Andrena (Melandrena) sibirica Morawitz, 1888

WOOD, T. J., 2024, Further revisions to the Palaearctic Andrena fauna (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae), Zootaxa 5483 (1), pp. 1-150 : 55

Andrena (Melandrena) sibirica Morawitz, 1888

Andrena sibirica Morawitz, 1888: 239 , ♀ [ Russia: Siberia , ZISP, photograph examined]

Andrena phaneroleuca Cockerell, 1929b: 396 , ♂ [ Russia: Siberia , NHMUK, examined] syn. nov. ( Figures 35A–D )

Remarks. Andrena sibirica was described only in the female sex, and the male was finally described over a century later ( Osytshnjuk 1995). Cockerell (1929b) described several Andrena species from Siberia, some of which were subsequently synonymised or reduced to subspecies in combination with widespread Euro-Siberian species (e.g. Tadauchi & Xu 1999). However, the identity of A. phaneroleuca has remained unclear. Tadauchi & Xu (1999) examined the syntypic series and placed it in the subgenus Melandrena , but drew no further conclusions other than noting its similarity to A. watasei Cockerell, 1913 which was described from Japan.

Gusenleitner & Schwarz (2001) also examined the type series, but disagreed with placement in Melandrena and placed the taxon instead in the subgenus Campylogaster Dours, 1873 based on similarity with A. incisa Eversmann, 1852 which is no longer found in this subgenus following molecular and morphological revision ( Pisanty et al. 2022b; Wood 2023b). Gusenleitner & Schwarz considered A. phaneroleuca to represent a distinct species, and illustrated the characteristic genital capsule ( Gusenleitner & Schwarz 2001: 346). However, none of these authors appear to have been aware of Osytshnjuk’s (1995) description of the male of A. sibirica (as evidenced by the later redundant description of the male by Xu & Tadauchi (2009)), as the genital capsule with 90 o lateral projections on the gonostyli is found in both A. sibirica and A. phaneroleuca . The typical genital capsule of A. sibirica was later illustrated again by Osytshnjuk et al. (2008: 191). Based on the genital capsule ( Figure 35D ), as well as the rest of the specimen characteristics, A. phaneroleuca is clearly a synonym of A. sibirica . Given its description from Irkutsk in Siberia, this does not change the known range of A. sibirica .

Material examined. RUSSIA: Irkutsk, vii.1927, 1♂,leg. W.P.Cockerell, NHMUK (syntype of A.phaneroleuca ); Osnatschenn.[aja] [Russia, Krasnoyarsk Territory, Minusinsk district ], [undated], 1♀, leg. Hammarstr., ZISP (lectotype, examined by photograph; Astafurova et al. 2021) .

Distribution. Russia (from the Urals eastwards), Kazakhstan, Mongolia, north-eastern China ( Astafurova et al. 2021).

Figures

FIGURE 35. Andrena (Melandrena) phaneroleuca Cockerell, 1929 syntype male. A. Label details; B. Habitus, lateral view; C. Face, frontal view; D. Genital capsule, dorsal view.