Osmia (Hoplosmia) centaureae, Müller, 2018

Müller, Andreas, 2018, Palaearctic Osmia bees of the subgenus Hoplosmia (Megachilidae, Osmiini): biology, taxonomy and key to species, Zootaxa 4415 (2), pp. 297-329 : 303-304

Osmia (Hoplosmia) centaureae spec. nov.

Holotype. JORDAN: Wadi Mujib, King’s Highway , 19.4.2007, ♂ (leg. C. Praz, C. Sedivy, A. Müller). Deposited in the Entomological Collection of ETH Zurich.

Paratypes. ISRAEL AND PALESTINE: Northern District: Mt. Tabor , 580 m, 28.5.1991, 3♀ , 3♂ (leg. K. Warncke); 15 km E Qiryat Shemona, Foothill of Hermon , 16.5.1996, 1♀ (leg. O. Niehuis) ; Lake Tiberias, 2 km NNE Tiberias , - 70 m, 25.5.2011, 2♀ , 1♂ (leg. S. Risch). JORDAN : Jordan Valley, Mubalath , 18.4.1996, 8♀ , 2♂, 27.4.1996, 9♀, 3♂ (leg. M. Halada); Jordan Valley, 20 km S North Shuna, Tall al Arbatin , 19.4.1996, 2♀ , 1♂ (leg. M. Halada); Jordan Valley, South Shuna , 25– 26.4.1996, 1♂ (leg. M. Halada) ; Jordan Valley, Dayr Alla, 27.4.1996, 3♀ (leg. M. Halada) ; Jordan Valley, North Shuna , 29– 30.4.1996, 6♀ , 4♂ (leg. M. Halada); Wadi Mujib, King’s Highway , 19.4.2007, 10♀ , 5♂ (leg. C. Praz, C. Sedivy, A. Müller); Wadi al Hasa , S Al-Karak, 20.4.2007, 2♂ (leg. C. Praz, C. Sedivy, A. Müller) ; Wadi Shu’ayb , 20 km W Amman, 22.4.2007, 4♀ , 7♂ (leg. C. Praz, C. Sedivy, A. Müller); Jordan Valley, Tabaqat Fahl , 24.4.2007, 1♂ (leg. C. Praz, C. Sedivy, A. Müller). Deposited in the Entomological Collection of ETH Zurich, the Oberösterreichische Landesmuseum Linz and the private collections of M. Schwarz (Ansfelden) and the author.

Other records. ISRAEL AND PALESTINE: Northern District: Dishon , 15.5.1973, 1♀ (leg. H. Bytinski- Salz) . West Bank: Jericho, Wadi Qilt , 21.4.1990, 1♀, 1♂ (leg. K. Warncke) .

Diagnosis. Osmia centaureae is in both sexes very similar to O. spinigera ( Fig. 16 ). In contrast to the latter species, its preoccipital margin is not distinctly raised ( Fig. 18 ), the inner margin of the apicalmost part of the fore tibial spur is usually slightly convex rather than concave ( Fig. 20 ), the antenna is partly reddish-brown to orange in its apical half rather than uniformly dark ( Fig. 16 ) and the apical margins of terga 1–2 are often more or less reddish-brown rather than entirely black. In addition, the female of O. centaureae differs from O. spinigera by the colour of the scopa and the pilosity of vertex, scutum and scutellum, which is yellowish-white even in fresh specimens rather than yellowish-red to yellowish-brown ( Fig. 16 ). The male of O. centaureae lacks the dense tuft of hairs directed alongside the apicalmost part of the gonoforceps typical of O. spinigera ( Fig. 24 ) and the indistinct and shallow punctation of the shagreened basal part of tergum 6 is almost imperceivable ( Fig. 22 ) and thus even weaker than in O. spinigera .

