Xylocopa (Copoxyla) iris (Christ, 1791) (fig. 21.1)

= Xylocopa cyanescens Brullé, 1832

Distribution: PALAEARCTIC: Mediterranean basin and Southern Europe, and further east to Tajikistan (Terzo & Rasmont 2014, Ascher & Pickering 2021).

Local distribution fig. 15.1

Literature. Maidl (1912): Listed under Xylocopa cyanescens

Beirut (labelled as Syria at time of the record), leg. Leuthner V, det. Maidl F.

Material examined. Bekaa: AUB Farm [Haush Sneid], IV.1979, 1♀, leg. Boghos D., coll . AUB.

Mount Lebanon: Bhamdoun, 1.V.1975, 1♂, coll. AUB ; Jabal Moussa Biosphere Reserve, Peony Trail, 1440 m, 21.VIII.2018, 1♀, leg. Nemer N. ; Marej Barja, Kaleet El Besten, 358 m, 26.IV.2019, 1♀, leg. Boustani M., all coll. MBOU ; Al Barouk, Shouf Biosphere Reserve, 1690 m, 4.VII.2019, 1♂, leg. Van Achter X., coll. XVA .

N. Lebanon: Tannourine El Tahta, Wadi ain Al Raha, 1187 m, 2. VIII .2017, 1♀, leg. Boustani M.; Hadath El Jebbeh, Road to Wadi Al Fouar, 1553 m, 19. VII .2018, 1♂, leg. Boustani M., Jabbour J.; Hadath El Jebbeh, Al Fouar, 1529 m, 7.VI.2019, 1♂, leg. Boustani M., Mouawad G.; Tannourine El Tahta, Mar Boutros, 1207 m, 25.IV.2019, 1♀, leg. Boustani M.; 1182 m, 25.IV.2019, 1♀, leg. Rasmont P.; 1207 m, 5.V.2019, 2♂, 1♀, leg. Boustani M., all coll. MBOU .

Flower records. Asteraceae: Echinops gaillardotii; Boraginaceae: Anchusa hybrida; Fabaceae: Vicia tenuifolia; Iridaceae: Gladiolus segetum; Lamiaceae: Stachys distans .

Terzo (2021) reports flower preferences for Asteraceae, Fabaceae and Lamiaceae, all three of which are found in our observations, he also reports a strong preference for Eryngium campestre (Apiaceae) .