Palaearctic Osmiine Bees

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.

A recent study (Sedivy et al., 2013c) proposed to unite all Hoplitis species of the exclusively nearctic subgenera Acrosmia, Hoplitina, Penteriades and Proteriades (the “Proteriades group”) in a single subgenus Proteriades because i) neither Proteriades nor Hoplitina appear to be monophyletic taxa, ii) the distinction between the Hoplitis subgenera Penteriades and Acrosmia based on the presence or absence of hooked hairs on the female proboscis is not justified as two of the five Acrosmia species also possess such hooked hairs, and iii) the four subgenera closely resemble each other morphologically, especially in the female sex. Merging all four subgenera of the Proteriades group into a single large subgenus results in a morphologically and biologically well characterized taxon, whose monophyly is strongly supported by numerous morphological characters.

A recent study (Sedivy et al., 2013c) proposed to merge all Hoplitis species of the subgenera Alcidamea, Cyrtosmia, Dasyosmia, Megalosmia, Monumetha and Prionohoplitis (the “Alcidamea” group) into a single subgenus Alcidamea for the following reasons: i) Alcidamea is clearly polyphyletic in its current circumscription with all the other subgenera emerging from within this subgenus, and ii) the monophyly of Prionohoplitis is not supported. Uniting all six subgenera of the Alcidamea group results in a phylogenetically strongly supported clade, which, however, is characterized by only a few morphological characters such as the shape of the female clypus and the shapes of the male sterna 4-7.

Protosmia (Protosmia) exenterata (Pérez, 1895) is conspecific with Protosmia (Protosmia) humeralis (Pérez, 1895) syn. nov. based on the type material.

A recent study (Sedivy et al., 2013c) proposed to unite all Hoplitis species of the subgenera Annosmia, Bytinskia, Coloplitis and Hoplitis (the “Annosmia-Hoplitis group”) in a single subgenus Hoplitis because i) Annosmia is polyphyletic in its current circumscription, ii) the cleptoparasitic Bytinskia species have evolved from the same lineage as their Annosmia hosts, iii) the most basal clade of Hoplitis is morphologically and biologically intermediate between Annosmia and Hoplitis, and iv) Coloplitis is morphologically very close to Annosmia. An alternative solution to eliminate the polyphyly of Annosmia would be the establishment of a monotypic subgenus for the most basal species of the Annosmia-Hoplitis group, Hoplitis bassana, which, however, appears unjustified owing to the morphological similarity of H. bassana with Annosmia. Merging all four subgenera into a single large subgenus results in a monophylectic taxon, which is morphologically distinctive due to a conspicuous yellowish membrane below the lateral extremity of the labrum that is present in all species.

The species of the subgenus Tergosmia and and the only species of the subgenus Ozbekosmia, Osmia avosetta, share many morphological characteristics (Warncke, 1988b). In addition, the construction of their brood cells is unique in that the cells are composed of two layers of flower petals that sandwich a thin middle layer of mud (Rozen et al., 2010). Furthermore, all Tergosmia species as well as Osmia avosetta exhibit a strong or exclusive preference for Fabaceae as pollen hosts (Müller, 2013). For these reasons, we propose to merge the subgenera Tergosmia and Ozbekosmia into one subgenus Tergosmia comb. nov.

The examination of a number of type specimens of osmiine bee species described by Benoist, van der Zanden, Pérez and Warncke revealed several new synonymies:

Heriades (Heriades) hierosolomita Benoist, 1935 is a junior synonym of Heriades (Heriades) rubicola Pérez, 1890;

Zanden (1995: 429) erroneously synonymized the female of Heriades syriaca Benoist, 1928 with the male of Heriades (Michenerella) punctulifera Schletterer, 1899. Instead, Heriades syriaca Benoist, 1928 is a junior synonym of Heriades (Rhopaloheriades) clavicornis Morawitz, 1875;

Hoplitis (Alcidamea) dumonti (Benoist, 1929) is a junior synonym of Hoplitis (Prionohoplitis) epeoliformis (Ducke, 1899);

Hoplitis (Hoplitis) oreades (Benoist, 1934) is a junior synonym of Hoplitis (Hoplitis) fortispina (Pérez, 1895);

Hoplitis (Stenosmia) denticulata (Zanden, 1992) is a junior synonym of Hoplitis (Stenosmia) jordanica (Warncke, 1991);

Osmia (Helicosmia) niveibarbis Pérez, 1902 is a junior synonym of Osmia (Helicosmia) alfkeni Ducke, 1899; Osmia niveibarbis sensu Warncke (1988a) is Osmia (Helicosmia) heteracantha Pérez, 1896;

Protosmia (Protosmia) exenterata (Pérez, 1895) is conspecific with Protosmia (Protosmia) octomaculata (Pérez, 1895) syn. nov.;

Protosmia limbata (Benoist 1935) is a junior synonym of Protosmia mirabilis (Friese 1899), which has been synonymized with Protosmia monstrosa (Pérez 1895) by Alfken (1935);

Wainia (Caposmia) guichardi (Zanden, 1991) is a junior synonym of Osmia sexsignata Benoist, 1950.

Friese (1899) described Osmia lativentris albiscopa from Tunisia. Zanden (1988b) synonymized this species with Hoplitis pulchella (Pérez, 1895). The examination of the female lectotype of O. lativentris albiscopa revealed that this synonymization is erroneous and that Hoplitis (Anthocopa) albiscopa is a valid species, which is widely distributed from the Iberian peninsula to Tunisia.

Based on the original descriptions and topotypical specimens, the male of Osmia (Allosmia) decorata described by Morawitz (1886) is conspecific with the female of Osmia (Allosmia) melanura described by Morawitz (1871). Thus, O. decorata is a junior synonym of O. melanura.

Based on the original description, Tkalcu (1974b) and a large Allosmia material from North Africa, Osmia (Allosmia) fossoria Pérez, 1890 is a junior synonym of Osmia (Allosmia) lhotelleriei Pérez, 1887 and not a subspecies of Osmia (Allosmia) sybarita Smith, 1853 as assumed by Tkalcu (1974b). O. sybarita most probably does not occur in North Africa.

Osmia lamina Pérez, 1896 is, based on the original description, a Hoplitis species of the subgenus Anthocopa rather than of Alcidamea. The description of the female of H. maghrebensis by Zanden (1992) refers to the female of Hoplitis lamina (see post “New synonymies 5”).