Sphecodes geoffrellus (Kirby, 1802)

Described as: Melitta geoffrella Kirby, 1802: 45 –46. Synonyms: Sphecodes affinis Hagens, 1882: 224 .

Sphecodes fasciatus Hagens, 1882: 224 .

Sphecodes rimalis Pérez, 1903: CCXXI.

Sphecodes impunctatus Meyer, 1922: 171 –172.

Subspecies: Sphecodes geoffrellus atlasa Warncke, 1992: 36 .

Sphecodes geoffrellus hakkariensis Warncke, 1992: 36 .

Distribution. Most of Europe, present in Britain and Scandinavia, North Africa (Morocco, Tunisia), Turkey, Near East (Warncke 1992). Very numerous in southern Europe.

Biology. Common species both in warmer and cooler regions, with no strict biotope preferences. In central Europe it is widespread and numerous, although recently sparser, probably due to the spread of similar species S. miniatus and S. nomioidis . Generalist parasitizing several hosts: Westrich (1989) has reported the following hosts as confirmed Lasioglossum leucopus (Kirby), L. morio (Fabricius) and L. nitidiusculum, Bogusch (2003) L. pauxillum . Likely hosts are the following: L. fratellum published by Field (1996), L. rufitarse (Zetterstedt) by Neumeyer & Obrist (2000), L. sexstrigatum (Schenck) by Vegter (1993) and L. marginellum (Schenck) by Westrich (2006). It is possible that this species invades nests of various smaller Lasioglossum species, and the females are individually specialized, as Bogusch et al. (2006) have confirmed in S. ephippius and S. monilicornis .