Subgenus Nanosmia

The subgenus Nanosmia Griswold is confined to the Palaearctic region. It contains 13 described species.

Female of Protosmia (Nanosmia) minutula (Pérez, 1896) collecting pollen on a flower of Teucrium montanum (Lamiaceae) by rapidly seesawing the abdominal scopa against the anthers. Foto A. Müller.

Species accounts

Protosmia (Nanosmia) asensioi Griswold & Parker, 1987

1987 Protosmia asensioi Griswold & Parker, Psyche, 94: 51. Type material: Holotype m, “San Miguel de Bernuy, 14 km N Cantalejo” [Spain], USNM (Washington); paratypes mm, ff. Type species of Nanosmia Griswold.

Distribution-Europe: E, P.

Identification-Keys, Descriptions: Zanden (1994b: 1116).

Nesting biology-Nesting site: Preexisting cavities: drilled borings in pithy stems. Nesting material: Cell partitions and nest plug are made of resin. (Griswold, 1985)

Flower preferences: Probably polylectic; pollen of Sedum (Crassulaceae) is often collected in Spain (T. Wood, personal communication).

Protosmia (Nanosmia) curviseta Müller, 2022

2022 Protosmia (Nanosmia) curviseta Müller, Zootaxa, 5188: 258. Type material: Holotype f, “2.75 km SW Ifrane Atlas Saghir, 740m” [Morocco], ETH (Zurich); paratypes ff.

Distribution-Europe: MA.

Identification-Keys, Descriptions: No supplementary or more detailed morphological description known. Note: Male unknown.

Nesting biology: Unknown.

Flower preferences: Polylectic; pollen sources include Antirrhineae (Plantaginaceae), Boraginaceae and Zygophyllacae (Müller, 2022b). The females possess long, apically curved and capitate bristles on the labial palpi of the proboscis. Such specialized bristles of spoonlike shape are also found in females of the osmiine bee genus Haetosmia, where they serve to scrape pollen out of the narrow-tubed flowers of Heliotropium (Boraginaceae) (Gottlieb et al. 2014; Müller and Griswold 2017). Given the amazing similarity in shape and location of these bristles between P. curviseta and species of Haetosmia, Heliotropium is most probably a further pollen host of P. curviseta.

Protosmia (Nanosmia) decipiens (Benoist, 1935)

1935 Heriades decipiens Benoist, Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France, 40: 278. Type material: Holotype f, “Tafingoult, dans le Grand-Atlas” [Morocco], MNHN (Paris).-Combination Protosmia (Rhodosmia) decipiens (Benoist) in Zanden (1988b: 127).

Distribution-Northern Africa: MA.

Identification-Keys, Descriptions: Griswold and Parker (1987: 55); Griswold (2013: 6). Note: Male unknown.

Nesting biology: Unknown.

Flower preferences: Unknown.

Protosmia (Nanosmia) devia Tkalcu, 1978

1978 Protosmia (Rhodosmia) devia Tkalcu, Casopis Slezskeho Muzea Opava (A), 27: 158. Type material: Holotype f, “Kashmir: Gulmarg” [India], BMNH (London).

Distribution-Southwestern Asia: PAK. Extralimital: Oriental (India).

Identification-Keys, Descriptions: No supplementary or more detailed morphological description known. Note: Male unknown.

Nesting biology: Unknown.

Flower preferences: Unknown. The females possess curved hairs on the proboscis which probably serve to extract pollen from narrow-tubed flowers (T. Griswold, personal communication).

Protosmia (Nanosmia) hamulifera Griswold, 2013

2013 Protosmia (Nanosmia) hamulifera Griswold, Journal of Melittology, 20: 2. Type material: Holotype f, “Dubai (Zabeel)” [United Arab Emirates], USDA Bee Biology and Systematics Laboratory (Logan, Utah); paratypes mm, ff.

Distribution-Southwestern Asia: UAE, SA.

Identification-Keys, Descriptions: No supplementary or more detailed morphological description known.

Nesting biology-Nesting site: Preexisting cavities: reared from trap nests, suggesting that this species nests in insect burrows in dead wood or in hollow stems. Nesting material: Unknown. (Griswold, 2013.

Flower preferences: Unknown. The females possess hooked bristles on their labial palpi (Griswold, 2013), which are probably used to remove pollen from narrow corolla tubes, e.g. Heliotropium (Gotlieb et al., 2014).

Protosmia (Nanosmia) magna Müller, 2022

2022 Protosmia (Nanosmia) magna Müller, Zootaxa, 5188: 261. Type material: Holotype m, “10 km E Guelmim” [Morocco], ETH (Zurich); paratypes mm, ff.

Distribution-Southwestern Asia: MA.

Identification-Keys, Descriptions: No supplementary or more detailed morphological description known.

Nesting biology: Unknown.

Flower preferences: Unknown.

Protosmia (Nanosmia) magnicapitis (Stanek, 1969)

1969 Osmia (Protosmia) magnicapitis Stanek, Nachrichten des Naturwissenschaftlichen Museums der Stadt Aschaffenburg, 78: 7. Type material: Holotype f, “Birecik” [Turkey], SMFD (Frankfurt).-Combination Protosmia (Protosmia) magnicapitis (Stanek) in Griswold (1985) and Ungricht et al. (2008).

