Species

BackDioxys atlantica Saunders, 1904

Dioxys atlantica Saunders, 1904

  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Class: Insecta
  • Order: Coleoptera
  • Family: Megachilidae
DD Data Deficient
IUCN Red List Status:

Countries of Occurrence:
Spain - Canaries

Archipelago(s):
Canaries

Assessor/s:
Ornosa, C. & Ortiz Sánchez, F.J.

Reviewer/s:
Kemp, J.R. & Michez, D.

Contributor/s:
Romero, D.

Facilitators / Compilers/s:


Assessment Rationale:

Listed as Data Deficient as there is little information available on the population size, trends and specific threats to the species. Research should be conducted in order to determine the status of this species. 

Geographic Range:

Dioxys atlantica is endemic to the Canary Islands (Hohmann et al. 1993). It is found on Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote, up to 900 m (Saunders 1904, Hohmann et al. 1993).

Warncke (1977) also included a record (as subspecies) from Luxor (Egypt), but it has not been recorded in the region since (Hohmann et al. 1993, Ascher and Pickering 2012).

Regions:
Spain - Canaries
Extent of Occurrence (EOO):
(km2)
Area of Occupancy (AOO):
(km2)
Elevation Lower Limit:
(m)
Elevation Upper Limit:
900 (m)
Biogeographic Realms:
Paleartic
Presence:
Extant
Origin:
Endemic Canaries
Seasonality:
Resident

Population:

There is no information available on the current population abundance of this species as the latest records are from the late eighties (Hohmann et al. 1993).

It is a rare species and due to its island distribution (Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote), the population is fragmented and can be said to occur in three localities.

Habitat and Ecology

Dioxys atlantica is found on sub-tropical grassland and shrubland. It is a kleptoparasitic species, in that it parasitises the nests of other bee species, possibly of Osmia submicans (Saunders 1904).

 

The flight period runs from February to May (Hohmann et al. 1993) and it was first collected on Echium sp. (Saunders 1904).

Major Threat(s):

The threats to this species are not known, however, it is presumably threatened by habitat loss due to deforestation and habitat degradation through human activities. Agrochemicals produce severe impacts in this and other bees and could lead to a population decline.

Conservation Actions

The species is not listed in any National Red Lists or Red Data Books. Further research should be conducted to determine the population size and trends, and specific threats to the species. It occurs within protected areas.