Andrena (Melandrena) flavipes Panzer, 1799

WOOD, T. J., 2024, Further revisions to the Palaearctic Andrena fauna (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae), Zootaxa 5483 (1), pp. 1-150 : 53

Andrena (Melandrena) flavipes Panzer, 1799

Andrena flavipes Panzer, 1799: 20 , ♀ ♂ [ Austria,?NMW, type probably lost, not examined]

Andrena bentoni Cockerell, 1917: 285 , ♀ [ Pakistan, USNM, photograph examined] syn. nov.

Andrena incanescens Cockerell, 1923: 266 , ♂ [ Pakistan, USNM, photograph examined] syn. nov.

Remarks. Andrena flavipes is an extremely widespread Palaearctic Andrena species that has been described many times (including from northern India, e.g. Cameron 1908; 1909) due to its variation in pubescence length and colouration. However, the male genital capsule is consistent across its range, and there are no genetic data to support splitting it into multiple taxa. Against this context, the descriptions of A. bentoni and A. incanescens from what is now Pakistan add to the list of A. flavipes synonyms.

Andrena bentoni displays typical A. flavipes characters, most clearly on the densely punctate clypeus with the punctures found in weak but distinct longitudinal grooves (one of the defining characters of the former subgenus Zonandrena which is now a synonym of the subgenus Melandrena , see Pisanty et al. 2022b), but also in the fulvous tibial scopae, densely punctate terga with pale apical hairbands, and dark terminal fringe. As for A. cussariensis kohatensis , the specimen in the USNM is likely automatically the holotype since Cockerell only described the female sex, and did not indicate that there were additional specimens.

Andrena incanescens also displays typical A. flavipes characters, in the relatively long A3 (exceeding A4, shorter than A4+5), the dark and densely punctate clypeus, the predominantly pale facial pubescence (note, Himalayan specimens are much paler than typical A. flavipes males from Central Europe which can have the face with extensive black-brown pubescence), relatively long ocelloccipital distance exceeding the diameter of a lateral ocellus (typical for Melandrena ), densely punctate terga with apical hairbands of pale hairs on T2–4, and dark hairs at the apex of T6. Unfortunately, Cockerell (1923) did not extract or describe the genital capsule, which would have resolved this issue immediately. The specimen in the USNM type collection has the label “119”, indicating that it is one of the Dutt specimens examined by Cockerell (1923: 267), and is therefore a syntype.

Material examined. PAKISTAN: Menserah [Mansehra], March, 1906 [iii.1906], 1♀, leg. Frank Benton, USNM (holotype / syntype of A. bentoni ; type no. 23139, examined by photograph); Murree Hills, Punjab, 7500 ft, May 1920, “119”, leg. Dutt, USNM (syntype of A. incanescens ; type no. 55551, examined by photograph).

Distribution. West Palaearctic, Central Asia, China, Pakistan, and India ( Gusenleitner & Schwarz 2002).