Epeolus variegatus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Apis variegata Linnaeus, 1758: 577, ♂ (type locality: Sweden).

Apis notata Christ, 1791: 188-189, ♀, ♂ (type locality: Germany).

Apis pulchella Christ, 1791: 194-195, ♀, ♂ (type locality: Germany).

Apis muscaria Christ, 1791: 195-196, ♀, ♂ (type locality: Germany).

Apis festiva Christ, 1791: 190-191, ♀, ♂ (type locality: Germany).

Epeolus pictus Nylander, 1848: 174-175, ♀, ♂ (type locality: Siberia, Russia).

Epeolus productus Thomson, 1870: 91, ♀, ♂ (type locality: Sweden).

Published data.

Popov 1934: 57 (northern Kazakhstan, as E. productus Thomson); Levchenko et al. 2017: 317 (Central Asia). The record from Tajikistan (22.VI - Anzob) (Morawitz 1875: 144) belongs to E. transitorius .

Material examined.

Kazakhstan, 1 ♀, Akmola, 6 km NE of Imkty-kol’ Lake, 21.VI.1957, leg. VR [ZISP] ; 21 ♀♀, 59 ♂♂, Koksengir, S of Zhana-Arka, 31.VI-16.VIII.1959, leg. VR [ZISP] ; 4 ♀♀, 4 ♂♂, Taldy-Manak River, 14.VIII.1959, leg. VR [ZISP] ; 5 ♀♀, 3 ♂♂, Basaga-uzek River, 8.VI.1957, leg. VR [ZISP] ; 2 ♀♀, 2 ♂♂, Yanvartzevo, 16-25.VI.1950, leg. VR [ZISP] ; 5 ♀♀, 1 ♂, Atbasar, 3.IX.1936, leg. P. Rezvoy [ZISP] ; 1 ♀, 3 ♂♂, 10 km N of Zharkol Lake, 17.VI.1957, leg. VR [ZISP] ; 1 ♀, 1 ♂, Shabdar, 21.VI.1957, leg. VR [ZISP] ; 1 ♀, 4 ♂♂, Kokshetau Mts, 12.VII.1958, leg. VR [ZISP] ; 1 ♀, Borovoye, Kokchetav, 26.VII.1932, leg. VP [ZISP] ; 1 ♀, near Uralsk, 5.VII.1908, leg. D. Borodin, V. Uvarov [ZISP] .

Distribution.

Kazakhstan, North Africa, Europe, Russia (to Eastern Siberia), Turkey, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Iran, Pakistan, Mongolia.

Remarks.

In Central Asia Epeolus variegatus is only known from northern Kazakhstan, where it is a common species. Reports of this species from other Central Asian countries are not confirmed by our examined material. In Russia, according to currently available data, the species is distributed east to the province of Irkutsk. A record from Yakutia by Davydova and Pesenko (2002) is a misidentification, which instead corresponds to E. cruciger and E. alpinus .