Andrena (Margandrena) menahemella Scheuchl & Pisanty, 2016

Wood, Thomas James, Michez, Denis, Cejas, Diego, Lhomme, Patrick & Rasmont, Pierre, 2020, An update and revision of the Andrena fauna of Morocco (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Andrenidae) with the description of eleven new North African species, ZooKeys 974, pp. 31-92 : 31

Andrena (Margandrena) menahemella Scheuchl & Pisanty, 2016

Material examined.

Morocco: Fès-Meknès, south of Azrou, 25.iv.2017, 1♀, leg. M. Snižek, OÖLM; Fès-Meknès, Laanoucer, 1416 m, 11-12.iv.2019, 1♀, white pan trap; 1♀, yellow pan trap, both leg. L. Hamroud & A. Sentil, UMONS; Fès-Meknès, Ain Leuh, Azrou S, 17.iii.1990, 6♀, leg. H. Teunissen, NMNL, Leiden; Fès-Meknès, Col du Zad, 1800 m, 4.iii.1989, 1♀, 2100 m, 10.iii.1989, 2♀, all leg. H. Teunissen, NMNL, Leiden.

Distribution and remarks.

Previously known only from central Israel ( Pisanty et al. 2016, Figs 141-144 ). Specimens were collected at altitude from the Middle Atlas, and were also found in collections at Linz and Leiden. Specimens collected from Morocco conform to the description of A. menahemella with the following differences: In addition to T2+3 and S2+3, T4 is basally red and S4 is almost entirely red. There are no central black spots in T2 or T3 (compare Figs 140 , 144 ). The outer side of the hind tibia has uniformly dark hairs (compare Figs 137 , 141 ), and the nervulus slightly antefurcal. The hairs on the thorax are generally darker (Figs 142 , 143 ), rather than yellowish (Figs 138 , 139 ), contributing to an overall darker appearance.

Whilst overall the Moroccan material has more extensive reddish tergal margins and darker pubescence, the lack of any major structural differences mean that we consider this material to be conspecific with that from Israel, despite the large degree of geographic separation. This record extends the range of A. menahemella some 3,600 km to the west, giving a disjunct distribution of Morocco and Israel with no records from Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, or Egypt. However, this situation is not unprecedented amongst Andrena , with Andrena aegyptiaca Friese, 1899 showing a disjunct distribution being absent from much of the central part of North Africa ( Gusenleitner and Schwarz 2002).

Floral preferences.

As the two known specimens were caught in pan traps, no information on floral preferences is available. This reflects the situation in Israel, where females are known only from pan traps ( Pisanty et al. 2016). The pollen preferences of Margandrena are incompletely known ( Standfuss and Standfuss 2010; Gogala 2011). For species that fly in the winter through to the spring, they seem to be associated with monocotyledons such as Bellevalia ( Asparagaceae ), Colchium ( Colchicaceae ), and Crocus ( Iridaceae ) ( Mavromoustakis 1952, 1958; Scheuchl and Gusenleitner 2009). However, as very little detailed pollen work has been conducted on this group it is difficult to come to firm conclusions. Andrena menahemella should be searched for on monocotyledons in northern Morocco during March and April.

Other material examined.

Israel: Netiv Italamed He, 16.ii.2010, 1♀, leg. G. Pisanty, OÖLM (paratype, illustrated Figs 141-144 ).

Figures

Figures 137 - 144. Andrena (Margandrena) menahemella Scheuchl & Pisanty, 2016 (Israel) 137 female profile 138 female face 139 female dorsum 140 female tergites (Morocco) 141 female profile 142 female face 143 female dorsum 144 female tergites.