Updates to the bee fauna of Portugal with the description of three new Iberian Andrena species (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila)
Author
Wood, Thomas James
Laboratoire de Zoologie, Université de Mons, 7000, Mons, Belgium.
Author
Cross, Ian
16 Briantspuddle, Dorchester, Dorset, DT 2 7 HS, United Kingdom.
Author
Baldock, David W.
Nightingales, Haslemere Road, Milford, Surrey, GU 8 5 BN, United Kingdom.
text
Zootaxa
2020
2020-06-11
4790
2
201
228
journal article
21708
10.11646/zootaxa.4790.2.1
312733bb-486b-4f4c-b8b3-260aea3285a9
1175-5326
3889396
F10A4BCE-899A-4EED-9211-343BB3E2BEB8
Andrena
(
Melandrena
)
nitida
(Müller, 1776)
Distribution:
Europe (
Gusenleitner & Schwarz 2002
), though highly confused and subject to revision.
Discussion:
The identity of the large predominantly black and brown
Andrena
in Europe and the Mediterranean basin continues to pose problems. Of these,
Andrena nitida
,
A. thoracica
(Fabricius, 1775)
, and
Andrena limata
Smith, 1853
have been particularly confused, with numerous subspecies and combinations proposed.
Andrena limata mixtura
Warncke, 1967
(
Figures 31–32
) was originally described with a locus typicus in central
Portugal
(
Warncke, 1967
). However, with no written justification, he later formally moved the subspecies to
A. nitida
(Warncke 1976, though because of publication delays he actually used this combination a year before in a treatment on North Africa,
Warncke 1974
). This confusion persisted to
Gusenleitner & Schwarz (2002)
, who although they list the name
mixtura
as a synonym of
A. limata
, the distribution map of Warncke that they present is for
A. nitida
with material in central and southern
Iberia
and north-western Africa separated as
A. n. mixtura
.
Examining the type series directly, the
holotype
of
A. l. mixtura
has dark hairs on the propodeum (
Figure 33
), the defining characteristic as proposed by
Warncke (1967)
. However, this is not consistent and two of the
paratype
females (Playa de Aro, Gerona,
Spain
;
Catalonia
, Beceite,
Spain
) have light brown hairs on the propodeum, with the specimen from Beceite almost entirely brown haired on the propodeum. The hind tibial spine is pale red (
Figure 34
), in line with both
A. nitida
and
A. limata
. Recent records of
A. limata
from central
Portugal
close to the
locus typicus
show variation in the extent of black hairs on the propodeum. These Portuguese individuals also show bivoltine behaviour which is typical for
A. limata
but not for
A. nitida
which flies only in the spring, and the type series contains both spring and summer individuals (e.g from Catalonia, see below).
On this basis, the
form
mixtura
is returned to its original combination with
A. limata
comb. nov.
We have seen no Portuguese material corresponding to true
A. nitida
and it is therefore removed from the Portuguese list.
Andrena nitida
is present in cooler regions of northern
Iberia
(e.g. provinces of Burgos and Santander, TJW
unpublished data
), just like other typical species of central and northern Europe such as
Nomada flava
Panzer, 1798
(
Fidalgo
et al
. 2019
), but based on its ecology it is extremely likely to be absent away from these temperate areas, and certainly absent from regions with a clear Mediterranean influence.
Material examined:
Andrena limata mixtura
type series:
MOROCCO
:
Ifrane
,
18.vii.1931
,
1♀
, leg.
A. Nadig
;
Koudia
,
19.iii.1969
,
1♀
, leg.
J.N. Tasei
;
PORTUGAL
:
Carcavelhos
,
29.iv.1956
,
1♀
, leg.
N.F. d’Andrade
(
holotype
)
;
Coimbra
,
Ponte da Portela
,
30.iii.1968
,
1♂
, leg.
M.A. Diniz
;
SPAIN
:
Catalonia
,
Arenys
,
15.iv.1929
,
1♀
, leg.
Zariquiey
(
paratype
)
;
Playa de Aro
,
Gerona
,
1♀
, leg.
H. Pochon
(
paratype
)
;
Catalonia
,
Beceite
,
16.vii.1923
,
1♀
, leg.
Zariquiey
(
paratype
)
;
Alicante
,
Orihuela
,
30.v.1925
,
1♀
, leg.
Andréu
(
paratype
)
;
8.iv.1925
,
1♀
, leg. Andréu;
16.vi.1949
,
1♂
, leg. Andréu; (illegible),
8.vi.1912
,
1♂
, leg. J.M. Dusmet y Alonso;
Barcelona
,
7.vii.1898
,
1♂
;
TUNISIA
:
2 km
E
Menzel Bourguiba
,
28.iii.1976
,
1♀
, leg.
P. Robinson.
Other
Andrena limata
from close to the
locus typicus
:
PORTUGAL
: Mafra,
1.iii–30.iv.2012
,
4♀
; Ninho de Águia, Alcobaça,
18.iii.2019
,
1♂
, leg.
T
.
J. Wood
;
Sesimbra
,
3.vi.2011
,
1♀
, leg.
A. Livory
&
R
.
Coulomb
;
Torres
Ve- dras
,
14.iv.2011
,
3♀
, leg. J. Franco;
12.iv.2013
,
1♀
, leg. C. Reis;
29.v.2012
,
1♀
, leg. C. Reis; Valado Nazaré,
27.iv.2000
,
1♀
, leg. M. Jenner; Fátima, Ourém,
30.vi.1969
,
1♂
;
9.vii.1969
,
1♂
,
Mendoça Colln.
,
Lisbon
;
Go- legã,
Paul do Boquílobo
,
25.iv.1997
,
1♀
, leg.
M. Jenner
;
Santarem
,
20.iv.1986
,
1♂
,
Mendoça Colln.
,
Lisbon
.