Osmia (Hoplosmia) carbo ( Zanden 1994 ) Müller, 2018

Müller, Andreas, 2018, Palaearctic Osmia bees of the subgenus Hoplosmia (Megachilidae, Osmiini): biology, taxonomy and key to species, Zootaxa 4415 (2), pp. 297-329 : 301-303

Osmia (Hoplosmia) carbo ( Zanden 1994) stat. nov.

Hoplosmia (Paranthocopa) pinguis carbo Zanden 1994: 1116 . Type material: Holotype ♀, “ 8 km O Yeroham ” ( Israel), private collection of M. Schwarz (Ansfelden).

Literature records. EGYPT: Friese (1911).

New records. SYRIA: Tadmur oasis , 9.4.1988 (leg. R. Kinzelbach) . ISRAEL AND PALESTINE: Haifa District: Mt. Carmel, En Ayyala , 27.4.2000 (leg. M. Török) ; West Bank: Dead Sea N Qumeran Enot Zuqim Res. , 6.6.1996 (leg. C. Schmid-Egger) ; Judean Desert, 7 km S Qumeran , 17.3.1997 (leg. J.G. Rozen, M.S. Engel) ; Yehuda plain, Geva'ot HaKhurkhar NP, 21.3.2011 (leg. A. Dorchin) ; Central District: Qadima , 24.2.2009 (leg. A. Dorchin) ; Rehovot , 7.3.2009 (leg. A. Dorchin) ; Netanya Iris Reserve , 4.4.2012 (leg. J.S. Ascher, A.Payne) ; Judean Foothills, Lakhish, 16.3.2013 (leg. T. Shapira); Tel Aviv District : Tel Aviv, 3– 10.4.1988 (leg. Guichard) ; Southern District: 10 km S Beersheva , 1.4.1988 (leg. Guichard) ; Arad, 6.4.1988 (leg. Guichard) ; Negev, 4 km SW Sede Boqer , 7.5.1997 (leg. J.G. Rozen) ; Arava Valley, Nahal Amazyahu , 30.3.2011 (leg. A. Dorchin) ; 7 km SE of Nitzana , 31.3.2012 (leg. J.S.Ascher, A.Payne) ; Negev Mt., Nahal Nizana, 15 km W Mizpe Ramon , 29.4.2013 (leg. A. Dorchin, D. Bénon, V. Trunz) ; JORDAN: 20 km S North Shuna, Tall Al Arbatin , 19.4.1996 (leg. M. Halada) ; 20 km N Madaba, 1.5.1999 (leg. W. Schläfle) ; Al Salt, Wadi Shu’ayb , 15.3.2001 (leg. S. Zaitoun) ; 10 km N Jerash, 20.4.2002 (leg. M. Snizek) ; Al-Shawbak , 18.4.2007 (leg. C. Praz, C. Sedivy, A. Müller) ; Wadi Mujib, King’s Highway , 19.4.2007 (leg. C. Praz, C. Sedivy, A. Müller) ; Wadi al Hasa S Al Karak, 20.4.2007 (leg. C. Praz, C. Sedivy, A. Müller) .

Distribution. Levant ( Syria, Israel and Palestine, Jordan) and northern Egypt.

Pollen hosts. Oligolectic on Asteraceae (based on 23 pollen loads from 15 different localities in Israel and Jordan and on field observations). The species exhibits a near exclusive preference for Cichorioideae and Asteroideae as pollen hosts: 17 pollen loads exclusively consisted of pollen of Cichorioideae (n = 11) or Asteroideae (n = 6), while six were mixed loads of pollen of both subfamilies. One load contained a substantial amount of pollen of Carduoideae beside pollen of Cichorioideae and Asteroideae , suggesting that Carduoideae are occasionally also exploited. Flower records: Andryala spec., Crepis aculeata , C. aspera , Anthemis spec., Chrysanthemum coronarium , Senecio vernalis (label records).

Nesting biology. The nests are built in empty snail shells of small to medium size with a diameter of 13–25 mm ( Mavromoustakis 1948; A. Müller unpublished data). Twenty-five nests from Jordan contained one (n = 2), two (n = 9) or three (n = 14) brood cells. The brood cells are separated from each other by one-layered partitions consisting of leaf pulp. An additional wall of leaf pulp seals the shell at or shortly behind its opening. Similar to O. spinulosa , the nests are not sealed against their rear end with a basal wall and the outermost cell partition is distinctly more robust than all the other cell partitions and the nest plug, probably acting as a barrier against parasites and predators. In contrast to O. spinulosa , the shells are never turned after they have been sealed.

Note. Osmia carbo was treated by Zanden (1994) as a subspecies of O. pinguis Pérez 1895 . As the distribution areas of the two taxa are widely separated and the morphological differences are substantial (see Fig. 11–15 and key to species), O. pinguis carbo is considered here to be a species of its own, i.e. O. carbo ( Zanden 1994) , stat. nov.

Figures

FIGURES 11–15. 11: Female of Osmia carbo. 12. Female of Osmia pinguis. 13: Male sterna 2–3 of Osmia carbo. 14: Male genitalia of Osmia carbo. 15: Male genitalia of Osmia pinguis.