Chelostoma ( Chelostoma ) diodon Schletterer, 1889

Müller, Andreas, Pisanty, Gideon & Dorchin, Achik, 2025, Western Palaearctic Chelostoma bees of the subgenus Chelostoma (Megachilidae, Osmiini): biology, taxonomy and key to species, Zootaxa 5717 (3), pp. 329-369 : 332-333

Chelostoma ( Chelostoma) diodon Schletterer, 1889

Chelostoma diodon Schletterer, 1889: 627 . Type material: Lectotype ♀, by present designation, “ Amasia ” ( Turkey), Naturhistorisches Museum Wien.

Eriades diodon cypriaca Mavromoustakis, 1951: 350 . Type material: Holotype ♀, “Yerasa” ( Cyprus), Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment , Nicosia. New synonymy.

Literature records. CYPRUS: Limassol, Nicosia ( Zanden 1989; Varnava et al. 2020). GREECE: Aegean Islands: Samos ( Zanden 1989). LEBANON: North ( Boustani et al. 2021). IRAN: Qazvin ( Nadimi et al. 2013). TURKEY: Adana, Adıyaman, Amasya, Antalya, Aydın, Burdur, Hakkari, Hatay, Izmir, Konya, Mersin, Muğla, Osmaniye, Şırnak, Tokat, Van ( Özbek 2011).

