Osmia (Tergosmia) rhodoensis ( Zanden, 1983 )

Müller, Andreas, 2020, Palaearctic Osmia bees of the subgenera Hemiosmia, Tergosmia and Erythrosmia (Megachilidae, Osmiini): biology, taxonomy and key to species, Zootaxa 4778 (2), pp. 201-236 : 221-222

Osmia (Tergosmia) rhodoensis ( Zanden, 1983)

Anthocopa rhodoensis Zanden, 1983: 126 . Type material: Holotype ♂, “Profitis Ilias, Rhodos” ( Greece), Naturalis Leiden. Osmia (Tergosmia) rhodoensis arquata Warncke, 1988: 391 . Type material: Holotype ♀, “südlich Rize, 1800 m ” ( Turkey),

Oberösterreichisches Landesmuseum Linz. New synonymy.

Literature records. GREECE: Aegean Islands (Lesvos, Samos), Central Greece (Delphi), Central Macedonia (Vermion), Thessaly (Platania) ( Zanden 1983, 1989; Warncke 1988; Standfuss et al. 2003). TURKEY: Antalya (Akseki, Aspendos, Kargin, Perge, Saklikent, Side), Artvin (Sarigöl), Bolu (Abant Gölü), Denizli (Pamukkale), Erzurum (Erzurum, Oltu, Olur, Palandöken, Senkaya, Söylemez), Gaziantep (Gaziantep), Istanbul (Istanbul), Kars (Kagizman, Sarikamis), Konya (Beysehir), Mardin (Midyat), Mersin (Anamuryon, Namrun, Sertavul, Tarsus, Uzuncaburç), Rize (Rize), Siirt (Batman), Tunceli (Tunceli), Urfa (Birecik, Urfa) ( Warncke 1988; Zanden 1989; Özbek & Zanden 1992; Özbek 2013).

New records. ARMENIA: Lori: 350 m NE Pambak pass, 2090 m, 21.6.2006, 1♀ (leg. Ø. Berg) . GREECE: Aegean Islands : Chios, Ag. Georgios, 20.4.2013, 1♀ (leg. G. Nakas) ; Lesvos, Filia , 5.7.2006, 1♀ (leg. A. Grace) ; Rhodes, Epta Piges , 14.4.1982, 1♀, 3♂ (leg. L. Norén) ; Epirus: Thesprotis , 105 m, 24.4.2002, 1♂ (leg. R. Neu- meyer) ; Peloponnese: Mani, Langada , 500 m, 26.4.2001, 1♀ (leg. A. Müller) ; Western Greece: Andritsena, Alifira , 5.5.1995, 1♀ (leg. W. Arens) . ISRAEL AND PALESTINE: Haifa District: Lower Galilee, Tiv’on , 32º44ʹ15ʺN / 35º08ʹ00ʺE, 8.4.2011, 1♀ (leg. A. Dorchin) ; Jerusalem District: Ya’ar Adulam , 3.4.2016, 1♂ (leg. T. Chaprazaro) ; Northern District: Har Meron , 32.9945°N / 35.415°E, 5.4.2016, 1♀ (leg. G. Pisanty) ; Southern District : 3 km NE Lakhish, 31.575°N / 34.870°E, 11.3.2016, 1♂ (leg. G. Pisanty) ; West Bank: Canada Park , 31.836°N / 35.000°E, 18.3.2016, 1♀ (leg. G. Pisanty) . JORDAN: Ajloun: S Ajara, 27.4.2002, 1♀ (leg. M. Snizek) ; Irbid: North Shuna , 30.4.1996, 1♀ (leg. M. Halada) ; Jerash: 10 km N Jerash , 23.4.2007, 2♀ (leg. C. Praz, C. Sedivy, A. Müller) . LEBA- NON: North: Bsharri, Hadath el Jebbe , 1640 m, 34º13ʹ05ʺN / 35º56ʹ17ʺE, 5.5.2017, 1♂ (leg. M. Boustani) . SYRIA: Al-Quneitra: Mt. Hermon , 5km NE Majdal al-Shams, 33°18ʹ16ʺN / 35°47ʹ52ʺE, 1720–2110m, 4.5.2010, 1♂ (leg. C. Praz, C. Sedivy) ; Idlib: Jisr-esh-Shughur , 18.4.1992, 1♀ (leg. K. Warncke) . TURKEY: Adiyaman: Karadut env., 50 km NE Adiyaman, 1000 m, 1.6.2001, 3♀ (leg. K. Denes) ; Aksaray: Ihlara env., 1250 m, 13.6.2008, 1♀ (leg. M. Obofil) ; Ankara: Soguksu env., 80 km N Ankara, 1300 m, 14.6.2001, 1♀, 2♂ (leg. K. Denes) ; Antalya: 7 km SW Kargin , 26.5.2009, 2♀, 1♂ (leg. J.S. Ascher, J.G. Rozen, H. Özbek) ; Bingöl: near Genc , 1000 m, 17.5.1990, 1♂ (leg. S. Risch) ; Bolu: Abant Gölü , 14.5.2000, 1♀, 1♂ (leg. K. Denes) ; Erzurum: Senkaya, Sogarili dagi, 2350 m, 24.6.1999, 1♂ (leg. Ö. Calmasur) ; Gaziantep: 30 kmW Gaziantep, 31.5.1998, 5♀ (leg. M. Halada) ; Kars: Pasli , 50 km S Kars, 1.7.1997, 1♀ (leg. M. Halada) ; Konya: Beysehir , 6.6.1964, 1♂ (leg. J. Gusenleitner) ; Kastamonu: Between Toysa and Iskilip , 40°58ʹ43ʺN / 34°11ʹ23ʺE, 1170 m, 4♀ (leg. E. Scheuchl) ; Mardin: 30 km E Midyat , 24.5.1988, 1♀ (leg. K. Warncke) ; Mersin: 30 km N Erdemli Aslanli , 17.6.1998, 2♀ (leg. M. Halada) ; Muðla: Baffa lake , 19.4.1996, 2♀ (leg. P. Hartmann) ; Nevşehir: 10 km W Ürgüp , 15.6.1998, 2♂ (leg. M. Halada) ; Sanliurfa: Caylarbasi , 70 km N Urfa, 2.6.1998, 4♀ (leg. M. Halada) ; Siirt: 20 km E Batman , 700 m, 6.6.1980, 1♀ (leg. M. Schwarz) ; Van: Muradiye env., 120 km NE Van, 2000 m, 5.6.2001, 1♀ (leg. K. Denes) .

