Lithurgus tibialis Morawitz, 1875

Sentil, Ahlam, Rosa, Paolo, Tourbez, Clément, Dorchin, Achik, Bogusch, Petr & Michez, Denis, 2024, New records of bees (Hymenoptera, Apoidea) from Morocco, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 97, pp. 513-530 : 513-530

Lithurgus tibialis Morawitz, 1875

Material examined.

Morocco. 2 ♂; Meknes; 33.8405, - 5.4775; 22 Jul. 2023; A. Sentil leg.; sweep net.

Diagnosis.

The male of Lithurgus tibialis is distinguished from other Palaearctic Lithurgus species by its smaller size, 8–9 mm, while other species measure over 11 mm (Fig. 2 A, B ). Furthermore, it is easily identified by its swollen femur III, its curved tibia III, and the presence of a strong spine between the two spurs of tibia III (Fig. 2 C ), the size of which reaches or exceeds the thickness of the metabasitarsus III ( Van der Zanden 1986; Al-Shahat and Hossni 2020). The female of Lithurgus tibialis is distinguished from all other Lithurgus species in the Palaearctic region by its size, 8–10 mm, while other species measure over 12 mm, associated with its white-coloured scopa ( Van der Zanden 1986; Al-Shahat and Hossni 2020).

Distribution.

The distribution of Lithurgus tibialis spans from Southern Europe, Northern Africa, and the Middle East to Southern and Central Asia. In Europe, it has been reported in Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Malta and Turkey ( Van der Zanden 1986; Reverté et al. 2023). Its range extends into the Middle East, with records in Iran, Israel, Jordan, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates ( Al-Shahat and Hossni 2020). This species also inhabits the Caucasus and Southern to Central Asia, as it has been documented in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, India, Pakistan, Southern Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan ( Fateryga et al. 2018; Maharramov et al. 2023). In Northern Africa, it is found in Algeria ( Cros 1939) and Egypt ( Al-Shahat and Hossni 2020). A previous citation for Lithurgus tibialis was given in a list of bee species pollinating a single crop in Morocco, without any further information ( El Abdouni et al. 2022). The mentioned specimen was no longer available for this study.

Floral preferences.

The females of Lithurgus tibialis appear to be oligolectic, primarily foraging on the Euphorbiaceae Chrozophora tinctoria (Christophe Praz, personal observation), while males may collect nectar from other species such as Mentha spp. , on which the Moroccan specimens were collected.

Figures

Figure 2. Lithurgus tibialis, male A lateral view B dorsal view C the spine in between metatibial spurs D genitalia.