Distribution-Southwestern Asia: TR.

Identification-Keys, Descriptions: No supplementary or more detailed morphological description known. Note: Male unknown.

Nesting biology: Unknown.

Flower preferences: Unknown.

Protosmia (Nanosmia) minutula (Pérez, 1896)

1895 Osmia pumila Pérez, Espèces nouvelles de mellifères de Barbarie, p. 18. NOMEN PRAEOCCUPATUM [not Osmia pumila Cresson, 1864]. Type material: Syntypes mm, f, “Marseille” [France], “Sicily” [Italy], MNHN (Paris).

1896 Osmia minutula Pérez, Correctures: Espèces nouvelles de mellifères de Barbarie, not paginated single page appendix. NOMEN NOVUM with same type specimen for preoccupied Osmia pumila Pérez, 1896 [not Osmia pumila Cresson, 1864].-Combination Heriades (Micreriades) minutulus (Pérez) in Mavromoustakis (1958: 445). Combination Hoplitis (Micreriades) minutula (Pérez) in Tkalcu (1977c: 88). Combination Heriades minutulus (Pérez) in Zanden (1986: 67).

1921 Osmia cataniae Strand, Archiv für Naturgeschichte, 87: 321. Type material: Holotype m, “Catania” [Italy: Sicily], DEI (Müncheberg).-Synonymy in Zanden (1986: 67).

Distribution-Europe: CH, E, E(Ba), F, I, I(Si), P.

Identification-Keys, Descriptions:Amiet et al. (2004);Benoist (1929a); Ducke (1900);Griswold and Parker (1987: 55); Zanden (1986: 67, 1994b: 1116).

Nesting biology: Unknown.

Flower preferences: Polylectic with a preference for small-flowered Lamiaceae (e.g. Teucrium); additional pollen sources include Helianthemum (Cistaceae) (Amiet et al., 2004; Müller, 1996b; A. Müller, unpublished, based on 5 pollen samples from 5 different localities). Pollen-collecting females climb the filaments of the stamina of Teucrium montanum, the flowers of which lack an upper lip, until the head is beyond the uppermost anthers; by rapidly seesawing the underside of the abdomen against the anthers, the bees then directly pick up the pollen into the abdominal scopa (Müller, 1996b; Müller et al., 1997).

Protosmia (Nanosmia) montana Müller, 2012

2012 Protosmia (Nanosmia) montana Müller, Zootaxa, 3355: 49. Type material: Holotype m, “Taygetos mountains, Toriza – Profitis Ilias, 1700-2000m” [Greece], ETHZ (Zurich); paratypes mm, ff.

Distribution-Europe: GR, GR(Aegean Islands). Northern Asia: TJ, UZ. Southwestern Asia: TR.

Identification-Keys, Descriptions: Griswold (2013: 8).

Nesting biology: Unknown.

Flower preferences: Polylectic; pollen sources known so far include Lamiaceae, Asteraceae (Cichorioideae) and Fabaceae (Müller, 2012a).

Protosmia (Nanosmia) pulex (Benoist, 1935)

1935 Heriades pulex Benoist, Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France, 40: 278. Type material: Holotype m, “Syrie: Jaffa” [Israel], MNHN (Paris).-Combination Hoplitis (Micreriades) pulex (Benoist) in Zanden (1985: 67).

Distribution-Southwestern Asia: IL.

Identification-Keys, Descriptions: Griswold and Parker (1987: 55); Zanden (1994b: 1116). Note: Female unknown.

Nesting biology: Unknown.

Flower preferences: Unknown.

Protosmia (Nanosmia) querquedula Zanden, 1994

1994 Protosmia querquedula Zanden, Linzer Biologische Beiträge, 26: 1115. Type material: Holotype m, “Sfax, 30 km S.W.” [Tunisia], Schwarz Collection (Ansfelden); paratypes mm, ff.

Distribution-Northern Africa: TN.

Identification-Keys, Descriptions: No supplementary or more detailed morphological description known.

Nesting biology: Unknown.

Flower preferences: Unknown.

Protosmia (Nanosmia) schwarzi Griswold, 2013

2013 Protosmia (Nanosmia) schwarzi Griswold, Journal of Melittology, 20: 5. Type material: Holotype m, “Tizi-n-Tinififft, 25km NW Agdz, 1660m” [Morocco], Schwarz Collection (Ansfelden); paratypes mm, ff.

Distribution-Northern Africa: MA, TN.

Identification-Keys, Descriptions: No supplementary or more detailed morphological description known.

Nesting biology: Unknown.

Flower preferences: Unknown.

Protosmia (Nanosmia) trifida Griswold, 2013

2013 Protosmia (Nanosmia) trifida Griswold, Journal of Melittology, 20: 7. Type material: Holotype m, “Hakkari: Suvari-Halil-Pass, 2500m” [Turkey], Schwarz Collection (Ansfelden); paratypes mm, ff.

Distribution-Southwestern Asia: TR.

Identification-Keys, Descriptions: No supplementary or more detailed morphological description known.

Nesting biology: Unknown.

Flower preferences: Unknown.