Abstract
Summary The paper presents information on Stelis minima Schenck, 1859, a species of cleptoparasitic bee new to Polish fauna representing the family Megachilidae. Stelis minima. probably inhabits most of Europe except for the southern and northern parts of the continent. The species was also found in the southern part of Finland, where it reaches its northern range limit (ca. 62°N). During the years 2002- 2006 four specimens of S. minima were collected in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland (1 male) and Roztocze region (2 females and 1 male). All specimens were observed close to nests of probable host species of solitary bees - Chelostoma campanularum (Kirby, 1802) and Heriades truncorum (Linnaeus, 1758). The female of Stelis minima can be distinguished from other Central European species by the following characteristics: rounded head, clypeus about 1.5 times wider than its length, legs black, hind basitarsus almost parallel sided (not broadened on the distal part), distances between punctures on mesopleurae ca. as big as their diameter, posterior margins of metasomal tergites (T) black and without lateral bands of hair, T1 or T1-2 with small, lateral, yellowish white maculae; the maculae are sometimes absent. The male Stelis minima can be separated from other Central European species by the following characteristics: clypeus short (not covering mandibles), legs black, distances between punctures on mesopleurae and tergites T4-5 ca. as big as their diameter, posterior margins of metasomal tergites black and without lateral bands of hair, T1-2 or T1-3 with small, lateral yellowish white maculae, posterior margin of seventh tergite with short mid-process, posterior margin of third sternite with triangular emargination in the middle, posterior margin of fourth sternite with a tooth-like, mid-process.
Highlights
The presence of the cleptoparasitic bee, Stelis minima Schenck, 1859, in Poland was a matter of confusion for many authors
Dylewska (1997) like Banaszak (1991) placed the species on the list of native bees. The source of this confusion was a misinterpretation of what Stoeckhert (1932) wrote in his paper in 1932. He concluded that Stelis minima was not found in Silesia and Pommerania but it was very likely that future investigation would indicate its presence in the regions
The aim of the paper is to give information about the known distribution of Stelis minima in Poland, as well as the diagnosis and redescription of a female and a male of the species (Schenck, 1859)
Summary
The paper presents information on Stelis minima Schenck, 1859, a species of cleptoparasitic bee new to Polish fauna representing the family Megachilidae. The female of Stelis minima can be distinguished from other Central European species by the following characteristics: rounded head, clypeus about 1.5 times wider than its length, legs black, hind basitarsus almost parallel sided (not broadened on the distal part), distances between punctures on mesopleurae ca. As big as their diameter, posterior margins of metasomal tergites (T) black and without lateral bands of hair, T1 or T1-2 with small, lateral, yellowish white maculae; the maculae are sometimes absent. The male Stelis minima can be separated from other Central European species by the following characteristics: clypeus short (not covering mandibles), legs black, distances between punctures on mesopleurae and tergites T4-5 ca.
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