Andrena (Chlorandrena) taraxaci Giraud, 1861

Wood, Thomas J., 1942, Revision of the Andrena (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae) fauna of Bulgaria and North Macedonia with description of three new species, Belgian Journal of Entomology 117, pp. 1-39 : 33

153. Andrena (Chlorandrena) taraxaci Giraud, 1861 *

DISTRIBUTION. Central Europe with a western limit in Austria and Germany, eastwards to Russia and south to Greece and Turkey ( SCHWENNINGER, 2015).

MATERIAL EXAMINED. BULGARIA: • 1♀, Charmanli [Harmanli], 16.v.1976, leg. Kocourek, OÖLM ; • 2♂, 1♀, Kresna , v.1967, leg. Kocourek, OÖLM ; • 2♀, 12–18.v.1979, leg. Kocourek, OÖLM ; • 1♀, Kresna , Javorov, v.2010, leg. P. Pacholátko, OÖLM .

NOTE. Andrena taraxaci has been greatly confused because there are a large number of morphologically similar species around this taxon that are best separated by reference to the male genitalia and hidden sterna. Warncke treated many of these taxa as subspecies, and hence a very broad ‘distribution’ can be found for A. taraxaci sensu Warncke (see the distribution map presented in GUSENLEITNER & SCHWARZ, 2002). These taxa were most recently revised by SCHWENNINGER (2015), who listed A. orientana but not A. taraxaci for Bulgaria, in line with WARNCKE (1966). Though SCHEUCHL & WILLNER (2016) list A. taraxaci for Bulgaria, it is not clear which species concept they are using, or what species concept was used in the source data as this publication also lists A. taraxaci from countries like Israel that are ecologically extremely different to the upland habitats inhabited by A. taraxaci sensu stricto. The revision of Schwenninger is therefore followed as priority, and A. taraxaci is consequently listed as new for Bulgaria.