Distribution. From Greece eastwards over Turkey to Armenia, Levant ( Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Palestine, Jordan).

Subspecific classification. As O. rhodoensis is morphologically rather variable with respect e.g. to pilosity colour, clypeal shape, density of clypeal and tergal punctation or development of male sternal swellings, Warncke (1988) recognized three subspecies, i.e. O. r. rhodoensis ( Zanden, 1983) ranging from the Aegean Islands to western and southern Turkey, O. r. arquata Warncke, 1988 distributed in northern and eastern Turkey and O. r. ferina Warncke, 1988 occurring in Greece. The characters given by Warncke to distinguish O. r. arquata from the nominotypical subspecies, such as the width of the clypeal projection and the density of the punctation of clypeus and terga, do not seem to be consistent within populations nor strong enough to justify subspecific rank. The validity of O. r. arquata as a subspecies was also doubted by Özbek & Zanden (1992). In contrast, the lack of a distinct transversal swelling on male sternum 4 and the yellowish-brown instead of greyish-white pilosity of scutum and scutellum consistently distinguish O. r. ferina from the nominotypical subspecies.

Pollen hosts. Polylectic with strong preference for Fabaceae (Tab. 1; Rozen et al. 2010); pollen hosts among the Fabaceae are species of Hedysareae (e.g. Onobrychis ), Trifolieae (e.g. Trifolium ), Galegeae (e.g. Astragalus ), Loteae (e.g. Lotus ) and other tribes. Additional plant families exploited for pollen are Resedaceae , Campanulaceae , Brassicaceae and Asteraceae ( Asteroideae , Cichorioideae ). The pollen provision of one brood cell from Jordan contained a mixture of pollen of Campanulaceae , Fabaceae (three types including Onobrychis ), Resedaceae and Asteraceae ( Asteroideae , Cichorioideae ).

Nesting biology. O. rhodoensis nests in preexisting cavities, such as holes and fissures in rocks and stones ( Rozen et al. 2010; C. Sedivy personal communication). The nests contain one to several brood cells, which are constructed closely beside each other and completely hidden within the cavity. The cells, which are neither glued to the substrate nor to adjacent cells, are three-layered with a thin mud layer sandwiched between two layers of large petal pieces of Geranium (Geraniaceae) , Linum (Linaceae) and possibly other plant taxa ( Warncke 1988; Rozen et al. 2010).