Osmia mutensis

Taxonomy

Family: Megachilidae
Subfamily: Megachilinae
Tribe: Osmiini
Genus: Osmia Panzer, 1806
Subgenus: O. (Osmia) Panzer, 1806
Species: Osmia mutensis Peters, 1978
Common name: none

Overview

Osmia mutensis is only known from the female holotype. Female O. mutensis are black bees with a greenish metallic hue, which is most noticeable when looking laterally at the bee. O. mutensis has whitish-yellow hair on the head, thorax, and abdomen, with dark hair interspersed on the frons and vertex (Peters 1978). Female body length is approximately 13 mm (Peters 1978). Male of O. mutensis is unknown.

Diagnostic characteristics 

  • Clypeus with the apical margin straight, entire, and somewhat thickened medially.
  • Mandible without cutting edge between inner teeth.
  • Mouthparts much smaller than the length of the entire body when extended.
  • Propodeum dull and matte medially.
  • Scopa reddish-yellow.

May be confused with 

O. mutensis females are similar to O. kohlii and O. fedtschenkoi in the shape of the mandibles, which lack a cutting edge between the two inner teeth. O. mutensis can be easily differentiated from these species by the simple, straight apical edge of their clypeus (Peters 1978).

Phenology

unknown

Host associations 

unknown

Nesting behavior 

unknown

Distribution

Osmia mutensis is known only from western Turkey (Özbek 2013).


​Distribution map generated by Discover Life -- click on map for details, credits, and terms of use.

Specimens of this taxon not available for imaging.