Sphecodes monilicornis ( Kirby, 1802 )

Bogusch, Petr & Straka, Jakub, 2012, Review and identification of the cuckoo bees of central Europe (Hymenoptera: Halictidae: Sphecodes), Zootaxa 3311, pp. 1-41 : 13-14

Sphecodes monilicornis ( Kirby, 1802)

Described as: Melitta monilicornis Kirby, 1802: 47 –48.

Synonyms: Sphecodes maculatus Lepeletier, 1841: 545 .

Sphecodes subquadratus Smith, 1845: 1014 .

Sphecodes gibbus var. subquadratus subvar. incertus Sichel, 1865: 420. Sphecodes gibbus var. ephippium subvar. nigrescens Sichel, 1865: 427. Sphecodes gibbus var. ephippium subvar. testaceipes Sichel, 1865: 428. Sphecodes gibbus var. ephippium subvar. rufipes Sichel, 1865: 428 . Sphecodes gibbus var. subquadratus subvar. dubius Sichel, 1865: 419. Sphecodes ruficrus Dalla Torre, 1896 (nec Erichson, 1835), nomen novum for S. rufipes Sichel, 1865: 9 . Sphecodes hanuman Nurse, 1903: 538 –539.

Sphecodes smyrnaensis Meyer, 1920: 116 .

Sphecodes caucasicus Meyer, 1920: 124 .

Sphecodes quadratus Meyer, 1920: 129 .

Sphecodes cephalotes Meyer, 1920: 129 .

Sphecodes monilicornis var. nigerrima Blüthgen, 1927: 41 . Sphecodes quadratus cephalotiformes Pittioni, 1950: 62 .

Subspecies: Sphecodes monilicornis quadratus Meyer, 1920: 129 .

Sphecodes monilicornis cephalotes Meyer, 1920: 129 . Sphecodes monilicornis berberus Warncke, 1992: 22 .

Distribution. Most of Europe, north to 64°N, in the east through Asia to Japan, present in North Africa ( Westrich 1989, Warncke 1992).

Biology. Common species, especially in warm habitats. Occurs mainly on steppes and sandy sites. It seems to be generalist with many hosts. Bogusch et al. (2006) summarized all known hosts of this species. Confirmed hosts are the following: Halictus rubicundus , Lasioglossum albipes (Fabricius) , L. calceatum (Scopoli) , L. leucozonium , L. quadrinotatulum and L. zonulum . L. malachurum is another confirmed host by our research. Vegter (1993) brought data of possible parasitation in nests of L. prasinum, Bogusch (2003) of Andrena flavipes , Halictus maculatus , H. tumulorum , Lasioglossum laticeps , L. pauxillum and L. villosulum (Kirby) . Thus the number of hosts of this species is high and the females are individually specialized. Most of the hosts are primitively eusocial and females of S. monilicornis lay eggs either into their nests within the solitary phase in spring or summer worker phase. Females of S. monilicornis can kill the workers of a nest and than lay eggs in all cells including those sealed and those not fully supplied (A. Přidal, pers. comm.).