An update and revision of the Andrena fauna of Morocco (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Andrenidae) with the description of eleven new North African species

By

Wood, Thomas
Michez, Denis
Cejas, Diego
Lhomme, Patrick
Rasmont, Pierre

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2020

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

974

Pages

31--92

Subjects

Alpine , Deserts , endemic , faunal list , pollen host plants , solitary bees , taxonomy

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.974.54794

 

Abstract

Morocco has a diverse bee fauna, but one that has also been relatively understudied in recent years. Here a revision of the species-rich genusAndrenais presented that reveals eleven new species for science and substantially improves our understanding of North AfricanAndrena. From Morocco, Andrena (Aciandrena) semiadesus Wood,sp. nov., Andrena (Aciandrena) triangulivalvis Woodsp. nov., Andrena (Campylogaster) sparsipunctata Woodsp. nov., Andrena (Carandrena) hebescens Woodsp. nov., Andrena (Cnemidandrena) niveofacies Woodsp. nov.,Andrena(incertae sedis)tenebricorpusWoodsp. nov., Andrena (Notandrena) acutidentis Woodsp. nov., Andrena (Poliandrena) breviceps Woodsp. nov., and Andrena (Poliandrena) farinosoides Woodsp. nov.are described and their ecology is discussed. Andrena (Aciandrena) astrella Warncke, 1975 is synonymised with Andrena (Aciandrena) fulica Warncke, 1974syn. nov.The unknown female of Andrena (Nobandrena) ounifa Warncke, 1974, and the unknown male of Andrena (Poliandrena) guichardi Warncke, 1980 are described.Andrena(incertae sedis)gafsensisWoodsp. nov.from Tunisia is described due to its similarity toAndrena tenebricorpus. Andrena (Poecilandrena) nigriclypeus Woodsp. nov.from Algeria is also described as it was collected within 10 km of the Moroccan border. A further 18 species are recorded in Morocco for the first time. Andrena (Melandrena) nitida (Müller, 1776) and Andrena (Notandrena) nitidiuscula Schenck, 1853 are removed from the Moroccan list due to historic problems in the application of these names to Mediterranean taxa.