Description. FEMALE: Body length 7.5–9 mm. Head: Head as long as wide. Distance between lateral ocellus and preoccipital margin 2.5–2.75x as long as ocellar diameter. Second segment of labial palpus about 2.5x as long as first segment. Maximal width of genal area about 0.6x as long as maximal width of compound eye. Mandible three-toothed. Preoccipital margin sharp but not distinctly raised ( Fig. 18 ). Punctation of clypeus and supraclypeal area very dense without distinct interspaces; apical third of clypeus with very small punctures, which are about one third as large as the punctures on the basal two thirds of the clypeus and about half as large as the punctures on the supraclypeal area. Face covered with white pilosity, which is rather dense and long on frons, paraocular area and posterior margin of vertex but only sparse and usually short on clypeus, supraclypeal area and vertex. Anterior side of antennal segments 7–11(12) usually more or less reddish-brown ( Fig. 16 ). Mesosoma: Axilla spined. Posterior margin of scutellum flattened, reaching in profile well beyond metanotum. Punctation of scutum and scutellum very dense with interspaces usually not exceeding the diameter of half a puncture except for the lateral part of the scutum where the punctation is often more scattered. Punctation of mesepisternum very dense without distinct interspaces. Scutum moderately densely and scutellum very densely haired, longest hairs on scutum about 5x as long as the diameter of one puncture. Pilosity of mesepisternum long and rather dense, partly hiding the sculpture of the integument. Pilosity of scutum and scutellum yellowish-white, of mesepisternum white ( Fig. 16 ). Tegula dark reddish-brown to black. Inner margin of apicalmost part of fore tibial spur slightly convex ( Fig. 20 ). Metasoma: Punctation of terga 1–3 very dense with interspaces rarely reaching the diameter of one puncture, of terga 4–6 even denser with interspaces not exceeding the diameter of half a puncture. Apical margins of terga impunctate and often more or less reddish-brown. Terga 1–6 with white apical hair bands, which are medially interrupted on tergum 1 and often also on tergum 2 ( Fig. 16 ). Scopa yellowish-white ( Fig. 16 ).

MALE: Body length 7–9.5 mm. Head: Head about 0.9x long as wide. Distance between lateral ocellus and preoccipital margin 2.6–2.9x as long as ocellar diameter. Second segment of labial palpus about 2.6x as long as first segment. Maximal width of genal area about 0.5x as long as maximal width of compound eye. Mandible twotoothed. Preoccipital margin sharp but not distinctly raised. Frons, paraocular area, supraclypeal area and clypeus covered with dense white pilosity. Antennal segments (5)6–13 more or less yellowish-brown to orange. Mesosoma: Axilla spined. Posterior margin of scutellum flattened, reaching in profile well beyond metanotum. Punctation of scutum, scutellum and mesepisternum as in the female. Scutum and scutellum covered with dense greyish-white pilosity. Pilosity of mesepisternum long, dense and white. Tegula dark reddish-brown to black. Inner margin of apicalmost part of fore tibial spur straight to slightly convex. Metasoma: Punctation of terga 1–5 very dense with interspaces rarely reaching the diameter of one puncture. Tergum 6 basally densely shagreened and with very weak and almost imperceivable punctation ( Fig. 22 ). Preapical margin of tergum 6 with long spines ( Fig. 22 ). Tergum 7 with single median tooth ( Fig. 22 ). Apical margins of terga 1-5 impunctate and usually more or less reddish-brown, often very weakly bent upwards. Terga 1–5 with white apical hair bands, which are medially interrupted on tergum 1 and often also on tergum 2. Sternum 1 with long bifurcated spine ( Fig. 17 ). Sternum 2 with preapical transverse swelling ( Fig. 17 ). Apical margin of sternum 4 medially very slightly emarginated ( Fig. 17 ). Apical margin of sternum 5 medially with wide and rather deep emargination, which is densely beset with yellowish hairs ( Fig. 17 ). Sternum 6 distinctly concave, its apical margin evenly rounded ( Fig.17 ). Punctation of sterna 2–4 moderately dense, interspaces only rarely exceeding the diameter of two punctures ( Fig. 17 ). Apical margins of sterna 2-4 beset with whitish hairs, which are laterally longer and denser than medially ( Fig. 17 ). Apical third of gonoforceps with numerous erect white hairs ( Fig. 24 ).

Distribution. Known only from a restricted area, which extends from the southeastern border of the Dead Sea in Jordan over the Jordan Valley to northernmost Israel. At five localities in Israel and Jordan, O. centaureae was collected together with O. spinigera on the same day indicating syntopic occurrence of these two closely related species within the distribution range of O. centaureae .

Pollen hosts. Oligolectic on Asteraceae (based on 28 pollen loads from 9 different localities in Israel and Jordan and on field observations). Twenty-six pollen loads were pure loads of Centaurea pollen, while the other two were mixed loads of Centaurea and thistle pollen, suggesting that O. centaureae probably restricts pollen harvesting to the subfamily Carduoideae.

Nesting biology. Unknown.

Etymology: The specific name refers to the species’ most important pollen host, Centaurea ( Asteraceae, Carduoideae ).

Figures

FIGURES 16–25. 16: Female of Osmia centaureae. 17: Male sterna of Osmia centaurea. 18: Female head of Osmia centaureae in lateral view (pilosity on vertex removed).19: Female head of Osmia spinigera in lateral view (pilosity on vertex removed). 20: Female fore tibial spur of Osmia centaureae. 21: Female fore tibial spur of Osmia spinigera. 22: Male tergum 6 of Osmia centaureae. 23: Male tergum 6 of Osmia spinigera. 24: Male genitalia of Osmia centaureae. 25: Male genitalia of Osmia spinigera.