Andrena (Aciandrena) nitidilabris Pérez, 1895

Wood, Thomas James, 2023, Revisions to the Andrena fauna of north-western Africa with a focus on Morocco (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 916 (1), pp. 1-85 : 15-17

Andrena (Aciandrena) nitidilabris Pérez, 1895

Fig. 11

Andrena (Aciandrena) nitidilabris Pérez, 1895: 46 , ♀ ( Tunisia: MNHN).

Andrena (Graecandrena) montarca parva Warncke, 1974: 45 , ♀ ♂ ( Tunisia: OÖLM). Syn. nov.

Material examined

TUNISIA • ♀, lectotype of A. nitidilabris ( Fig. 11A–F ); Kérouan [Kairouan]; MNHN • ♀, holotype of A. montarca parva ; Gafsa; 17 Mar. [year unknown]; OÖLM .

Remarks

Inspection of the MNHN collection revealed that the lectotype of A. nitidilabris ( Fig. 11A–F ) was correctly designated by Warncke (1967), but that the species was misinterpreted and later redescribed as A. montarca parva (type photographs at https://www.zobodat.at/belege.php). The lectotype of A. nitidilabris has the clypeus weakly but distinctively domed and weakly shagreened, therefore weakly shining ( Fig. 11C ); in A. nitidilabris auctorum the clypeus is strongly flattened and shagreened over the majority of its area (cf. A. verticalis Pérez, 1895 ) and only becomes shiny at its apical margin. The taxon referred to as A. nitidilabris by Warncke is actually undescribed, and is newly described below as A. pisantyi sp. nov.

Warncke (1974) described A. montarca parva from Gafsa in central Tunisia. He described it as a subspecies of A. (Graecandrena) montarca Warncke, 1975 (the difference in year priority is due to publication delays; see below for discussion and resolution of priority). This association was always morphologically tenuous – Gusenleitner & Schwarz (2002) noted the weak association of A. montarca parva with the other taxa in this grouping and argued that it deserved species status in future revisions due to the weaker terga bands ( Fig. 11F ), the more granular shagreen of the scutum ( Fig. 11D ), and the smoother and shinier clypeus ( Fig. 11C ). All of these characters clearly place it as the junior synonym of A. nitidilabris . Kairouan and Gafsa are approximately 180 km apart, so this synonymy makes additional ecological sense. Andrena nitidilabris is placed in the subgenus Aciandrena based on its morphological features (e.g., the antefurcal nervulus of the forewing, the propodeal triangle with uniform granular shagreen and without basal rugae, Fig. 11E ), particularly the simple male genital capsule. Additional genetic data are required to conclusively demonstrate its phylogenetic placement, as for A. montarca . From this point onwards, A. nitidilabris without qualification refers to the species in the correct sense; A. nitidilabris auctorum is used to refer to the taxon sensu Warncke.

Distribution

Algeria and Tunisia ( Gusenleitner & Schwarz 2002, as A. montarca parva ).

Figures

Fig. 11. Andrena (Graecandrena) nitidilabris Pérez, 1895, lectotype, ♀ (MNHN). A. Label details. B. Lateral habitus. C. Face, frontal view. D. Scutum, dorsal view. E. Propodeum, dorsal view. F. Terga, dorsal view.