Author: Tkalcu, 1984

Type species: Chelostoma schmiedeknechti Schletterer, 1889, by original designation.
Clade: Anthophila
Family: Megachilidae
SubF: Megachilinae
Tribe: Osmiini
Distinctive traits
  •  2 submarginal cells
  • ventral scopa in females
  • arolium present
  • body elongate: scutal length equivalent to ITD
  • labrum elongated without apical setae
  • internal margin of the mandible with no setae
Pictures of distinctive traits.
Morphologically close genera and how to distinguish them
  • Hofferia - Chelostoma
Hofferia females have no long setae on the mandible internal margin. Hofferia males do have a preapical transverse carina on S6.
Chelostoma females have a fringe of long setae on the mandible internal margin. Chelostoma males have no preapical transverse carina on S6.
  • Hofferia - Heriades & Stenoheriades
Hofferia species have no transverse carina between the vertical and horizontal areas of the T1.
Heriades & Stenoheriades species do have a transverse carina between the vertical and horizontal areas of the T1.
  • Hofferia - Osmia, Hoplitis, Haetosmia & Protosmia
Hofferia species have no long hairs at the apex of the labrum. Scutellum as long or longer than the ITD.
Osmia, Hoplitis, Haetosmia & Protosmia have long hairs at the apex of the labrum. Scutellum often shorter than the ITD.
General comments on Hofferia species identification
There is only one species of Hofferia recorded in Europe.
Hofferia species found in Europe (IUCN 2014 + Rasmont et al 2017):
Hofferia (Hofferia) schmiedeknechti (Schletterer, 1889)
Online resources: 
Exotic Bee ID (World)
Palearctic Osmiine Bees (Palearctic)
WestPalBees (West Palearctic)
Page contributors:
  • Adrien Perrard (Dec. 2019)

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References used to write this page:
  • 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.
  •  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.