Sphecodes ephippius (Linné 1767)

(FigS 18, 19, 62, 91)

Sphex ephippia Linné 1767: 944, ♂ (type locality: Sweden).

Apis minimus Harris 1776 (nom. praeocc., nec Poda 1761): 136, ♀ (type locality: England). Apis rufescens Geoffroy 1785: 447, ♀ (type locality: France).

Apis obscura Geoffroy 1785 (nom. praeocc., nec Linné 1764): 447, ♀ (type locality: France). Apis rufescens Gmelin 1790 (nom. praeocc., nec Geoffroy 1785): 2790, ♂ (type locality: Germany). Apis labiata Fabricius 1793: 342, ♂ (type locality: Germany).

Melitta divisa Kirby 1802: 49, ♂ (type locality: England).

Andrena minuta Fabricius 1804: 327, ♀ (type locality: Germany).

Sphecodes similis Wesmael 1835: 283, ♀, ♂ (type locality: Belgium).

Sphecodes zablockii Blüthgen 1924a: 188, ♀ (type locality: Russia, Novosibirsk).

Material examined. Uzbekistan: 3 ♀, Pskem Mts., Nanay, 22.V.1963, Guryeva (ZISP) ; Kyrgyzstan: 1 ♀, ISSyk- Kul Lake, Pokrovka, 16.VI.1954, D. Panfilov (ZMMU) ; 1 ♀, Alatau Mts, Arkit, 1500–2000 m, 29.VI.1952, AZ (ZMMU); 1 ♂, 10 km Sary-Bulak, 21.VIII.1985, A. Manukyan (ZISP) ; 4 ♂, 21.VIII.1985, YP (ZISP). Turkmenistan: 1 ♀, Ashkhabad, 16–20.IV.1929 , AS (ZISP); 1 ♂, Kopet-Dag, Tutly, 3.V.1952, Kryzhanovskiy (ZISP); 1 ♀, Iol-Dere (gorge), Kara-Kala, 5.VI.1952, Steinberg (ZISP) ; 1 ♂, Kara-Kala, 29.VI.1952, AP (ZISP). Tajikistan: 1 ♂, Kondara (gorge), 1100 m, Varzob, 26.VII.1940, VG (ZISP) ; 12 ♂, Gissar Mts., Khodzha-Obi- Garm, 9–13.VIII.1944, М. Nikolskaya (ZISP) ; 1 ♂, Alay Mts., 15 km WSW Karamyk, 2700 m, 11.VIII.1985, YP (ZISP) ; 5 ♂, Peter I Range, Dashti-Gurk, 40 km ESE Komsomolabad, 1700 m, 31.VIII.1985, YP (ZISP).

Published records. Morawitz (1876: 258, aS Sphecodes similis: UzbekiStan); RadoSzkowSki (1886: 20, aS S. similis): TurkmeniStan; Mayer (1920: 140, aS S. similis): “TurkeStan”; Popov (1951: 167, aS S. divisus (Kirby)): TajikiStan.

General distribution. Central ASia (UzbekiStan, * KyrgyzStan, TurkmeniStan, TajikiStan); Europe (north to 62°), RuSSia (eaSt to IrkutSk Prov.), CaucaSuS, Turkey, KazakhStan, Mongolia.

Remark. In Central ASia thiS SpecieS iS recorded in the foothillS and mountainS only.