Author: Latreille, 1825

Type species: Andrena cornuta Fabricius, 1787, monobasic.
Synonyms: Liturgus Ashmead, 1899.
Clade: Anthophila
Family: Megachilidae
Subfamily: Lithurginae
Tribe: Lithurgini
Distinctive traits
  • 2 submarginal cells
  • Females with ventral scopa
  • Lack of arolium
  • Presence of a frontal ridge (in most cases)
  • Tridentate mandible
Pictures of distinctive traits.
Morphologically close genera and how to distinguish them
  • Lithurgus - Megachile
Lithurgus species have a tridentate mandibles.
Megachile species have stout mandibles with multiple small teeth or wide margin.
  • Lithurgus - Osmia, Hoplitis, Heriades, Chelostoma, Haetosmia, Hofferia, Stenoheriades, Protosmia.
Lithurgus species have no arolium.
Osmia, Hoplitis, Heriades, Chelostoma, Haetosmia, Hofferia, Stenoheriades & Protosmia species have an arolium.
General comments on Lithurgus species identification
Among other criteria, the 3 european species can be diagnosed by their size, the clypeus puncation, the shape of the frontal ridge and the hairs of the tergites:
- L. tibialis: small species (<11mm)
- L. chrysurus: large species (>11mm), females with clypeus densely and strongly punctate, less so near the front, and a flat frontal plate. Males with yellow hairs on the basal part of T2 to T4.
- L. cornutus: large species (>11mm), females with clypeus almost not punctate and a protruding front. Males with dark brown or reddish hairs on the basal part of T2 to T4.
Sorry, but the species identification tool is not yet available for Lithurgus. 
Please check the reference(s) below for traditional keys.
List of the 3 Lithurgus species found in Europe (Ghisbain et al. 2023):
Lithurgus chrysurus Fonscolombe, 1834
Lithurgus cornutus (Fabricius, 1787)
Lithurgus tibialis Morawitz, 1875
References with identification keys for some of the species:
  • van der Zanden, G. (1986). Die paläarktischen Arten der Gattung Lithurgus Latreille, 1825 (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Megachilidae). Mitteilungen aus dem Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin 62(1), 53-59
Online resources:
Exotic Bee ID (World)
Discover Life (World)
WestPalBees (West Palearctic)
Page contributors:
  • Adrien Perrard (Dec. 2023)
  • Matthieu Aubert (Aug. 2020)
  • Adrien Perrard (Dec. 2019)

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References used to write this page:
  • Ghisbain, G., Rosa, P., Bogusch, P., Flaminio, S., Le Divelec, R., Dorchin, A., Kasparek, M., Kuhlmann, M., Litman, J., Mignot, M., Müller, A., Praz, C., Radchenko, V.G., Rasmont, P., Risch, S., Roberts, S.P.M., Smit, J., Wood, T.J., Michez, D. & Reverte, S. (2023). The new annotated checklist of the wild bees of Europe (Hymenoptera: Anthophila). Zootaxa, 5327(1), 1-147.
  • 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.
  • van der Zanden, G. (1986). Die paläarktischen Arten der Gattung Lithurgus Latreille, 1825 (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Megachilidae). Mitteilungen aus dem Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin 62(1), 53-59.