New records. CYPRUS: Kyrenia: 5km E Girne , 35.34°N 33.47°E, 10.4.2007, 1♂ (leg. C. Schmid-Egger) ; Larnaka: Lefkava , 14.4.1983, 4♂ (leg. M. Kraus) ; Lefke: Yerasa , 20.3.1948, 1♀ (leg. G.A. Mavromoustakis) ; Limassol: Troodos, Kato Platres S Foini, 900 m, 1.5.2011, 4♀ (leg. C. Sedivy, A. Müller) ; Nicosia: Kykkos , 34°58′N / 22°44′E, 800 m, 11.5.2014, 1♀ (leg. M. Kafka) ; Paphos: Paphos env., 26.3.– 2.4.1995, 1♂ (leg. J. Wimmer) . GREECE: Aegean Islands: Kos, Kyparissodassos , 36.8536°N / 27.2316°E, 6.4.2012, 1♂ (leg. P. Toutziarakis) ; Chios, Armolia , 38.2735°N / 26.0444°E, 9.4.2013, 1♂ (leg. G. Nakas) ; Lesvos, Aspropotamos , 39.286°N / 26.3682°E, 5.5.2012, 1♀ (leg. A Chroni) . IRAN: Fars: Yasuj, Sarb-e Taveh , 30.545°N / 51.61°E, 2030 m, 4.5.2016, 1♂ (leg. M. Kafka) ; Ilam: Sar Joob , 33.933°N / 47.368°E, 1930 m, 13.5.2016, 1♀ (leg. M. Kafka) ; Lorestan: Dorud, Lanjabad , 33.419°N / 48.986°E, 960 m, 10.5.2016, 1♀ (leg. M. Kafka) . IRAQ: Dahuk: Mount Gara , 1912 m, 37.015833°N / 43.350556°E, 11.5.2023, 5♂ (leg. D. Baiocchi) . ISRAEL AND PALESTINE: Central District: Judean Foothills, Ya’ar Adulam , 3.4.2013, 1♀ (leg. Y. Berner) ; Haifa District : Carmel NP, 0.9 km SE Bet Oren, 32°43′21′N / 35°00′45››E, 264 m, 25.3.2016, 1♂ (leg. A. Dorchin) ; Jerusalem District: Ya’ar Yish’i , 18.4.2016, 1♀ (leg. A. Dorchin) ; Northern District: Meron NR, 1.2 km SSW Meron field school, 32°59′55″N / 35°23′31″E, 998 m, 3.4.2016, 1♂ (leg. A. Dorchin) ; Southern District: Judean Foothills, Lakhish , 19.3.2013, 1♀ (leg. T. Shapira) . JORDAN: Ajloun: 10 km N Ajloun , 310 m, 22.5.2007, 1♀ (leg. Z. Kejval) ; Amman: 20 km W Amman , 22.04.2007, 5♀ (leg. C. Praz, C. Sedivy, A. Müller) ; Irbid: S Irbid, 13.4.2009, 24♀, 3♂ (leg. M.Snizek) ; Jerash: 10 km N Jerash , 23.4.2007, 6♀ (leg. C. Praz, C. Sedivy, A. Müller) . SYRIA: Al-Quneitra: Golan Heights, 17 km E Qiryat Shemona, 2 km SE Zomet , 33°13′N / 35°45′E, 16.5.1996, 1♀ (leg. M. Hauser) ; As-Suwaida: Ganawat , 16.5.1995, 1♀ (leg. K. Denes) ; Hama: Nahr al Bared , 50 km NW Hama, 30.4.2000, 1♂ (leg. F. Kantner) ; Rif Dimashq: Bloudan , 16.5.1995, 1♀ (leg. K. Denes) . TURKEY: Adana: Pozantı-Tekir , 37°31′N / 34°57′E, 1300 m, 7.6.2008, 2♂ (leg. M. Kafka) ; Adıyaman: Kuyucak , 8.6.1998, 1♀ (leg. M. Snizek) ; Amasya: Amasya, 488 m, 22.– 24.5.1959, 2♂ (leg. K. Guichard, M. Harvey) ; Ankara: Çamlıdere , 37.6596°N / 30.72316°E, 26.5.2002, 1♀ (leg. W.-H. Liebig) ; Antalya: Korkuteli , 7 km SW Kargin, 36°37′571″N / 30°59′704″E, 23.05.2009, 2♀ (leg. H. Özbek) ; Burdur: Burdur, 900 m, 27.4.1960, 2♂ (leg. Epping) ; Gaziantep: Yamaçoba , 40 km W Gaziantep, 29.4.– 1.5.2001, 1♂ (leg. I. Trojan) ; Hatay: Bademli , 6 km W Hassa, 860 m, 13.5.2002, 1♀ (leg. H. Özbek) ; Izmir: Boz Dağı , 1.6.1990, 2♀ (leg. P. Witzgall) ; Konya: 30 km S Akşehir , 24.6.1998, 2♀ (leg. J. Halada) ; Mersin: Aslanlı , 30 km N Erdemli, 17.6.1998, 12♀ (leg. M. Halada) ; Muğla: Knidos , 18.4.1981, 1♀ (leg. K. Warncke) ; Osmaniye: Aslanli Beli , 970 m, 13.5.2002, 2♀, 1♂ (leg. H. Özbek) ; Siirt: 20 km NW Şirnak , 1500 m, 5.6.1980, 1♀ (leg. K. Warncke) ; Sirnak: S Beytüşşebap, 13.6.1984, 1♀ (leg. K. Warncke) ; Tokat: 5 km N Turhal , 500 m, 1.6.1988, 1♀ (leg. H. Wiering) .

Distribution. Greece (mainland, Aegean Islands), Turkey, Cyprus, northern Iraq, Iran, Levant ( Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Palestine, Jordan).

Subspecific classification. The comparison of one pair of C. diodon from Cyprus with the types from Amasya in Turkey prompted Mavromoustakis (1951) to separate the Cypriot specimens as a subspecies of its own, i.e. C. diodon cypriacum . This separation was based on a weaker and sparser punctation and a denser and more whitish pilosity in the specimens from Cyprus. However, these differences could not be confirmed after examination of numerous specimens from all over the distribution range of C. diodon .

Pollen hosts. Oligolectic on Asteroideae and Cichorioideae ( Asteraceae ) with a clear preference for the former subfamily ( Sedivy et al. 2008). Flower records: Anthemis libanotica ( Mavromoustakis 1951) , Glebionis coronaria , Picris altissima (label records).

Nesting biology. Several females were observed to enter their nests in dried wood of old houses ( Mavromoustakis 1951).