Author: Popov, 1932

Type species: Phiarus minutus Mocsàry, 1878, by original designation.
Clade: Anthophila
Family: Apidae
Subfamily: Nomadinae
Tribe: Ammobatini
Distinctive traits
  •  Small bees
  • No scopa (cleptoparasites of Camptopoeum)
  • 2 submarginal cells
  • marginal cell truncate
  • 1st recurrent vein joining submarginal cell 2 in its apical half, so that the medial cell is greatly narrowed at its apex.
Pictures of distinctive traits
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Morphologically close genera, and how to distinguish them:
Parammobatodes is very similar to Chiasmognathus, and similar to the other Ammobatini.
  • Parammobatodes - Chiasmognathus
Parammobatodes species 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 species have mandibles crossing at right angle. They are smaller than 4 mm and lack a jugal lobe at the hindwing.
  • Parammobatodes - Ammobates
Parammobatodes species have mandibles crossing before their apices, forming an angle smaller than 145°. The first recurrent vein joins submarginal cell 2 after the middle of its posterior margin.
Ammobates species have mandibles overlapping when closed, and the first recurrent vein joins submarginal cell 2 around the middle of its posterior margin or more basally.
  • Parammobatodes - Ammobatoides & Schmiedeknechtia
Parammobatodes 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.
  • Parammobatodes - Clavipanurgus, Flavipanurgus, Panurginus, Panurgus & Simpanurgus
Parammobatodes 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 Parammobatodes species identification
According to Warncke (1983), the two european species can be distinguished by the flagellum segments and the punctuation of the frons, mesonotum and first metasomal tergum.
List of the 2 Parammobatodes species found in Europe (Ghisbain et al. 2023)
Parammobatodes maroccanus (Warncke, 1983)
Parammobatodes minutus (Mocsáry, 1878

Species identification:
  • P. minutus:
Flagellum with segments barely longer than wide. Frons punctuated like the mesonotum with large punctures separated by shiny spaces. First metasomal tergum densily and finely punctuated.
  • P. maroccanus:
Flagellum with segments almost twice as long as wide. Frons with punctures twice as strong as those of the mesonotum, densely punctuated without shiny space. First tergite almost not punctuated.
References with identification keys for some of the species:
  • Warncke K., 1983. Zur Kenntnis der Bienengattung Pasites Jurine, 1807, in der Westpaläarktis (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Nomadinae). Entomofauna 4(21): 261-347.
Online resources:
WestPalBees (West Palearctic)
Page contributors:
  • Adrien Perrard (Dec. 2023)
  • 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. (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.
  • Warncke K., 1983. Zur Kenntnis der Bienengattung Pasites Jurine, 1807, in der Westpaläarktis (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Nomadinae). Entomofauna 4(21): 261-347.