Subgenus Vellandrena Pisanty subgen. nov.

Type species: Andrena bassana Warncke, 1969, designated here.

Description. Small to medium-sized bees (8–12.5 mm). Integument dark, male clypeus dark to partly yellow (Figs. 100–101). Head 1.2 times broader than long (Figs. 94, 100, 101). Mandible bidentate, normally developed in both sexes (Figs. 94, 100). Condylar lamella of female mandible weakly developed. Galea shagreened, punctation sparse and very weak, apex more or less rounded. Maxillary palpus extending beyond galea, six-segmented, segment 2 longest, 1.3 times longer than 1. Glossa short, 2.7 times longer than broad, very slightly extending beyond galea. Labial palpus slightly longer than glossa, four-segmented (Figs. 94, 100). Subgenal coronet present, coronet teeth limited to inner margin of paramandibular process. Labral process triangular in female (Fig. 94), narrow and bidentate in male (Fig. 110). Clypeus, mesonotum, scutellum, metanotum and terga mostly smooth, densely and strongly punctured in female (Figs. 89–94), partly shagreened and more weakly, sparsely punctured in male (Figs. 100–105). Clypeus 1.7 times broader than long, in females almost completely flat (Fig. 94), in males weakly protuberant, flattened medially (Figs. 100–101). Malar space absent. Inner margins of compound eyes parallel-sided in females (Fig. 94), converging below in males (Figs. 100–101). Facial foveae broad throughout, almost rectangular, separated from compound eye by smooth linear area, fovea width equals 0.65 times antennocular distance (Figs. 89, 91, 94). Distance of fovea from lateral ocellus about 1.1 ocellar diameters. Female flagellomere 1 longer than 2+3, shorter than 2+3+4 (Fig. 94), male flagellomere 1 as long as 2+3 or slightly shorter (Figs. 100–101). Genal area weakly broadened, especially in males, 1–1.3 times as broad as compound eye. Vertex well-developed, ocelloccipital distance 1.7–2.4 ocellar diameters (Figs. 89, 91, 102–103). Preoccipital ridge moderately carinate dorsally, rounded laterally. Dorsolateral angle of pronotum distinctly elevated, forming a strong dorsolateral carina. Surface of mesepisternum and propodeum (excluding propodeal triangle) with strong, fine alveolation, overlayed by coarse, shallow punctures. Profile of propodeum separated into sloping basal region and vertical apical region, basal region about 1.1 times as long as metanotum. Propodeal triangle not to weakly rugose (Fig. 97). Propodeal corbicula incomplete, upper half of corbicular surface with extremely dense, short plumose hair, with a texture reminiscent of a carpet (Fig. 98). Inner side of hind femur rounded. Inner hind tibial spur more or less straight and of uniform width. Femoral and tibial scopae composed of simple hairs. Flocculus complete (Fig. 95). Hind pretarsal claw with strong inner tooth. Forewing with three submarginal cells. Stigma 3.5–4 times longer than broad, 1.3 times broader than prestigma. Submarginal crossvein 1 enters marginal cell 4–6 vein widths from stigma. Recurrent vein 1 enters submarginal cell 2 distal to its middle. Recurrent vein 2 enters submarginal cell 3 at 0.6 of its length. Nervulus slightly postfurcal (Fig. 99). Jugal lobe of hind wing 0.8 times shorter than vannal lobe. Profile of tergum 1 clearly separated into declivous basal region versus horizontal posterior region, basal region with medial longitudinal rim (Figs. 93, 105). Tergal apical hair bands weakly developed (Figs. 90, 93, 104–105). Female pygidial plate normally developed, without elevated medial area; male pygidial plate absent. Male sternum 7 normally developed, with two small medioapical lobes that are partly fused medially (Fig. 111). Male sternum 8 normally developed, columnar, apical process broadened, without strong emargination (Fig. 109). Male genitalia with dorsal gonocoxite lobe well-developed, gonostylus blade strongly broadened, spatulate. Volsella small (Fig. 108).

Diagnosis. The most clearly defining character of Vellandrena is the unique structure of the female’s propodeal corbicula, present nowhere else in Andrena, in which the dorsal half of the corbicular surface is covered with an extremely dense and thick, carpet-like layer of short plumose hair (Fig. 98). Additional important characters include: both sexes—carinate pronotum; female—smooth and coarsely punctured clypeus, mesonotum and terga, flat clypeus, triangular labral process; male—strongly bidentate labral process, long flagellomeres, broad vertex, Truncandrena - type genitalia.

Species of Vellandrena were previously associated with the subgenus Truncandrena . However, aside from the similar male genital capsule, there is little similarity to typical members of the subgenus, especially in the females. Males are also readily differentiated from most Truncandrena by the unusual labral process, broad vertex, carinate pronotum, and smoother terga.

Biology. Vellandrena are active in springtime on a wide range of flowers. The two included species are likely pollen generalists.

Distribution: Eastern Mediterranean (Levant and Turkey).

Etymology. The prefix Vell - is from the Latin vellus, which means ‘fleece’ or ‘wool’, in combination with Andrena, the name of the higher taxon. The name refers to the unique dense pubescence on the dorsal half of the propodeal corbicular surface. The gender of the name is feminine.

Included species: Andrena bassana Warncke, 1969 (Israel, Jordan, Syria), A. etesiaca Warncke, 1975 stat. nov. (Turkey). Species belonging to Vellandrena were originally assigned to Truncandrena (Warncke 1969; Gusenleitner & Schwarz 2002).