertical and horizontal part of tergum 1) that excludes its membership to Stenoheriades. Instead, these characters exclusively apply to Osmia (Hoplosmia) scutellaris Morawitz, 1868. Thus, Heriades integra is a junior synonym of Osmia scutellaris.

The comparison of the male holotype of Hoplitis (Micreriades) pisidiae Tkalcu, 2000 with a topotypical male paratype of Hoplitis (Micreriades) haemi Tkalcu, 2000 revealed a near identical morphology, in particular the shape of head, antennal scapus and genitalia is largely congruent. Differences pertain to the relative length of the first and second cubital cell and to the extent of the reddish-brown colouring along the tergal margins. Both characters, however, are variable among different individuals. Thus, Hoplitis haemi is considered conspecific with Hoplitis pisidiae syn. nov. based on the type material.

Based on the type material, Hoplitis (Hoplitis) latuspilosa Zanden, 1992 is a junior synonym of Hoplitis (Hoplitis) insularis (Schmiedeknecht, 1886).

Zanden (1991) classified Hoplitis bombiformis as a member of the subgenus Hoplitis. The recent examination of the type specimens revealed that this species does not belong to that subgenus. Based on the pilosity of the clypeus, the shape of the mandible, the occurrence of slightly upcurved and knobbed bristles on the foretarsi and the large size, H. bombiformis is most probably a member of the subgenus Megahoplitis. As the male of H. bombiformis is not yet known, however, this subgeneric placement is still tentative.