Two hundred years of wild bee research in Egypt: review of the resin and wool-carder bees of the tribe Anthidiini in Egypt (Apoidea: Megachilidae)

The German travelers Friedrich W. Hemprich and Christian G. Ehrenberg laid the foundation for the scientific exploration of the fauna of the Middle East through their renowned expedition to Egypt, the Levant, and the Red Sea region between 1820 and 1825. Among the numerous new species described on the basis of their material were six species of Anthidiini from Egypt. Research on wild bees gained further momentum in the first half of the 20 th century, particularly in the 1950s, when the Austrian entomologist Hermann Priesner resided in Cairo and worked for the Egyptian authorities. Building on the efforts of various amateur and professional researchers, a comprehensive review of the wool-carder and resin bees of the tribe Anthidiini is provided here, summarizing current faunistic and taxonomic knowledge. With 32 species in seven genera, the Egyptian fauna is relatively species-poor. This pattern can be attributed both to the predominance of desert habitats and to the still insufficient level of study. Thirteen of the 32 species (40%) are known only from historical records and have not been recorded again during the past 90 years. Although declines in some species cannot be excluded, the most likely explanation is the limited attention that wild bees in general have received over recent decades. This review compiles all accessible information on anthidiine bees in Egypt and is intended to provide a baseline for future research. As part of the taxonomic treatment, Anthidium bilobatum Pasteels, stat. rev . is removed from synonymy with Icteranthidium ferrugineum (Fabricius) and suggested as a junior synonym of I. limbiferum (Morawitz). Concurrently, Anthidium posticum Klug, stat. rev . is removed from synonymy with I. ferrugineum (Fabricius) and treated as a distinct species. Furthermore, genetic analysis establishes that A. amandum Kasparek occurs in Egypt as a distinct sibling species alongside A. minimum Pasteels. Additionally, photographs are provided for several species that lack published images to support identification.