Xylocopa (Xylocopa) valga Gerstaecker, 1872

Boustani, Mira, Rasmont, Pierre, Dathe, Holger H., Ghisbain, Guillaume, Kasparek, Max, Michez, Denis, Müller, Andreas, Pauly, Alain, Risch, Stefan, Straka, Jakub, Terzo, Michael, Achter, Xavier Van, Wood, Thomas J. & Nemer, Nabil, 2021, The bees of Lebanon (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila), Zootaxa 4976 (1), pp. 1-146 : 80

Xylocopa (Xylocopa) valga Gerstaecker, 1872 * ( fig. 21.4 , fig. 28.4 )

Distribution: WEST PALAEARCTIC: Widespread in Europe and East of the Mediterranean basin to China, scattered records in N. Africa ( Terzo & Rasmont 2014, Ascher & Pickering 2021).

Local distribution fig. 15.6

Material examined. Common and widespread.

Beirut: AUB Campus , 19.II.1989, 1♀, leg. Dolly - Shafik, 1♀, leg. Yeganiantz L., coll . AUB.

Bekaa: AUB Farm [Haush Sneid], 28.IV.1962, 1♀, leg. Bedirian K.; 27.V.1962, 1♀, leg. Khan A.R.; 28.V.1964, 1♀, leg. Attar W., coll . AUB; Ainata , 1824 m, 30.V.2017, 1♂, leg. Boustani M., Rasmont P., coll . MBOU.

Mount Lebanon: Chouf Caza , 16.VI.1964, 1♀, coll. USEK; Maaniyye, Dhour El Maaniyye, 324 m, 25.V.2019, 1♀, leg. Boustani M., coll. MBOU. Additional 1♀ and 3♂ from 3 records collected on 29.V.2019 and 7.VIII.2019 from Maaser Al Chouf .

N. Lebanon: Bcharre , Bcharre Jord, 2723 m, 24.VI.2016, 1♂, leg. Van Achter X., coll. XVA. Additional 39♀ and 41♂ from 42 records collected between 5.V.2017 and 31.VII.2019, from Tannourine El Tahta, Arz Bcharre, Jord Tannourine, and Harissa .

Flower records. Asphodelaceae : Asphodeline taurica ; Asteraceae : Cousinia libanotica , Echinops viscosus ; Boraginaceae : Anchusa hybrida , Solenanthus stamineus ; Caprifoliaceae : Cephalaria stellipilis ; Fabaceae : Astragalus angustifolius , Colutea cilicica , Onobrychis cornuta , Vicia canescens , Vicia tenuifolia ; Lamiaceae : Eremostachys laciniata , Phlomis chrysophylla , Salvia microstegia , Stachys ehrenbergii , Stachys cretica .

Terzo (2021) reports the species as polylectic within Fabaceae and Lamiaceae , the preference for both these families is also observed in our records above with other families.

Figures

FIGURE 15. Local distribution maps of material examined and literature of 1 Xylocopa iris, 2 Xylocopa olivieri, 3 Xylocopa parviceps, 4 Xylocopa pubescens, 5 Xylocopa rufa, 6 Xylocopa valga, 7 Xylocopa varentzowi, 8 Xylocopa violacea, 9 Ceratina acuta, 10 Ceratina bispinosa, 11 Ceratina cucurbitina, 12 Ceratina dentiventris, 13 Ceratina mandibularis, 14 Exoneuridia libanensis, 15 Eucera cypria, 16 Eucera gaullei.

FIGURE 21. 1 Xylocopa iris♀, 2 Xylocopa olivieri♂, 3 Xylocopa parviceps♂, 4 Xylocopa valga♂, 5 Ceratina bispinosa♂, 6 Nomada lucidula♂. All pictures by Pierre Rasmont.

FIGURE 28. 1 Bombus niveatus vorticosus♀ on Vicia canescens, 2 Bombus melanurus♀ on Cousinia libanotica, 3 Megachile parietana♀ on Lotus gebelia libanoticus, 4 Xylocopa valga♂ on Vicia canescens, 5 Megachile doriae♂ on Echinops sp., 6 Dasypoda spinigera♀ on Scabiosa argentea. Pictures taken by Mira Boustani.