Hoplitis (Platosmia) platalea ( Warncke, 1990 )

Müller, Andreas, 2015, Palaearctic Hoplitis bees of the subgenus Platosmia (Megachilidae, Osmiini): biology, taxonomy and key to species, Zootaxa 3936 (1), pp. 71-81 : 78

Hoplitis (Platosmia) platalea ( Warncke, 1990)

Osmia (Platosmia) platalea Warncke, 1990: 484 . Type material: Holotype ♀, “ 30 km W Quarzazate, 7.4.1980 ” ( Morocco), Oberösterreichisches Landesmuseum Linz. Type species of Platosmia Warncke.

Anthocopa (Anthocopa) quarzazati Zanden, 1998: 526 . Type material: Holotype ♂, “Amerzgane, 30 km N Quarzazate” ( Morocco), Naturalis Biodiversity Center Leiden. New synonymy based on the male holotype.

Literature records. MOROCCO: 20 km NE of Agdz, 5.4.1980; 30km NW of Agdz, 1.4.1986; 30 km N Errachidia, 4.4.1986; 30–50 km SE of Taroudant, 28.3.1987 ( Warncke, 1990).

New records. MOROCCO: Tizi-n-Fedrhate, 60 km NE Quarzazate, 11.4.1996; Tizi-n-Tinififft, 25km NW of Agdz, 12.4.1996; Tizi-Tagergoust, 10 km SE of Tazenakht, 16.4.1996; Oued Ziz, 45 km N of Errachidia, 14.5.2003; Tizi-Tagergoust, 5 km E of Tazenakht, 22.4.2008; Tizi-n-Bachkoum, 10 km N of Tazenakht, 23.4.2008, 9.4.2012; Tifsste near Telouet, 11.4.2012. TUNISIA: Matmata, 7.4.1994; 10 km SE Matmata, 15.4.1994; 10 km SW of Toujane, 24.4.2012.

Distribution. Southern Morocco east of an imaginary line between Tizi n’Tichka and Sefrou (see H. aristotelis ) and Tunisia. Due to the similar female morphology among the H. (Platosmia) species, the assignment of the Tunisian specimens to H. platalea is not beyond all doubt as no males have been recorded so far from Tunisia.

Pollen hosts. Probably mesolectic on Reseda (Resedaceae) and Fabaceae : eight of the ten pollen loads (6 localities, 2 countries) analysed so far were pure and contained only Reseda pollen, while two loads were mixed and contained both Resedaceae and Fabaceae pollen.

Nesting biology. A female was observed to successively inspect stone cavities in a scree near Toujane in Tunisia (A. Müller, unpublished data), suggesting that preexisting cavities in stones or rocks might serve as nesting sites. Nesting material unknown.