Xylocopa (Xylocopa) valga Gerstaecker, 1872 * (fig. 21.4, fig. 28.4)

Distribution: WEST PALAEARCTIC: Widespread in Europe and East of the Mediterranean basin to China, scattered records in N. Africa (Terzo & Rasmont 2014, Ascher & Pickering 2021).

Local distribution fig. 15.6

Material examined. Common and widespread.

Beirut: AUB Campus, 19.II.1989, 1♀, leg. Dolly - Shafik, 1♀, leg. Yeganiantz L., coll . AUB.

Bekaa: AUB Farm [Haush Sneid], 28.IV.1962, 1♀, leg. Bedirian K.; 27.V.1962, 1♀, leg. Khan A.R.; 28.V.1964, 1♀, leg. Attar W., coll . AUB; Ainata, 1824 m, 30.V.2017, 1♂, leg. Boustani M., Rasmont P., coll . MBOU.

Mount Lebanon: Chouf Caza, 16.VI.1964, 1♀, coll. USEK; Maaniyye, Dhour El Maaniyye, 324 m, 25.V.2019, 1♀, leg. Boustani M., coll. MBOU. Additional 1♀ and 3♂ from 3 records collected on 29.V.2019 and 7.VIII.2019 from Maaser Al Chouf .

N. Lebanon: Bcharre, Bcharre Jord, 2723 m, 24.VI.2016, 1♂, leg. Van Achter X., coll. XVA. Additional 39♀ and 41♂ from 42 records collected between 5.V.2017 and 31.VII.2019, from Tannourine El Tahta, Arz Bcharre, Jord Tannourine, and Harissa .

Flower records. Asphodelaceae: Asphodeline taurica; Asteraceae: Cousinia libanotica, Echinops viscosus; Boraginaceae: Anchusa hybrida, Solenanthus stamineus; Caprifoliaceae: Cephalaria stellipilis; Fabaceae: Astragalus angustifolius, Colutea cilicica, Onobrychis cornuta, Vicia canescens, Vicia tenuifolia; Lamiaceae: Eremostachys laciniata, Phlomis chrysophylla, Salvia microstegia, Stachys ehrenbergii, Stachys cretica .

Terzo (2021) reports the species as polylectic within Fabaceae and Lamiaceae, the preference for both these families is also observed in our records above with other families.