Hoplitis (Platosmia) africana ( Warncke, 1990 )

Müller, Andreas, 2015, Palaearctic Hoplitis bees of the subgenus Platosmia (Megachilidae, Osmiini): biology, taxonomy and key to species, Zootaxa 3936 (1), pp. 71-81 : 72-73

Hoplitis (Platosmia) africana ( Warncke, 1990)

Osmia (Platosmia) africana Warncke, 1990: 486 . Type material: Holotype ♀, “ 30 km N Foum Zguid, 30.3.1986 ” ( Morocco), Oberösterreichisches Landesmuseum Linz.

Hoplitis (Platosmia) adustus Zanden, 1991: 347 . Type material: Holotype ♂, “Erfoud (Tafilet), 8.– 9.4.1989 ” ( Morocco), Naturalis Biodiversity Center Leiden. Synonymy in Zanden (1995).

Literature records. ALGERIA: Guelta, 16 km NE of Tamanrasset, 25.3.– 1.4.1989 ( Warncke, 1990). ISRAEL AND PALESTINE: En Gedi, 2.3.1971 ( Warncke, 1990). MOROCCO: 20 km NE of Agdz, 5.4.1980; 30 km SE of Quarzazate, 5.4.1980; 50 km SW of Akka, 27.3.1986; 12 km SW of Akka, 28.3.1986; 70 km E of Tata, 29.3.1986; 50 km N of Foum Zguid, 30.3.1986; 30 km NW of Agdz, 1.4.1986 ( Warncke, 1990); 8 km N of Ait-Saoun, 30.3.1983; 5 km N of Irheran, 6.4.1983; 34 km W of Quarzazate, 19.4.1987; Amerzgane, 30 km N of Quarzazate, 13.3.1989 ( Zanden, 1991).

New records. EGYPT: Southern Sinai, St. Katherines, April 2013. MOROCCO: Alnif, 5.3.1992; 10 km N Erfoud, 10.4.1995; Tissint, 70 km E of Tata, 28.4.1995; Foum Anagame, 40 km SE of Zagora, 13.4.1996; Tata, 2.3.2003; 50 km SE Quarzazate, 17.4.1968; 25km W Quarzazate, 19.4.2008; 10 km E of Agdz, 20.4.2008; Tiouine, 40km N of Tazenakht, 23.4.2008.

Distribution. Along the northern border of the Sahara Desert and the Hoggar mountains to the Sinai Peninsula and the Negev Desert.

Pollen hosts. Oligolectic on Reseda (Resedaceae) and possibly also closely related genera: all 20 pollen loads (10 localities, 2 countries) analysed so far exclusively consisted of Reseda pollen, which is in line with field observations in southern Morocco, where females and males were found to visit and patrol flowers of different Reseda species (A. Müller, unpublished data).

Nesting biology. Unknown.