REVISION OF LEUCOSPIDAE 145 



difference from dorsigera, mainly in the apex of the aedeagus. I now regard all 

 these differences as variations within the range of one species, as did Masi (1934a : 6). 



The variation of L. dorsigera has been discussed by many authors but some of its 

 more unusual forms are less known or have been mistaken for other species. For 

 example, the southerly female specimens, mainly from Sicily, Algeria and Morocco 

 (mostly in MNHN, Paris) are sometimes of relatively small size, 6-9 mm, with the 

 ovipositor only just reaching the base of the gaster or hardly longer. The gaster 

 is relatively broader and especially its apex is veiy broadly rounded, which gives 

 them a rather strange appearance. I examined at least ten such specimens and 

 some intergrades and am sure that this is only one of the forms of L. dorsigera. 



The extent of the yellow colour is fairly variable and was described for example 

 by Schletterer (1890 : 188-190). In the northerly specimens the yellow pattern 

 mostly is much reduced, whilst in the southerly specimens the yellow may be 

 predominant. In Bohemia I collected females even with the scapus completely 

 black. Some specimens from North Africa, however, show a trend which does not 

 seem to have been mentioned yet: the yellow turns more or less orange, as is well 

 known in L. gigas Fabricius. I examined one such female from Siwa, Egypt and 

 one male from Barca, Libya. An intermediate form was seen labelled 'Ca.Amara' 

 but I could not locate it. 



The morphology of the female and the male gaster of L. dorsigera was studied by 

 Domenichini (1953 : 26-27, pi- X ' n &- 3)- including the male genitalia (see also 

 Text-figs 12-14). 



Biology. Parasite of various Megachiline bees, but definite host records include 

 until now only Osmia adunca (Panzer) (Grandi, 1961 : 295), 0. rufa (Linnaeus) 

 (= bicornis Linnaeus) (Schletterer, 1890 : 161), Anthidium diadema Latreille 

 (Fabre, 1886 : 167) and Anthidiellum strigatum (Panzer) (Saunders, 1875: xvii), 

 mostly nesting in Phragmites or Arundo stems. L. dorsigera was observed also 

 examining old burrows in timber inhabited by a bee of the genus Heriades Spinola 

 (Grandi, 1961 : 288). 



Distribution. Southern Europe including France, southern half of West 

 Germany, Czechoslovakia, southern European U.S.S.R. (Moldavia, Ukraine), 

 Daghestan and Transcaucasia, then southern Kazakhstan, Turkmcnia, Uzbekistan 

 and Tadzhikistan (Nikolskaya, i960); then North Africa including Morocco, Algeria, 

 Tunisia, Libya, Egypt; Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan. 



Material examined. 



Type data given in synonymy. 



Many hundreds of specimens from nearly all the countries mentioned; more 

 significant seem to be the following. Algeria: Biskra; Oran; Chab't el Karkor 

 N. of Beni-Abbes. Tunisia: Constantine. Libya: Bengasi; near Barca, 27.vii.1957, 

 1 (J (Guichard) (BMNH). Egypt: Siwa, 31.viii.1935, 1 $ (Omer-Cooper) (BMNH); 

 Pyramids. Syria: Damascus; Ksara. Lebanon: Alci, 800 m. U.S.S.R.: Uzbekistan, 

 Samarkand. 



K 



