Andrena croceiventris Morawitz, 1871

Praz, Christophe, Genoud, David, Vaucher, Killian, Benon, Dimitri, Monks, Joseph & Wood, Thomas J., 2022, Unexpected levels of cryptic diversity in European bees of the genus Andrena subgenus Taeniandrena (Hymenoptera, Andrenidae): implications for conservation, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 91, pp. 375-428 : 375

Andrena croceiventris Morawitz, 1871 stat. rev.

Figs 12 , 22 , 38 , 48

Andrena croceiventris Morawitz, 1871: 219, ♀, “Calabria” [Italy].

Andrena stefanii Pérez, 1895: 41, ♀ ‘Sicile’ [Italy]. Synonymy in Warncke 1967: 185 (with A. russula ssp. croceiventris ). Lectotype ♀, by designation of Warncke 1967: 185 (MNHN).

Material examined.

Type material: Lectotype ♀ of Andrena stefanii Pérez, 1895. Italy • Sicile [Sicily], no further information (MNHN).

Other material (Suppl. material 2: Table S2): Italy • ♀; Castiglione d'Orcia ; [43.005°N, 11.616°E]; 37.5.2001 ; leg. K. Hirt; unique identifier: GBIFCH00131712 (KHC) [DNA extraction number 1534] • ♀; Montalcino ; [43.056°N, 11.49°E]; 7.6.1998 ; leg. K. Hirt; unique identifier: GBIFCH00131713 (KHC) [DNA extraction number 1530] • ♀; Montalcino, Croce ; [43.056°N, 11.49°E]; 25.6.2004 ; leg. K. Hirt; unique identifier: GBIFCH00117709 (PRUN) [DNA extraction number 1532] • ♂; Pesaro ; 7.7.1962 ; leg. S. Erlandsson (OLML) • ♀; Sicily; 17.5.1954 ; leg. Dr. Enslin (OLML) • ♀; Sicily; Selinute [Selinunte]; 13.4.1965 ; leg. K. M. Guichard (OLML) • ♀; Latium, Caprarola ; [42.3287°N, 12.2406°E]; 22.5.1979 ; leg. R. Hensen; unique identifier: ZMA.INS.5104369 (RMNH).

Distribution.

Only known from Italy between Tuscany and Calabria, as well as from Sicily.

Diagnosis.

Female. The most distinctive feature of Andrena croceiventris is the partly reddish colour of the integument of the metasoma, especially T1-3 (Fig. 22 ) In some specimens however, the reddish colour is limited to small areas on T1-2. The hind femora are dark. Females of A. croceiventris are sculpturally very similar to A. antonellae sp. nov. and A. fuliginata , especially in the nearly impunctate T1 and T2. Andrena russula (= A. similis ) has the scutum and especially the scutellum shinier, the vestiture longer, for example on the scutum and scutellum; the apical tergal hairbands are also longer (compare Figs 22 and 26 ). In A. croceiventris , the terminal fringe is yellowish orange, the vestiture on the mesosoma and head is orange-brown, and the white apical hairbands of hairs are narrow and restricted to the side of the terga. Differences with A. antonellae sp. nov. are given under that species.

Male. As mentioned above, the male of A. croceiventris is sculpturally nearly identical to those of A. antonellae sp. nov. and A. fuliginata . The lone specimen of A. croceiventris examined has part of the metasomal integument dark orange (tergal margins, pregradular areas and lateral, declivous parts), a unique feature in European species of Taeniandrena . Differences compared to A. wilkella and A. russula are mentioned under A. antonellae sp. nov. or in the identification key.

Note.

This species has so far been treated as a subspecies of the widespread species A. russula (= A. similis ; see below) ( Warncke 1967: 212, 1986). Andrena russula is present in Central Italy (see below), so the ranges of both A. russula and A. croceiventris overlap. The morphological differences, combined with the striking genetic differences (Fig. 2 ) observed in spite of range overlap, lead us to recognize A. croceiventris as a distinct species.

Figures

Figure 2. Maximum clade credibility tree found in Bayesian analyses of sequence data of the mitochondrial gene COI, showing the phylogenetic relationships among the different species of Andrena subgenus Taeniandrena investigated in the present study. Numbers above branches represent posterior probabilities (values <0.5 are omitted). Taxa mentioned in the text are indicated by arrows or by vertical bars.

Figures 9 - 16. Terminal fringes of females of Taeniandrena 9 Andrena afzeliella 10 A. ovatula 11 A. antonellae sp. nov. 12 A. croceiventris 13 A. gelriae 14 A. intermedia 15 A. ovata 16 A. russula.

Figures 19 - 26. Metasomal terga 1 - 3 of females of Taeniandrena 19 Andrena afzeliella 20 A. ovatula 21 A. antonellae sp. nov. 22 A. croceiventris 23 A. gelriae 24 A. intermedia 25 A. ovata 26 A. russula.

Figures 35 - 44. Male antennae 35 Andrena afzeliella 36 A. ovatula 37 A. antonellae sp. nov. 38 A. croceiventris 39 A. gelriae 40 A. intermedia 41 A. ovata 42 A. russula 43 A. vocifera 44 A. wilkella.

Figures 45 - 54. Male genitalia 45 Andrena afzeliella 46 A. ovatula 47 A. antonellae sp. nov. 48 A. croceiventris 49 A. gelriae 50 A. intermedia 51 A. ovata 52 A. russula 53 A. vocifera 54 A. wilkella.