Author: Engel, 2006

Type species: Parammobatodes gussakovskii Popov, 1951, monobasic.
Clade: Anthophila
Family: Apidae
Subfamily: Nomadinae
Tribe: Ammobatini
Distinctive traits
  •  Extremely small bees (less than 4mm)
  • Cleptoparasites of Nomioidini (Halictidae)
  • 2 submarginal cells
  • marginal cell truncate
  • lack a jugal lobe in hindwing,
  • pedicel enlarged and basally tightly adapted to the scape
  • mandibles crossing at right angle instead of overlapping.
  • Males and females have antennae with 12 segments.
Pictures of distinctive traits
Morphologically close genera, and how to distinguish them:
  • Chiasmognathus - Parammobatodes
Chiasmognathus have mandibles crossing at right angle. They are smaller than 4 mm and lack a jugal lobe at the hindwing.
Parammobatodes have mandibles crossing less (up to 145°) and tend to be larger although with overlap (2.5 to 8mm), and have a jugal lobe.
  • Chiasmognathus - Ammobatoides & Schmiedeknechtia
Chiasmognathus species have a truncated marginal cell, basal part submarginal cell 1 is about as long as that of submarginal cell 2. Males have non-converging eyes.
Ammobatoides & Schmiedeknechtia species have an oval or pointed marginal cell, basal part of submarginal cell 1 is around twice as long as that of submarginal cell 2. Males have strongly converging eyes.
  • Chiasmognathus - Clavipanurgus, Flavipanurgus, Panurginus, Panurgus & Simpanurgus
Chiasmognathus species have a somewhat protruding clypeus and a long-tongue morphology (segments 1 and 2 of maxillary palpi are strongly elongated).
Clavipanurgus, Flavipanurgus, Panurginus, Panurgus & Simpanurgus species have a flat clypeus and a short-tongue morphology of mouthparts (short maxillary palpi).
General comments on Chiasmognathus species identification
Only one species known from Europe. However, its minute size and late discovery suggests that the genus is ill-known. The distribution and diversity of Chiasmognathus species will likely change in the future.
Chiasmognathus species found in Europe (IUCN 2014 + Rasmont et al 2017):
Chiasmognathus (Chiasmognathus) orientanus (Warncke, 1983)
Online resources:
WestPalBees (West Palearctic)
Page contributors:
  • Adrien Perrard (Dec. 2019)

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References used to write this page:
  • Engel, M. 2006. A new genus of minute ammobatine bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Acta Entomologica Slovenica, 14(2), 113-121.
  • Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World, 2nd Edition. The John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.
  • Michez D., Rasmont P., Terzo, M., Vereecken, N. 2019. Abeilles d'Europes. Hymenoptères d'Europes, Volume 1. N.A.P. Editions.
  • Nieto, A., Roberts, S. P., Kemp, J., Rasmont, P., Kuhlmann, M., García Criado, M., ... & Michez, D. 2014. European red list of bees. Luxembourg: Publication Office of the European Union, 98. (IUCN 2014)
  •  Rasmont, P., Devalez, Jelle, Pauly, A., Michez, D. & Radchenko, V.G. 2017. Addition to the checklist of IUCN European wild bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea). Annales de la Société entomologique de France 53: 17-32.