Forum Entomologi Italiani

Is this specimen Pasites or Ammobates? Collected in Romania, on the Black Sea coast, with yellow pan traps. The sternite 5 and 6 looks right for Pasites, but the scutellum has no tubercles (like in Ammobates), also the lenght of the first tergite is the same as the second one (not much longer like in Pasites). Also, as far as I know in Europe there is only one species, Pasites maculatus, and my specimen looks somehow diferrent (see for exemple the colour of the legs).

Thank you for your help!

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alexandrupintilioaie(AT)gmail.com

Hi Alexandru, it's an Ammobates for sure, as you noticed Pasites maculatus is quite different.
Can you take dorsal and lateral pictures of the last tergum? Its shape and vestiture is diagnostic in females.
Also, you find keys for Pasites, Ammobates and related genera in the following paper:
Warncke K. (1983) Zur Kenntnis der Bienengattung Pasites JURINE, 1807, in der Westpaläarktis (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Nomadinae). Entomofauna, 04, 261 - 347.
It is freely available online

Dear Marco, thank you very much for your help!
I think it looks like Ammobates robustus, what do you think? . I couldn't find much info on the internet about its distribution, maybe you know more, if it was recorded before in Romania or where in Europe?

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alexandrupintilioaie(AT)gmail.com

Thanks for the pictures Alexandru, they permit to identify the specimen as Ammobates similis. This species is very similar to A. robustus, but the pygidial area on last tergum is glossier and more narrowed below.
Also, A. robustus is known from Algeria, Israel and Turkey, while A. similis is known from Italy to Turkey, including Romania.

Thanks again for all your help!

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alexandrupintilioaie(AT)gmail.com