Dioxys rotundatus Perez 1884
Creators: name: Wood, T. J.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Megachilidae
Dioxys
Dioxys rotundatus

description: 11.Dioxys rotundatusPérez, 1884, sp. resurr.
Dioxys rotundata Pérez, 1884: 300, ♀ [Spain, MNHN, not examined].
Dioxys moesta Costa, 1884: 336, ♀ [Italy: Sardinia, IENU, not examined] syn. nov.
Material examined.
Algeria • 1 ♂, 2 ♀; Alger; 7–30 Apr. 1898; F. D. Morice leg.; OUMNH • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Batna; 23 Jun. 1911; F. D. Morice leg.; OUMNH • 4 ♂, 15 ♀; Biskra; 10–23 Mar. 1920; K. J. & N. C. R. leg.; OUMNH; Egypt • 1 ♀; Louxor [Luxor]; 26 Feb. 1958; W. J. Pulawski leg.; MSCA • 1 ♂; Abydos, Rég. de Baliana [El Balyana]; 3–5 Mar. 1958; W. J. Pulawski leg.; MSCA; Italy • 2 ♀; Sardegna, Orroli; 2 Jun. 2011; G. Pagliano leg.; MSCA; Morocco • 1 ♀; Drâa-Tafilalet, Ouarzazate, P 1506, Telouet, Adaha; 1700 m a. s. l.; 18 Apr. 2022; T. J. Wood leg.; TJWC • 2 ♀; Drâa-Tafilalet, Ouarzazate, P 1507, 3 km SSE Irhels; 12 Apr. 2022; T. J. Wood leg.; TJWC • 2 ♀; Fès-Meknès, Azrou, 4 km SWW of Bakrit, Cascades Bakrit; 1650 m a. s. l.; 17 May 2022; T. J. Wood leg.; TJWC • 1 ♀; Fès-Meknès, Taza, P 5425, 3 km N of Galdamane; 780 m a. s. l.; 12 May 2022; T. J. Wood leg.; TJWC • 1 ♀; Fès-Meknès, Taza, P 5425, 3 km W of Aghil Oumial; 1300 m a. s. l.; 12 May 2022; T. J. Wood leg.; TJWC • 1 ♂; Meknes, Mt. Zerhoun; 13 May 1984; W. Perraudin leg.; OÖLM • 2 ♀; Oukaimeden; 2600–2800 m a. s. l.; 11 July 1975; J. Gusenleitner leg.; OÖLM • 1 ♀; S. Morocco, High Atlas, N. Tizi-n-Test; 2000 m a. s. l.; 24 Jun. 1974; G. R. Else leg.; NHMUK • 2 ♂, 1 ♀; Souss-Massa, R 105, Tizirt, 10 km N, Agadir N´ Guemzt env.; 12 Mar. 2022; T. J. Wood leg.; TJWC • 1 ♂; Souss-Massa, R 105, Tizirt, 8 km N, Ighir Ifran env.; 12 Mar. 2022; T. J. Wood leg.; TJWC • 1 ♀; Souss-Massa, Tafraoute, Azrou Ouado, 2 km W; 13 Mar. 2022; T. J. Wood leg.; TJWC • 1 ♂; Souss-Massa, Tizi N’Test; 16 Apr. 2024; D. Baiocchi leg.; MSVI • 1 ♀; Hoher Atlas, Oukaimeden; 2800 m a. s. l.; 11 Jul. 1975; A. W. Ebmer leg.; ZSM • 1 ♀; Nador; 14 Apr. 1990; M. Halada leg.; ZSM; Spain • 1 ♀; Cuenca, Huerta del Marquesado, environs north of town; 26 Jun. 2021; T. J. Wood leg.; TJWC • 1 ♀; 25 km SW Cartagena; 12 May 2003; J. Halada leg.; OÖLM • 1 ♀; 50 km W Almería, Berja; 21 Apr. 2003; J. Halada leg.; OÖLM • 1 ♂; Al. [Alicante], Benidorm; 26 Apr. 1997; V. Lefeber leg.; RMNH; RMNH.INS.1660524 • 1 ♀; Cigales, Valladolid; 30 Jun. 1982; E. Asensio leg.; RMNH; RMNH.INS.1660518 • 1 ♀; Granada, Sierra Nevada, Omg. Albergue Universitario; 2500–2600 m a. s. l.; 16 Jul. 1953; C. A. W. Jeekel leg.; RMNH; ZMA.INS.5104004 • 1 ♀; prov. Malaga, Vélez-Málaga, 7 km N; 17 May 1960; exc. R. M. N. H. leg.; RMNH; RMNH.INS.1663102 • 1 ♀; Salobreña, Granada; 26 May 1986; W. Perraudin leg.; OÖLM • 1 ♀; Sierra Alhamilla, Lucainena; 25 Apr. 2003; J. Halada leg.; OÖLM • 1 ♀; Sierra Filabres Albanchez; 23 Apr. 2003; J. Halada leg.; OÖLM • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; La Garriga; 1–31 May 1903; F. D. Morice leg.; OUMNH; Tunisia • 1 ♂; 30 km N Foum Tatahouine; 12 Feb. 1992; K. Warncke leg.; OÖLM • 1 ♀; Zarzis; 22 Mar. – 3 Apr. 1983; H. Wolf leg.; OÖLM • 1 ♀; Hammam Bou Hadjar; 21 Apr. 1910; F. D. Morice leg.; OUMNH • 2 ♂; Cherahill [Cherahil]; 25 Mar. 1910; F. D. Morice leg.; OUMNH.
