Osmia (Erythrosmia) melanura Morawitz, 1871

Polylectic, pollen sources include Fabaceae (e.g. Lotus creticus, Medicago marina, Hedysareae), Asteraceae, Boraginaceae (e.g. Echium), Caryophyllaceae, Brassicaceae, Cistaceae and Lamiaceae (Müller, 1992; A. Müller, unpublished, based on 5 pollen samples from 4 different localities). This status is at variance with Banaszak & Romasenko 1989) who state that the species is "Apparently oligolectic on Echium (Boraginaceae)". The females are equipped with a specialized pilosity on clypeus and frons composed of curved bristles, which are used to comb pollen from the nototribic anthers of Lamiaceae and Antirrhineae (Müller, 1996b; Müller et al., 1997).

Mueller also detected traces of Caryophyllaceae and Brassicaceae pollen, and also minute quantities of Calystegia soldanella (Convolvulaceae) pollen (which is pobably a nectar source).

%LABEL% (%SOURCE%)