Andrena (Chlorandrena) tadauchii Gusenleitner, 1998

Andrena edentula Wood, 2020 syn. nov.

Distribution: Israel, Syria, Turkey, West Bank. Likely present also in Lebanon.

Flight period: February–May.

Flower records: Asteraceae: Crepis aspera, Glebionis coronaria, Picris spp., Rhagadiolus stellatus; Brassicaceae: Sinapis arvensis .

Material examined: HOLOTYPE ( A. edentula): SYRIA: occ. Al-Nasrah [An Nasrah] env., 8.iv.2005, J. Saki (♂) (OLML); non-type material: ISRAEL: Aderet, 24.iii.2010, G. Pisanty, pan trap (1♀); Banias, 18.iv.1992, R. Kasher (1♀); [ Panyas], 430 m, 15.iii.2011, 33°14.850’N 35°41.674’E, A. Freidberg (1♂); Beit Guvrin [Beit Govrin], 28.iii.2010, G. Pisanty, pan traps (4♀); [Bet-Govrin, 20 km S Hebron], 17.iii.1990, R. Kasher (1♂); Beit Nir, 28.iii.2010, G. Pisanty, pan traps (2♀); 25.iii.2018, T. Roth, on Picris (1♀); Beit Oren [Bet Oren], 1.5 km S, 18.iv.2015, 32.715 35.01, G. Pisanty (1♀); Giv’at Gad [Sheich-Ali, 20 km E Qiryat-Gat], 17.iii.1990, R. Kasher (1♂); Haifa University, 10.iv.1988, I. Yarom (1♀, 1♂); Har Gilo, 11.iv.1990, R. Kasher (1♂); Holot Nizzanim Nature Reserve, Nahal Evtah, 25.ii.2009, A. Freidberg (1♂); Horbat Sheqofa, 252 m, 15.iii.2021, 31.5775°N 34.8709°E, G. Pisanty, pan trap (1♂); Hurshat Tal, 13.iii.1996, R. Kasher (1♂); Jerusalem, 19.iii.1955, J. Wahrman (1♀); Jerusalem [Yerushalayim], 13.iv.2014, I. Arar, on Crepis aspera (1♀) and Sinapis arvensis (1♂); 27.ii.2015, T. Jumah (1♂); Kfar Giladi [Kefar Gil’adi], 1.iv.1997, R. Kasher (1♀, 1♂); 12.iv.1997, R. Kasher (1♀); 24.iv.1997, R. Kasher (1♀); Kfar Menahem [Kefar Menahem], 19.ii.2010, G. Pisanty (1♀); Lakhish, 3 km NE, 26.ii.2016, 31.578°N 34.870°E, G. Pisanty (1♂); 4.iii.2016, 31.575°N 34.870°E, G. Pisanty (2♂); 11.iii.2016, 31.575°N 34.870°E, G. Pisanty (1♀); Majdal Shams, 1100 m, 27.iv.2020, 33.262°N 35.755°E, G. Pisanty (1♀); Malkia [Malkiyya], 27.iv.2014, O. Winberger, pan traps (2♀); Matzuva [Mazuva], 18.iii.1951, J. Wahrman (1♀); Meirav [Hare Gilboa’, Merav], Har Avinadav, 420 m, 20.iii.2012, 32º28’N 35º26’E, L. Friedman (1♂); Merom Golan, 3.iv.1997, R. Kasher (5♀, 4♂); 20.iv.1997, R. Kasher (3♂); 23.iv.1997, R. Kasher (2♂); Mount Carmel, 2 km SE Haifa University, 24.iii.1990, A. Dafni (2♀, 6♂); Mount Carmel [Har Shana (Carmel)], 24.iii.1989, J. Kugler (1♀); Mount Hermon, 23.iv.1973, H. Bytinski-Salz (4♂) ( A. holophila paratype labels); [Har Hermon], 1640 m, 7.iv.2021, 33.300°N 35.7675°E, G. Pisanty, sweeping (2♂); 1644 m, 33.2992°N 35.7670°E, 16.iv.2022, G. Pisanty, pan trap (1♂); 1645 m, 16.iv.2021, 33.2994°N 35.7675°E, G. Pisanty, pan traps (2♂) and sweeping (1♂); [Sheh], 26.v.1972, M. Tintpulver (1♀); Mount Meron [Har Meron], 5.iv.2016, 32.9945°N 35.415°E, G. Pisanty (1♂); Nahal Alexander, 30.iii.2021, K. Levy (1♀); Nahal ‘ Iyyon, 430 m, HaTanur Waterfall, 33º16.064’N 35º34.500’E, 15.iii.2011, E. Morgulis (1♂); Nahal ‘ Iyyon Nature Reserve, haTanur [Tanur], 15.iii.1975, F. Kaplan (1♂); Nahal Sa’ar, 30.iii.1997, R. Kasher (1♀, 5♂); Nimrod Castle [Qala’at Nemrod], 6.v.1987, A. Shlagman (1♀); Road 869, 1.65 km W Daliyyot Junction, 428 m, 11.iv.2019, 32.892°N 35.760°E, A. Dorchin, O. Halbershtat & Y. Mersman (1♀); Snir, Hermon Field Study Center, 5.iii.1996, R. Kasher (1♀); 31.iii.1996, R. Kasher, on Rhagadiolus stellatus (1♀); 4.iv.1996, R. Kasher (1♀); 6.iv.1996, R. Kasher (1♀); 27.iii.1997, R. Kasher (1♀); 3.iv.1997, R. Kasher (1♀); WEST BANK: Mevo Horon, 24.ii.2010, G. Pisanty, on Glebionis coronaria (2♂); SYRIA: Stausee, 10 km SW Homs, 500 m, 15.iv.1992, M. Kraus & K. Warncke (2♂) (OLML, SMNHTAU).

Remarks. Andrena tadauchii was originally described from a single female as A. humilis prunella Warncke, 1975, but this name was preoccupied by an unrelated taxon described from Afghanistan (nec A. prunella Warncke, 1974). Due to the scarcity of material, Warncke could not associate the two sexes together, and labeled the males as A. holophila nomen nudum, but died before publishing them. Gusenleitner (1998) renamed A. h. prunella as A. tadauchii, associated the sexes together and described the male. In the Warncke collection, only the female was available for study until recently, when specimens used to describe the male were discovered in an unmarked box. Andrena tadauchii is part of the humilis -group within the subgenus Chlorandrena, though its male is highly unusual for this group as its sternum 8 is noticeably enlarged and resembles members of the rhenana -group. As a result, Wood et al. 2020a misdiagnosed A. edentula as an undescribed taxon belonging to the rhenana -group, and not the male of tadauchii . After inspection of the missing material, the two taxa are synonymised, and male material has been integrated into the Warncke collection proper.