Remarks.
The situation concerning this species has been confused, in multiple ways. Nomenclaturally, prior to the work of Warncke (1977), authors used the name D. rotundatus (e. g. Popov 1936). Warncke designated a lectotype of D. moestus in the IENU, a lectotype of D. rotundatus in the MNHN, and based on the years of publication which he considered to be 1883 for D. moestus and 1884 for D. rotundatus, synonymised the latter with the former. However, this is not the correct year of publication for D. moestus. Examining the scanned copy of the 15 th volume of the Bullettino della Società Entomologica Italiana available from the Biodiversity Heritage Library, although nominally published in 1883, this volume was split into trimesters. Trimester I (January – March) has no specified publication date other than 1883. Trimester II and III (April – September) were published together on 25 September 1883, and Trimester IV (October – December) was actually published on 15 April 1884. The work of Costa (pages 332–341) was contained in this fourth trimester. Therefore, the work should rightly be Costa (1884). This is confirmed by Poggi (2008: 162) who listed 15 April 1884 as the publication date for Volume 15 Trimester IV.
Furthermore, the work of Pérez on the parasitic bees of France was published by the journal the Actes de la société Linnéenne de Bordeaux. The 37 th volume of this journal, containing the work of Pérez (pages 205–378), was nominally published in 1883. However, following Baker (1996), the work of Pérez was actually first published in three parts. Specifically, pages 205–256 in November 1883, pages 257–320 in February 1884, and pages 321–378 in October 1884. The year 1883 has been used as the publication date by other authors, for example Lieftinck (1968) for Thyreus truncatus (Pérez, 1883). However, this depends on the page of publication, and since T. truncatus was published on page 312, it should correctly be Thyreus truncatus (Pérez, 1884). As D. rotundatus was published on page 300, it was therefore included in the second part that came out in February 1884. Consequently, Dioxys rotundatus was published two months before D. moestus, and must take priority, returning to a pre- Warncke (1977) nomenclatural situation.
The more serious confusion is biological. Prior to the work of Warncke (1977), D. rotundatus was considered a western Mediterranean species, but Warncke newly reported the species from Croatia, Greece, and Israel, and Heinrich (1977) reported the species from Turkey. However, Warncke did not seem to examine the genital capsule of this species, and indeed seems not to have placed much emphasis on genital morphology since his identification key never mentions them (although see illustrations in Warncke 1977: 276). This is strange because Popov (1936) provided excellent illustrations, and the genital capsule can be very helpful in allowing specimen determination in Dioxys (e. g. Fig. 3 A, C, E, G). Donald Baker did extract specimen genitalia, and realised that D. rufipes Morawitz, 1875 was present in Turkey and in Greece (Crete) based on NHMUK specimens (see Section 12). However, this information was never published.
Dioxys rufipes can be instantly separated from D. rotundatus through inspection of the genital capsule (Fig. 4 A), since the penis valves evenly taper to form sharp apical points without lateral triangular projections, whereas in D. rotundatus the penis valves show clear lateral triangular projections (Fig. 4 E). Based on examined material, D. rufipes is widespread in the eastern Mediterranean, and I have been able to examine no specimens conforming to D. rotundatus from this region. Therefore, I consider D. rotundatus to be a western Mediterranean species extending east to Egypt in North Africa (see discussion in Section 2. Dioxys atlanticus) that is replaced by D. rufipes in the eastern Mediterranean.
Distribution.
Portugal, Spain, France, Italy (Sardinia), Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt * (Warncke 1977 partim; Kuhlmann et al. 2014 partim; Baldock et al. 2018; Bogusch 2023 partim).
Distributional notes.
Records from Croatia, Greece, Turkey, and Israel (Heinrich 1977; Warncke 1977; Kuhlmann et al. 2014; Bogusch 2023) almost certainly refer to D. rufipes (see Section 12). Records from Croatia come from Kaštel Sućurac (Warncke 1977) which is in the south-east of the country and is much more likely to host eastern Mediterranean rather than western Mediterranean species, and so the judgement is made here that these are likely to refer to D. rufipes.
description: Published as part of Wood, T. J., 2025, Resolving issues in the genus Dioxys (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae, Dioxyini) in the West Palaearctic with a new identification key, pp. 261-302 in ZooKeys 1226 on pages 261-302, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1226.138377