Epeolus alpinus Friese, 1893

Astafurova, Yulia V. & Proshchalykin, Maxim Yu., 2024, Catalogue and identification key of the bee genus Epeolus Latreille, 1802 (Hymenoptera, Apidae) from the Palaearctic region, Zootaxa 5453 (2), pp. 183-213 : 184-185

2. Epeolus alpinus Friese, 1893

( Figs 2, 3 )

Epeolus alpinus Friese, 1893: 34 , ♀, (holotype: ♀, Switzerland, Goeschenen ; ZMHB).

Epeolus variegatus Thomson, 1872 (nom. praeocc., nec Linnaeus 1758): 212, ♀, (lectotype: ♀, designated by Nilsson 2010: 87, Sweden, Norrland; ZMLU).

Epeolus glacialis Alfken, 1913: 36 , nomen novum for E. variegatus Thomson, 1872 . Synonymized by Warncke 1986: 60.

Epeolus montanus Bischoff, 1930: 9 , ♀, ♂, (holotype: ♀, Germany, Warnemünde; ZMHB). Synonymized by Warncke 1986: 60.

Epeolus pilosus Bischoff, 1930: 9–10 , ♀, ♂, (holotype: ♀, Russia, Kaliningrad Oblast, Rositten [=Rybachij]; ZMHB). Synonymized by Warncke 1986: 60.

Epeolus alpinus Bischoff, 1930 (nom. praeocc., nec Friese 1893): 9–10, ♀ (holotype: ♀, Switzerland, Saas; ZMHB). Synonymized by Stoeckhert 1933: 65 with E. glacialis Alfken, 1913 .

Other notable publications. Stoeckhert 1933: 65 (as “ E. variegatus ”, nec Linnaeus 1758); Bischoff 1930: 8–11 (as E. glacialis Alfken , E. montanus Bischoff , E. pilosus Bischoff , E. alpinus Bischoff, 1930 ; key); Niemelä 1947: 39–43 (as E. glacialis Alfken , E.montanus Bischoff ; key, descriptive note, foraging plants); Nilsson 2010: 87 (as Epeolus alpinus ssp. glacialis , type material); Scheuchl 2000: 144, 147 (key, figures); Bogusch & Hadrava 2018: 6–8, 56, 57 (key, note on synonymy, diagnosis, figures); Le Divelec 2021: 2–3 (note on synonymy); Astafurova & Proshchalykin 2022a: 308–309, 312–313 (key, morphological differences, variation, figures).

Host. Colletes impunctatus Nylander and C. floralis Eversmann ( Bischoff 1930; Niemelä 1947). Bischoff (1930) also reported C. caspicus Morawitz, 1874 (as C. balticus Alfken ) as a host of this species (as Epeolus pilosus ).

Remarks. According to Le Divelec (2021: 3) this species is a complex, at least in southern Europe and the current concept of E. alpinus should be properly investigated.

Distribution. Europe, Turkey, Iran, Russia (to Far East), Kazakhstan (Akmola Province), Mongolia ( Astafurova & Proshchalykin 2023). Bogusch (2018) mentioned hypothetical records from North Africa.

Figures

FIGURES 1–12. Epeolus Latreille, habitus, dorsal view. 1—E. albus Astafurova & Proshchalykin, ♀; 2, 3—E. alpinus Friese (2–♀, 3–♂); 4, 5—E. asiaticus Astafurova & Proshchalykin (4–♀, 5–♂); 6, 7—E. collaris Pérez (6–♀, 7–♂); 8, 9—E. compar Alfken (8–♀, 9–♂); 10—E. coreanus Yasumatsu (♂); 11, 12—E. cruciger (Panzer) (♀♀; 11–black form; 12–red form). Figures 6–9 by P. Bogusch.