Dioxys cinctus (Jurine)

Bogusch, Petr, 2023, European cuckoo bees of the tribe Dioxyini (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae): distribution, annotated checklist and identification key, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 96, pp. 599-628 : 599

Dioxys cinctus (Jurine)

Trachusa cincta Jurine, 1807: 253.

Dioxys pyrenaica Lepeletier, 1841: 515.

Dioxys maura Lepeletier, 1841: 516.

Dioxys cruenta Gerstaecker, 1869: 166.

Dioxys spinigera Pérez, 1884: 299.

Dioxys cincta var. jucunda Mocsáry, 1894: 36.

Dioxys cincta ab. friederikae Mader, 1933: 125.

Dioxys montana Heinrich 1977: 11-12, syn. nov.

Notes.

Type specimens of this species and the description were studied in Biologiezentrum Linz, Austria. Both type specimens (a male and a female from the Sertavul Pass in Turkey) do not morphologically differ from typical specimens of D. cinctus .

Diagnosis.

Larger species, body length variable between 5-12 mm, probably depending on the host. In both sexes, the body is black with the first two metasomal terga entirely or partly reddish and narrow apical bands of whitish short appressed hair (Fig. 7A, B ). In several cases, red colouration is present on T3-T4. Mesosoma bears long whitish hair, apex of T6 of females straight and only shortly elongated, shorter than in similar species (Fig. 7D ). The legs and antennae are black. This species has a very large distribution area and is connected with many host species. It causes variability in size (5-12 mm), while populations from southern Europe and North Africa are often smaller. The colouration is very variable, too - normally both sexes have first metasomal terga entirely reddish but usually populations from the north of the distribution area are darker and sometimes are entirely black with no reddish pattern.

Distribution.

A species with a western Palaearctic distribution known from central and southern Europe from Portugal to Greece and Romania (Fig. 8 ). Outside of Europe, it is found in North Africa, Israel and as far east as the Caucasus ( Dusmet 1921; Popov 1936; Warncke 1977; Standfuss et al. 2003; Ornosa et al. 2008; Ascher and Pickering 2023).

Biology and hosts.

Species occurring in a variety of open and semi-open habitats: steppe, semideserts, forest steppes and many others. It was also recorded in sites of anthropogenic origin - former sandpits, quarries, spoil heaps and military exercising areas. This species has more host species in its large distribution area: Chalicodoma parietina , Chalicodoma pyrenaica Lepeletier, Hoplitis adunca and Hoplitis anthocopoides were confirmed ( Scheuchl and Willner 2016). Its hosts nest underground, create nests of mud or resin, or nest in various types of cavities above the ground. Parasitising females of this species were often recorded around bee hotels associated with nests of H. adunca in the Czech Republic (P. Bogusch, unpublished records). The actual number of hosts is certainly higher, and the preferred host species differ among the localities within the large distribution area.

Conservation status.

Nieto et al. (2014) classified this species as LC - least concern. It is distributed in most of southern and central Europe, with the northern distribution border in France, Germany, the Czech Republic and Ukraine. In many countries, it is not rare, and the numbers of recorded individuals are even higher than those of A. tridentata . In the Czech Republic, the species has spread in the last 20 years ( Straka and Bogusch 2017). Thus, it should stay in the category LC.

Figures

Figure 7. Dioxys cinctus A female, dorsal view B male, dorsal view C female, fore coxa D female, mesosoma dorsal view E male, last metasomal segments, ventral view F male, T 4 - T 6, dorsal view. Red scale bars represent the length of 1 mm.

Figure 8. Dioxys cinctus, distribution in Europe.