Andrena (Euandrena) symphyti Schmiedeknecht, 1883

Distribution: South and Central Europe, Caucasus, Near East (Gusenleitner & Schwarz 2002; Scheuchl & Willner 2016). Newly recorded from Syria and northern Israel, which is apparently its southernmost distributional limit. A single record exists from Israel’s central coastal plain (Kfar Azar), but this could be a labeling error.

Flight period: February–May (Israel), April–June (Central Europe, Scheuchl & Willner 2016).

Flower records: Oligolectic on Boraginaceae: Cerinthe,? Nonea, Onosma, Symphytum (Scheuchl & Willner 2016) .

Material examined: HOLOTYPE ( A. symphyti furcata): TURKEY: Kahramanmaraş, Kayabaşı [Kayabaschi], 8.vii.1913, F. Tölg (♀) (ZMHB); non-type material: ISRAEL: Hermon Nature Reserve, Har Shezif, 1447 m, 33.286°N 35.7524°E, 16.iv.2022, G. Pisanty, pan traps (1♀, 4♂); Kfar Azar [Kefar Azar], 2.ii.1955, student (1♀); Montfort, Nahal Kziv [Nahal Keziv], 28.ii.2018, G. Pisanty (1♂); Mount Hermon [Har Hermon], 1642 m, 33.2996°N 35.7677°E, 19.v.2022, G. Pisanty, pan trap (1♀); Mount Meron [Har Meron], 5.iv.2016, G. Pisanty (4♀); 33.000°N 35.3927°E, 4.iv.2017, G. Pisanty, pan traps (28♀, 7m + 8♀ stylopised), sweeping (4♀) and on Symphytum brachycalix (10♀, 4♂ + 3♀ stylopised); 1000 m, 1.iv.2012, L. Friedman (1♂); 17.iv.2012, L. Friedman (1♂); 1100 m, 32º59.7’N 35º24.7’E, 14.iv.2011, A. Freidberg (1♂); [Meron], 23.iv.1973, D. Furth (1♀); SYRIA: Slanfah [Slenfe], 1200 m, 19.iv.1986, K.M. Guichard (1♀) (ES, NHMUK, OLML, SMNHTAU, TJW).

Remarks. COI barcode sequences show a 2.4–2.7% difference between Israeli vs. Central European populations of A. symphyti . We employ here a broad species concept of A. symphyti, as there is no clear ‘break point’ between populations separated by Warncke as A. symphyti in Europe and A. symphyti furcata Friese in Turkey and the Caucasus (see map in Gusenleitner & Schwarz 2002). We prefer to consider this a continuum of variation across this range until demonstrated otherwise.