9. Epeolus cruciger (Panzer, 1799)

(Figs 11, 12, 13, 84)

Nomada crucigera Panzer, 1799: 20, ♂, (syntypes: ♂♂, Austria; ZMHB).

Epeolus rufipes Thomson, 1870: 91, ♀, (lectotype: ♀, designated by Nilsson 2010: 88, Sweden, Skåne län, Lunds kn, Abusa; ZMLU). Synonymized by Alfken 1904: 126.

Epeolus similis Höppner, 1899: 355–356, ♀, ♂, (syntypes: 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Germany, Freisenbüttel; ZMHB). Synonymized by Warncke 1986: 61.

Epeolus cruciger var. elegans Müller, 1921: 168, ♀, (holotype: ♀, Germany, Arnswalde; ZMHB). Synonymized by Stoeckhert 1933: 64.

Epeolus cruciger var. rufiventris Müller, 1921: 168, ♀, (holotype: ♀, Germany, Arnswalde; ZMHB). Synonymized by Stoeckhert 1933: 64.

Epeolus variegatus var. rossicus Friese, 1925: 30, ♀, (holotype: ♀, Russia, Smolensk; ZMHB). Synonymized by Bischoff 1930: 11.

Epeolus marginatus Bischoff, 1930: 11, ♀, ♂, (holotype: ♀, Germany, Warnemünde; ZMHB). Synonymized by Warncke 1986: 60.

Epeolus similis ab. nigroscutellaris Niemelä, 1947: 42, ♀, (syntypes: ♀♀, Russia, Leningrad Oblast, Koivisto [=Primorsk]; ZMUT). Synonymized by Le Divelec 2021: 4.

Other notable publications. Bischoff 1930: 10–11; Richards 1937: 99–130 (morphological differences, variation, figures); Niemelä 1947: 41–42 (as Epeolus similis Höppner, key, descriptive note, variation); Scheuchl 2000: 145, 148 (key, figures); Bogusch & Hadrava 2018: 14–21, 56, 57 (key, diagnosis, re-description, figures); Le Divelec 2021: 3–4 (notes on synonymy) Astafurova & Proshchalykin 2022a: 319–321 (key, morphological differences, variation, figures).

Host (s). Colletes marginatus Smith, C. succinctus (L.) (Richards 1937; Amiet et al. 2007; Bogusch & Hadrava 2018). Colletes hederae Schmidt & Westrich (Artmann-Graf 2015). Associations with Colletes fodiens (Geoffroy) and possibly C. similis Schenck reported by Bischoff (1930) and Richards (1937) are unlikely according to Bogusch & Hadrava, 2018.

Distribution. Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, Syria, Iran, Russia (to the Magadan Oblast), Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia (Astafurova & Proshchalykin 2023).