Sphecodes albilabris (Fabricius, 1793)

Described as: Nomada albilabris Fabricius, 1793: 349. Synonyms: Dichroa fuscipennis Germar, 1819: Tab. 18.

Sphecodes latreillii Wesmael, 1835: 285.

Sphecodes rubripes Spinola, 1838: 512.

Sphecodes africanus Lepeletier, 1841: 541.

Sphecodes nigripes Lepeletier, 1841: 542.

Sphecodes rugosus Smith, 1848: 2209 –2210.

Sphecodes nodicornis Gistel, 1857: 554.

Sphecodes fuscipennis var. basalis Dalla Torre, 1877: 185.

Sabulicola cirsii Verhoeff, 1890: 329–331.

Sphecodes grandis Meyer, 1922: 173.

Sphecodes rufipennis Cockerell, 1931: 348. Sphecodes atrescens Cockerell, 1931: 350.

Distribution. South and central Europe, in the north reaching Denmark, Estonia, southern Finland and Sweden, absent from Norway and on the British Isles; the distribution area extends to Asia (Westrich 1989, Warncke 1992, Lönnell & Cederberg 2007).

Biology. Species found in sandy sites, sand dunes, river banks and semideserts. Usually, it occurs in warmer regions and is locally highly abundant. Colletes cunicularius (Linnaeus) is the main host of this specialized cuckoo bee (e.g. Blüthgen 1934, Westrich 1989). This cuckoo bee has only one generation during the year. It is highly probable that females survive for long time and fly in early summer, when Colletes is still not available. In this situation S. albilabris can accept another (secondary) host. Old worn females were observed entering nests of Melitturga clavicornis (Latreille) and larvae of S. albilabris were excavated and described from its nest by Rozen (1965). Blüthgen (1934) also stated Halictus quadricinctus (Fabricius) as unconfirmed host. We observed females of S. albilabris invading nests of this species at the exactly same situation as was Rozen’s (1965) observation of this species parasitizing Melliturga. Our record was made at Stroupeč Natural Monument in the Czech Republic in July 2011. However, suggested parasitic activity of the second generation, e.g. in nests of Dasypoda hirtipes (Fabricius), seems to be highly unlikely (A. Přidal, pers. comm.). Adult females and males emerge in July, mate, females find shelter and overwinter. There is no place for parasitic activity before overwintering.

Taxonomic note. Warncke (1992) regarded S. rubripes Spinola, 1838 (with synonyms S. africanus Lepeletier, 1841, Sphecodes rufipennis Cockerell, 1931, Sphecodes atrescens Cockerell, 1931) as subspecies of S. albilabris. However, the difference among S. albilabris, S. rubripes and S. africanus is major (Blüthgen, 1924) and not only in coloration as Warncke (1992) suggested. They also differ in phenology: males of S. rubripes and S. africanus were collected in spring (April) and males of S. albilabris in summer. These forms can be valid species, but it requires further taxonomic study.