Subgenus Megahoplitis
The subgenus Megahoplitis Tkalcu is confined to the Palaearctic region. It contains two species.
Species accounts
Hoplitis (Megahoplitis) bombiformis Zanden, 1991
1991 Hoplitis (Hoplitis) bombiformis Zanden, Reichenbachia (Dresden), 28: 167. Type material: Holotype f, “20 km E. Yüksekova, 2200 m” [Turkey], RMNH (Leiden); paratypes ff.
Distribution-Southwestern Asia: TR.
Identification-Keys, Descriptions: Müller (2014a: 173).
Nesting biology: Unknown.
Flower preferences: The only pollen load analyzed so far consisted of pollen of Centaurea (Asteraceae) (Müller, 2014a).
Hoplitis (Megahoplitis) tigrina (Morawitz, 1871)
1871 Osmia tigrina Morawitz, Horae Societatis Entomologicae Rossicae (St. Petersburg), 8: 206. Type material: m(m), “Epirus” [Greece]. Type species of Megahoplitis Tkalcu.-Combination Osmia (Osmia) tigrina Morawitz in Friese (1911b: 103). Combination Hoplitis (Tridentosmia) tigrina (Morawitz) in Zanden (1987: 82).
1873 Osmia tricuspitata Sichel, in: Dours, Revue et Magasin de Zoologie Pure et Appliqué, ser. 3, 1: 293. Type material: Syntypes mm, “Iles de l’Archipel grec” [Greece], Dours Collection, presumed destroyed (Zanden 1990: 52).-Synonymy in Ungricht et al. (2008: 115).
1921 Megachile boops Friese, Archiv für Naturgeschichte, 87: 175. Type material: Holotype m, “Jaribaschi im Amanusgebirge” [Turkey], AMNH (New York). Synonymy in Praz (2017).
1934 Osmia deserti Benoist, Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France, 39: 106. Type material: Holotype f, “Sahara” [Sahara], MNHN (Paris).-Synonymy in Zanden (1991b: 352).
Distribution-Europe: GR, GR(Aegean Islands). Northern Africa: DZ, MA. Southwestern Asia: IR, SYR, TR.
Identification-Keys, Descriptions: Ducke (1900); Schmiedeknecht (1885-1886); Tkalcu (1993a: 55); Zanden (1987: 82); Müller (2014a: 173).
Nesting biology: Unknown.
Flower preferences: Probably oligolectic on Carduoideae (Asteraceae) (Müller, 2014a). Flower records: Centaurea diluta, C. solstitialis, C. spinosa (label information).