Haetosmia vechti

Haetosmia vechti (Peters 1974)

Osmia (Haetosmia) vechti Peters 1974: 294. Type material: Holotype ♂, “Teheran-Evin, Institutsgelände, 30.8.1973 ” (Iran), Senckenberg Frankfurt.

Literature records. TURKEY: Konya: Konya, 15.7.1972 (Peters 1974); Malatya: Balaban Bridge, 3.8.1951 (Mavromoustakis 1954); Mersin: Mut, 9– 13.6.1965, 11.8.1965 (Peters 1974). ISRAEL AND PALESTINE: Jerusalem District: Jerusalem, Wadi Ruaz, 28.6.1952 (Mavromoustakis 1954); Southern District: Gat, 3.6.1948 (Mavromoustakis 1954); Beer Sheva, 21.6.1952 (Peters 1974); Tel Aviv District: Bnei Braq, 28.5.1948 (Mavromoustakis 1954); Ramat Gan, 13.6.1952 (Peters 1974).

New records. TURKEY: Batman: Kozluk, 3.6.1998, 1♀, 1♂ (leg. M. Halada); Elazig: SE of Elazig, Hazar Gölü, 29.6.2000, 1♂ (leg. M. Halada); Malatya: 30 km E of Malatya, Kale, 27.6.2009, 2♀ (leg. M. Halada); Mersin: 20 km W of Mut, 14.6.2000, 1♀ (leg. M. Halada); Nevsehir: Zelve, 12.7.1997, 1♀, 5♂ (leg. M. Halada); 54 km W of Kayseri, Göreme, 17.7.1998, 1♀ (leg. C. Schmid-Egger); Siirt: 30 km W of Baykan, 30.6.2000, 1♂ (leg. M. Halada); Van: 10 km E of Ercis, Van Gölü, 25.6.1997, 2♂ (leg. M. Halada); Gevas, Van Gölü, 2.7.2000, 11♂ (M. Halada). ISRAEL AND PALESTINE: Central District: Southern Coastal Plain, Rehovot, 3– 6.9.2011, 13♀, 11♂ (leg. C. Praz, A. Golan); Southern District: Beer Sheva, 1.6.1965, 5♀ (leg. W. Schläfle); Arava Valley, Har Badad, Wadi Neqarot, 8.4.1995, 1♀ (leg. Irvin); Zin Wilderness, En Zin, - 61 m, 4.5.1995, 1♀ (leg. Irvin); 5 km SSE of Sede Boqer, Wadi N'Aqev, 12.5.1996, 1♀ (leg. M. Hauser, C. Schmid-Egger); 2 km N of Kemehin, 210m, 27.4.2010, 1♂ (leg. C. Sedivy, C. Praz); Tel Aviv District: Bat Yam, 31.5.1965, 1♀, 1♂ (leg. W. Schlaefle); Westbank: Judean Foothills, Mevo Horon, 22.6.2011, 1♀, 5.7.2011, 1♂ (leg. G. Pisanty). JORDAN: Jordan Valey, S. Shuna, 25– 26.4.1996, 2♂ (leg. M. Halada). IRAN: Highway Teheran-Qom, 60 km S of Teheran, 26.5.2009, 1♂ (leg. C. Sedivy, C. Praz, A. Talebi); Teheran, T. Modares University, Agricultual Campus, 28.5.2009, 9♂ (leg. C. Sedivy, C. Praz, A. Talebi). TURKMENISTAN: Imambaba, 15– 24.5.1934, 1♂ (leg. A. Shestakov).

Distribution. From central Turkey eastwards over northern Iran to southeastern Turkmenistan and southwards to the Levant (Israel and Palestine, Jordan) (Fig. 9). The distribution range of H. vechti meets with that of H. circumventa in the Arava Valley in southern Israel, which is the southernmost record of the former and the northernmost record of the latter species. The record of H. vechti from Poros Island south of Athens (Greece) given by Peters (1974) appears to be doubtful as it is well isolated within the currently known distribution area of H. vechti and as this stony island seems to completely lack sandy habitats suitable for H. vechti.

Pollen hosts. Narrowly oligolectic on Heliotropium, e.g. H. suaveolens (Mavromoustakis 1954; Gotlieb et al. 2014). Additional flower record: Gymnocarpos decander (Caryophyllaceae) (Gotlieb et al. 2014).

Nesting biology. H. vechti nests in excavated burrows in sandy soil (Gotlieb et al. 2014). The nests consist of a single 3–4mm wide burrow, which descends diagonally from the entrance to a single enlarged brood chamber situated 5–15 cm below ground surface (Fig. 8). This chamber contains 2–6 more or less vertical, urn-shaped and about 8mm long brood cells, which are positioned side by side with their rear ends embedded in the soil and their top ends exposed. The cells are built with masticated leaf pulp of Centaurea procurrens and Heliotropium suaveolens (Fig. 7). Scattered sand grains are included in the exterior surface of the cells. Whether these grains, however, are actively embedded into the leaf pulp matrix by the female bees is not clear.

Notes. As suggested by the available data (see literature and new records above), H. vechti has probably at least two generations per year in Israel and possibly also in other regions. In both females and males, legs and terga may be more or less reddish, especially in specimens originating from Israel and Palestine.