Schmiedeknechtia cf. oraniensis Friese, 1896

Notes. Schmiedeknechtia is a genus of small parasitic bees which attack Camptopoeum (Epimethea) species, with the exception of S. verhoeffi Mavromoustakis, 1959, which attacks the unusually small-bodied Camptopoeum (Camptopoeum) handlirschi Friese, 1900 (see Wood 2023d for the unusual ecology of this species). Schmiedeknechtia oraniensis was doubtfully recorded from Spain by Warncke (1982) who noted: “coll. Smith, Mus. London; ob richtig bezettelt?” [correctly labelled?]. Schwarz (1993), in revising the genus expressed the same doubts, never having seen verified material from Spain. Moreover, Schwarz (1993: 445) gave Camptopoeum (E.) variegatum Morawitz, 1876 as the host, citing Friese (1923) and Popov (1934). From this genus, only Camptopoeum (Camptopoeum) friesei Mocsáry, 1894 has been recorded from the Iberian Peninsula with confidence, and no species of Camptopoeum (Epimethea) are known here; in Europe, C. variegatum occurs only in the south-east (Romania, Bulgaria, Greece). Given the known host associations of both the species and the genus, the absence of the lineage Camptopoeum (Epimethea) from Iberia, and the doubtful literature underpinning this record, we consider the records of Schmiedeknechtia oraniensis from Spain as erroneous, but without examination of the cited specimen, we cannot reliably identify this species, which is described from Northern Africa. The genus is however present in Europe based on unpublished records of Schmiedeknechtia from the Peloponnese, Greece (J. Devalez and M. Schwarz unpublished data). Three species of Schmiedeknechtia are known from Turkey (Schwarz 1993), and the exact identity of European Schmiedeknechtia from Greece requires further study.

Distribution. Verified records of this species are known only from Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia (Schwarz 1993). Records from Turkey (Warncke 1982) refer to the species later described by Schwarz (1993). Schmiedeknechtia is here newly recorded from Morocco.

Material examined. MOROCCO • 1♂; 50 km W of Meknes; 19 May 1997; J. Halada leg.; T.J. Wood det.; OÖLM. TUNISIA • 1♂; Jendouba, 10 km nord; 15 May 1973; J. Gusenleitner leg.; M. Schwarz det.; OÖLM.