A preliminary study of the cleptoparasitic bees of the genus Coelioxys (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) in northern Iran, with six new records

Abstract

A survey on the megachilid bees (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) fauna of northern Iran, between 2010 and 2011, led to the identification of eleven species of the genus Coelioxys Latreille belonging to subgenera Allocoelioxys (6 species), Boreocoelioxys (2 species), Coelioxys (2 species) and Liothyrapis (1 species). Of these, six species and one subgenus (Liothyrapis) are new to the fauna of Iran. Detailed illustrations of morphological characters, a key to the species of the genus Coelioxys and an updated checklist of Iranian species of Coelioxys are provided.

Keywords

• new record
• coelioxys
• cleptoparasitic bee
• megachilidae