Palaearctic Osmiine Bees

Based on the type material, Osmia (Helicosmia) gutturalis Warncke, 1988 is a senior synonym of Osmia (Helicosmia) milenae Tkalcu, 1992 (A. Müller, unpublished).

In a recent paper, Rightmyer, Griswold and Arduser (2010) review the non-metallic Osmia (Melanosmia) species of North America. They include detailed keys for the Palaearctic Melanosmia species.

Hoplitis (Stenosmia) flavicornis was described by Morawitz (1877) from the Caucasus. Recent material from southern Israel kindly loaned by Ariella Gotlieb revealed that H. flavicornis sensu Warncke (1991b) is a still undescribed species, which is distinctly larger than the true H. flavicornis and possesses much shorter antennal segments in the male sex. Thus, H. flavicornis does not occur in the Near East and the species keyed out by Warncke (1991b) under the name Osmia flavicornis is a still unnamed species.

Osmia (Helicosmia) milenae, which has been described by Tkalcu (1992) based on a couple of males from eastern Turkey, was known so far only in the male sex. In a sample of bees from Israel kindly loaned by Ariella Gotlieb both males and females of this rare species have been found.

The female lectotype of Osmia nuda Friese, 1899 is a dwarfish individual of Osmia rufohirta Latreille 1811; thus O. nuda is a junior synonym of O. rufohirta (A. Müller, unpublished).

The two Asian species Heriades cancavus and Heriades parvulus were placed in the subgenus Heriades by Wu (2006). However, they most probably belong to the subgenus Michenerella (J. Ascher and T. Griswold, personal communication).

The generic and subgeneric placement of Osmia excisa Morawitz, 1880 was not clear. This species was treated as a member of Hoplitis (Stenosmia) by Mavromoustakis (1954b) or as a member of Osmia (Osmia) by Wu (2006). The recent discovery of the hitherto unknown male of Osmia excisa in a sample of bees from China revealed that it belongs to Hoplitis (Formicapis). The females possesses several characteristics typical of Formicapis as well.

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.

Hoplitis (Anthocopa) jerichoensis (Zanden, 1996) is a junior synonym of Hoplitis (Anthocopa) semirubra (Friese, 1899) based on a topotypical male paratype and the original description.

Hoplitis (Anthocopa) quarzazati (Zanden, 1998) is a junior synonym of Hoplitis (Platosmia) platalea (Warncke, 1990) based on the male holotype.

Hoplitis (Anthocopa) maroccana (Zanden, 1998) is a junior synonym of Hoplitis (Anthocopa) batyamae (Zanden, 1986) based on the male holotype.

Male type specimens of Hoplitis (Anthocopa) maghrebensis (Zanden, 1992) are identical to Hoplitis (Platosmia) incognita Zanden, 1996, rendering H. incognita a junior synonym of H. maghrebensis. The female of H. maghrebensis as described in Zanden (1992) is a still undescribed Hoplitis (Anthocopa) species.

Osmia (Helicosmia) ardeola Warncke, 1988 is a junior synonym of Osmia (Helicosmia) niveibarbis Pérez, 1902 based on new material from Spain. According to Zanden (1996b), Osmia (Helicosmia) heteracantha Pérez, 1896 is synonymous to O. ardeola. Thus, the valid name of this taxon is O. heteracantha.

The female paratypes of Hoplitis (Anthocopa) conosimilis Zanden, 1992 are identical to Hoplitis (Hoplitis) benoisti (Alfken, 1935), whereas the male holotype is a typical Hoplitis (Anthocopa) species.