Osmia (Osmia) taurus Smith 1873

Gibbs, Jason, Ascher, John S., Rightmyer, Molly G. & Isaacs, Rufus, 2017, The bees of Michigan (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila), with notes on distribution, taxonomy, pollination, and natural history, Zootaxa 4352 (1), pp. 1-160 : 120

Osmia (Osmia) taurus Smith 1873 (New state record)

( Fig. 21 )

County records: Kalamazoo.

Notes. This exotic species, native to East Asia and widespread in Japan, is closely related to O. cornifrons (above). Although it was first detected many years after the introduction of O. cornifrons ( Buchmann & Ascher 2005; Ebmer 2011), it seems plausible that it was introduced accidentally at the same time. The species has spread along the eastern states from New York to Georgia largely along the Appalachian Mountains. A single male was collected from a semi-natural area near a low-density population center and agricultural lands. A series of O. cornifrons were collected at the same site. The species were distinguished using a published key ( Yasumatsu & Hirashima 1950). The spread of O. taurus into the Midwest has not been well-documented, except from photographs identified online from Indiana (http://bugguide.net/node/view/913803l) and Ohio (http:// bugguide.net/node/view/1220268), and a recent dissertation on bees from Cleveland ( Prajzner 2016). The first Michigan record of O. taurus could easily have been overlooked due to the abundance of O. cornifrons at this site, which look very similar. Osmia cornifrons , being readily distinguishable with the naked eye from species other than O. taurus , were of little interest to the collector at the time. This example illustrates one benefit of collecting insects in series even when the identity is presumed to be known.

Material examined. Kalamazoo Co.: Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, N42.394 W85.385, 16 Apr. 2016, J. Gibbs & Y. Nozoe (1 ♂ MSUC).

Figures

FIGURE 21. Osmia (Osmia) taurus Smith male from Michigan. A) Lateral habitus. B) Genital capsule.