Sphecodes nomioidis Pesenko, 1979

Bogusch, Petr & Straka, Jakub, 2012, Review and identification of the cuckoo bees of central Europe (Hymenoptera: Halictidae: Sphecodes), Zootaxa 3311, pp. 1-41 : 14

Sphecodes nomioidis Pesenko, 1979

Described as: Sphecodes nomioidis Pesenko, 1979: 136 . No synonyms.

Distribution. Unclear due to confusion with S. marginatus . We examined wide material of S. marginatus group and S. nomioidis seems to be ponto-mediterranean (absent from west Europe and North Africa) species. The occurrence of S. nomioidis was confirmed in the following countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Jordan, Romania, Slovakia and Turkey.

Biology. Poorly known, because of confusion with S. marginatus . It occurs on warm sandy and loess biotopes in central Europe. The species is expanding northwards recently and getting more common in central Europe.

Taxonomic note. Sphecodes marginatus biskrensis Pérez, 1903 sensu Warncke (1992) was characterized by strongly elongated felt-like pubescence on antennomeres. This character seems to be very variable and present commonly in S. marginatus as well as in S. nomioidis . The type of S. biskrensis comes from North Africa, where S. nomioidis does not occur. For this reason, S. nomioidis remains the only available name for species from eastern Europe. The application of the name needs to be confirmed by study of the type material as well as examination of a wider material from the Ukraine and other eastern European localities.