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| Hoplitis onosmaevae Aubert, Müller & Praz, 2024 |
Abstract
A new osmiine bee species, Hoplitis (Hoplitis) onosmaevae sp. nov. (Megachilidae), is described. So far, this species is exclusively known from the Mercantour National Park in the southwestern French Alps and from mountainous ranges in Turkey and northern Iraq, two areas separated by at least 2000 km. Phylogenetic analyses based on mitochondrial and nuclear genes revealed that H. onosmaevae is closely related to H. adunca (Panzer, 1798), H. benoisti (Alfken, 1935) and H. manicata (Morice, 1901). Hoplitis onosmaevae is presumably narrowly oligolectic and harvests pollen only on flowers of Onosma L. (Boraginaceae). It has a particularly long proboscis, which is probably an adaptation to collect nectar from the long-tubed flowers of this plant genus. The females collect pollen by buzzing the Onosma flowers, a rare behavior in megachilid bees. The species nests in insect burrows in dead wood, similar to H. adunca and H. manicata but unlike other closely related representatives of the subgenus Hoplitis, suggesting a single origin of nesting in dead wood and hollow stems in this lineage. In France, H. onosmaevae inhabits alpine steppe-like habitats close to forests and appears to be extremely local, since only two populations are currently known. The conservation status of this extremely rare bee species in Europe is discussed.
Key Words: Anthophila, Apiformes, Hoplitis, Onosma, osmiine bees, buzzing, conservation, France, Iraq, Turkey
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| Hoplitis onosmaevae sp. nov., foraging habitat and behaviour (France, Saint-Dalmas-le-Selvage, 23.6.2020). 15. Foraging habitat with patch of the host plant, Onosma tricerosperma subsp. fastigiata; 16. Male resting on stone between two patrolling flights, with unfolded proboscis; 17. Male resting on stone between two patrolling flights; 18. Female on a flower of Onosma tricerosperma subsp. fastigiata; 19. Female concentrating nectar with widely open mandibles. |
Hoplitis (Hoplitis) onosmaevae Aubert, sp. nov.
Diagnosis: In most species of Hoplitis (Hoplitis), the length of the proboscis is at most one-third as long as the body. Only H. linguaria, H. holmboei, H. homalocera and H. semilinguaria have a longer proboscis, which reaches about half of the body length. Hoplitis onosmaevae possesses an even longer proboscis, which is approximately as long as the body (Fig. 3). In both sexes of H. holmboei and H. homalocera, the vertex is comparatively short (ocelloccipital distance less than two ocellar diameters) and, when seen in front view, not elevated behind ocelli, but regularly rounded across its width; in H. onosmaevae the vertex is longer (ocelloccipital distance about ...
Etymology: The species epithet onosmaevae refers to the assumed close association with plants of the genus Onosma (see section on pollen hosts below) and to Maëva Gardenat, to whom the first author wishes to dedicate this species.
Matthieu Aubert, Andreas Müller and Christophe Praz. 2024. A New osmiine Bee with a spectacular Geographic Disjunction: Hoplitis (Hoplitis) onosmaevae sp. nov. (Hymenoptera, Anthophila, Megachilidae). Alpine Entomology. 8: 65-79. DOI: 10.3897/alpento.8.118039
Résumé: Une nouvelle espèce d’abeille appartenant à la tribu des Osmiini, Hoplitis onosmaevae sp. nov. (Megachilidae), est décrite. Elle est à ce jour connue du Parc national du Mercantour dans le Sud des Alpes françaises et de zones montagneuses de Turquie et du Nord de l’Irak, deux aires distantes de plus de 2000 km. Des analyses phylogénétiques de gènes mitochondriaux et nucléaires indiquent que cette nouvelle espèce est apparentée à H. adunca (Panzer, 1798), H. benoisti (Alfken, 1935) et H. manicata (Morice, 1901). Hoplitis onosmaevae est certainement oligolectique, spécialisée pour la récolte du pollen sur les fleurs d’Onosma L (Boraginaceae). Elle est caractérisée notamment par un proboscis très allongé, qui est probablement une adaptation à la collecte du nectar dans les fleurs de ce genre botanique. Les femelles en exploitent le pollen en les faisant vibrer («buzzing»), comportement rare au sein de la famille des Megachilidae. Il a été observé que cette nouvelle espèce nidifie dans des galeries existantes dans le bois mort, à l’instar de H. adunca et de H. manicata, mais contrairement à d’autres représentants du sous-genre Hoplitis, ce qui suggère une origine unique de l’emploi du bois mort et des tiges creuses en tant que substrat de nidification au sein de ce groupe. En France, H. onosmaevae semble extrêmement localisée : elle n’a été trouvée que sur deux stations, correspondant à des habitats d’altitude d’affinité steppique, non loin de boisements. Son statut de conservation en Europe est discuté.
