Sphecodes marginatus Hagens, 1882

Bogusch, Petr & Straka, Jakub, 2012, Review and identification of the cuckoo bees of central Europe (Hymenoptera: Halictidae: Sphecodes), Zootaxa 3311, pp. 1-41 : 13

Sphecodes marginatus Hagens, 1882

Described as: Sphecodes marginatus Hagens, 1882: 223 . Synonyms: Sphecodes atratus Hagens, 1882: 224 . Sphecodes nigritulus Hagens, 1882: 225 . Sphecodes biskrensis Pérez, 1903 : CCXXI. Subspecies: S. m. larochei Warncke, 1992: 34.

S. m. creticus Warncke, 1992: 35.

Distribution. Unclear because of past confusion with S. nomioidis and reported by Warncke (1992) as S. marginatus biskrensis . We examined wide material of the S. marginatus group and this species seems to be atlanto-mediterranean (absent from eastern Europe, Scandinavia and British Isles). Occurrence of S. marginatus was confirmed in the following countries: Belgium, France, Germany (up to north), Italy (Sicilia), Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia and as subspecies in Canary Islands and Crete, also published for Denmark (Madsen & Calabuig 2011).

Biology. Species of warm open biotopes, usually sandy sites. In central Europe bound to heath and sandpits and other open sandy biotopes. Hosts unknown, Vegter (1993) mentioned Dufourea minuta Lepeletier as likely host. However, the biology of both species is quite different, so we cannot accept it. In our opinion, small species of Lasioglossum occurring in sandy localities will be the hosts, eg. L. lucidulum , L. punctatissimum , L. semilucens , L. sexstrigatum or L. sabulosum , but this needs more study.