Discovery of a new Cubiandrena species in Turkey (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae)

Abstract

The genus Andrena is one of the most speciose groups of bees, and because of its large degree of morphological variability it has continued to defy subgeneric classification. Recent advances have identified the species-poor group Cubiandrena Warncke, 1968 as both sister to all Andrena and deserving of recognition as a good genus. Previously thought to contain just two species, examination of undetermined material from Turkey has revealed the existence of a third Cubiandrena species, Cubiandrena nigripilosa sp. n., indicating that this country is the centre of diversity for the genus.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:50EBDBDC-6EE2-429F-886D-0995E99FADE6

Keywords:

• Andrena
• basal diversity
• endemic species
• solitary bees
• taxonomy

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Acknowledgements

My thanks go to Esther Ockermüller and Martin Schwarz for access to the Warncke collection in Linz, and to Stefanie Krause for access to the collection at the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin.