Hoplitis (Stenosmia) jordanica ( Warncke, 1991 )

Müller, Andreas, 2014, Palaearctic Hoplitis bees of the subgenus Stenosmia (Megachilidae, Osmiini): biology, taxonomy and key to species, Zootaxa 3765 (4), pp. 301-316 : 312-313

Hoplitis (Stenosmia) jordanica ( Warncke, 1991)

Osmia (Stenosmia) jordanica Warncke, 1991: 406 . Type material: Holotype ♂, “ Fidan / 125 km N Aqaba ” ( Jordan), Oberösterreichisches Landesmuseum Linz.

Stenosmia denticulata Zanden, 1992: 823 . Type material: Holotype ♂, “ 5 km NW Irovat, Negev ” ( Israel), Naturalis Biodiversity Center Leiden. New synonymy based on type material.

New records. ISRAEL AND PALESTINE: Arava valley, Hazeva, 15.4.– 11.5.2010; Southern Desert, 1km S Zafit, 26.4.2010. MOROCCO: Tagounite, 60km S Zagora, 23.4.1995; 5km S Zagora, 24.– 25.4.1995; Mhamid, 16.5.1997. TUNISIA: Nefta, 25.4.2012.

Literature records. EGYPT: Sidi Salem, 4.6.1972 ( Warncke, 1991). UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Abu Dhabi, 13.3.1985 ( Dathe, 2009).

Distribution. From northern Africa ( Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt) to Jordan, Israel and Palestine and to the Arabian Peninsula ( United Arab Emirates).

Pollen hosts. Polylectic with a strong preference for Brassicaceae : 8 of 10 pollen loads (6 localities, 3 countries) consisted of Brassicaceae pollen, one load each exclusively contained pollen of Zygophyllaceae and Resedaceae , respectively. Males and females of H. jordanica were observed on the small white flowers of an unknown annual Brassicaceae species in southern Tunisia (C. Sedivy, C. Praz and A. Müller, personal observation). Label records of collected specimens also indicate that annual Brassicaceae are exploited as pollen hosts, e.g. Diplotaxis harra and Erucaria rostrata .

Nesting biology. Unknown.