Osmia (Hoplosmia) croatica Friese 1893

Müller, Andreas, 2018, Palaearctic Osmia bees of the subgenus Hoplosmia (Megachilidae, Osmiini): biology, taxonomy and key to species, Zootaxa 4415 (2), pp. 297-329 : 304-305

Osmia (Hoplosmia) croatica Friese 1893

Osmia croatica Friese 1893: 353 . Type material: Lectotype ♂, by designation of Tkalců (1974a), “ Triest ” ( Italy), Museum für Naturkunde Berlin.

Literature records. ITALY: Triest ( Tkalců 1974a); Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Toscana, Umbria ( Pagliano 1994). SLOVENIA: Submediterranean region (Gogala 2014). CROATIA: Ugljan, Kali, Krk/Baska ( Tkalců 1974a); Karlobag ( Józan 2009). SERBIA: Ungricht et al. (2008). GREECE: Portaria/Pelionpass, Mykene ( Zanden 1983); Lesbos (Grace 2010). BULGARIA: Slantschev Brjag ( Tkalců 1974a); Koneso, Varna ( Zanden 1983). TURKEY: Eskisehiri/Inönü, 20 km S Ankara ( Zanden 1994); Silivri/Istanbul ( Zanden 1989).

New records. ITALIA: Toscana: 25 km SSW Volterra, Canneto , 13– 25.7.1997 (leg. S. Risch) ; Abruzzo: Forme near Avezzano , 1000m, 27.8.2002, 31.8.2007 (leg. A. Müller) ; Molise: Gurdialfiera , 10.6.2007 (leg. G. Pagliano) ; Puglia: Mte. Gargano, San Marco in Lamis, Macchione , 500 m, 2.7.1994 (leg. M. Bernasconi, A. Müller) ; Lesina , 17.6.2007 (leg. G. Pagliano) . CROATIA: Istria: 10 km N Pula , 25– 27.8.1998 (leg. J. Halada) ; 10km E Rovinj , 16.7.2002 (leg. Z. Pedr) ; Vodnjan , 18.7.2002 (leg. M. Halada) ; Laborika , 20.7.2002 (leg. M. Halada) ; Umag , 5– 12.7.2009 (leg. P. Pacholatko) ; Krk, S Stara Baska , 17.7.2014 (leg. C. Schmid-Egger) ; Split , 2.8.1958 (leg. W. Schläfle) ; Baska Voda , 7.1972 (leg. K. Polacek) ; Senj , 13.7.1993 (leg. M. Halada) ; Makarska , 20.7.2001, 27.6.2011 (leg. J. Linda, Z. Pedr) . MONTENEGRO: 10 km W Cetinje , 700 m, 4.9.2014 (leg. J. Halada) . GREECE: Ionian Islands: Kefalonia, Mihalitsata, 7.2009 (leg. P. Banar); Central Macedonia: Litochoro, Plaka, 21– 28.7.1988 (leg. S. Risch) ; Central Greece: 40 km N Lamia, Domokos , 1.7.1996 (leg. M. Halada) ; Western Greece: Michas- Erymanthos mountains , 1300 – 1700 m, 10.7.1996 (leg. W. Arens) ; Olympia, Alfios valley , 24.7.1997 (leg. W. Arens) ; Andritsena, Vassae, 15.7.2007 (leg. W. Arens); Peloponnese: Kap Tenaro, Mani, 7.6.1996, 29.6.1997 (leg. W. Arens) ; Kotili, Likeos Oros, 1000–1400 m, 22.6.1996, 20.7.1997 (leg. P. Hartmann, W. Arens); Kiparissia, Peristeria, 30.6.1996 (leg. W. Arens); 20 km N Pilos Marathopoli , 8.7.1996 (leg. M. Halada) ; Alifira, Arkadia, 21.6.1998 (leg. W. Arens); Stymphalia , 8.7.2001 (leg. W. Arens) ; Aegean Islands: Limnos, Pyrgoi Physinis, 11.6.2012 (leg. A. Chroni) . BULGARIA: Varna, Zlatni Pjasecy , 15.7.1957 (leg. Boucek) ; Slantschev Brjag , 23.7.1968 (leg. M. Kocourek) ; Kavarna , 5.7.1976 (leg. B. Tkalců) ; Primorsko , 26.7.1979 (leg. A. Hoffer) ; Sliven env., 21.7.1987 (leg. V. Bartak) ; 30 km W Sofia, 12.8.1993 (leg. M. Halada) ; Plovdiv, 20.7.1996 (leg. Z. Pedr) ; Stara Zagora, 5.7.2000 (leg. M. Snizek) . TURKEY: Istanbul: Sile , 1.8.1965 (leg. K. Warncke) ; Kütahya: 30 km N Kütahya , 13.6.2000 (leg. M. Halada) ; Isparta: Karakus Dagi centr., 1460 m, 11.7.2006 (leg. J. Halada) ; Ankara: 20 km S Ankara , 2.8.1979 (leg. K. Warncke) ; Konya: Aksehir , 2.8.1991 (leg. K. Warncke) ; Nevsehir : Nevsehir, 9.8.1972 (leg. K. Warncke) ; Nigde: Camardi , 1800 m, 10.8.1991 (leg. K. Warncke) ; Malatya: 5 km E Malatya , 27.6.2000 (leg. M. Halada) ; Erzincan: 20 km E Tercan , 22.8.1991 (leg. K. Warncke) ; Artvin: Demirkent / Salekör , 1600 m, 1.9.1995 (leg. P. Hartmann) ; Bitlis: E Ahlat , 17.8.1991 (leg. K. Warncke) ; Van: E of Muradiye , 3.7.2000 (leg. M. Halada) .

Distribution. From Italy and Slovenia over the Balkan Peninsula ( Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Greece, Bulgaria) to easternmost Turkey. The westernmost record is from Volterra in the Italian Toscana province.

Pollen hosts. Oligolectic on Asteraceae (based on 30 pollen loads from 14 different localities in Italy, Croatia and Greece, on the pollen content of one brood cell and on field observations). As all pollen loads analysed were pure loads of Centaurea (n = 29) or thistle pollen (n = 1) and the cell provision only contained Centaurea pollen, O. croatica is likely a specialist of Carduoideae.

Nesting biology. The nests are built in empty snail shells (A. Müller unpublished data). The only nest discovered contained a single brood cell and was hidden below stones. The nest architecture was found to be the same as in O. spinulosa as was the material used to construct cell partitions and the nest plug (see species account of O. spinulosa ). In one case, a female was observed to collect leaf pulp from leaves of Scabiosa .

Note. Osmia microgramma Dours 1873 was considered a potential junior synonym of O. croatica by Tkalců (1974a). As the type material has been destroyed and the original description does not allow one to unambiguously identify the species, O. microgramma was considered a nomen dubium by Ungricht et al. (2008).