Andrena (Micrandrena) pillichi Noskiewicz, 1939

WOOD, T. J., 2024, Further revisions to the Palaearctic Andrena fauna (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae), Zootaxa 5483 (1), pp. 1-150 : 73

Andrena (Micrandrena) pillichi Noskiewicz, 1939 stat. rev.

Andrena (Micrandrena) pillichi ♀ ♂ [ Hungary, UWCP, not examined]

Remarks. Andrena pillichi was described from Simontornya in Hungary, collected by F. Pillich who sent much material from this region to other workers, leading to the descriptions of multiple Andrena species (e.g. Alfken 1933; 1936; Noskiewicz 1939). Noskiewicz gave detailed identification criteria to allow separation of A. pillichi from A. alfkenella ; both species are bivoltine, but A. pillichi is noticeably shinier on the clypeus, scutum, scutellum, and tergal discs. Detailed identification criteria are given by Noskiewicz (1939), Osytshnjuk (1978), and Schmid-Egger & Scheuchl (1997). Warncke (1967) considered A. pillichi to be a valid species, but Dylewska (1987, as A. pilichi subsequent incorrect spelling) and Schwarz et al. (1996) synonymised it with A. alfkenella . Dylewska (who revised the type series) argued that some of the distinguishing characters given by Noskiewicz were insufficient, such as the antennal ratio of the males, the identical genital capsule, and variation in the degree of polish on the clypeus and scutellum. Schwarz et al. also argued that, based on a study of these two species including specimens from the Warncke collection, they could not consider them distinct.

Fieldwork in Romania produced long series of A. alfkenella sensu lato specimens. From two sites around Iași in north-eastern Romania, Ciurea (open fallow agricultural fields) and Ursoaia (open woody steppe grassland), seven sequences of A. alfkenella pillichi were generated which showed low average intraspecific variation of 0.17% ( Figure 37 ). At the Ciurea site, a single Romanian specimen of A. alfkenella s. str. was found in sympatry with A. alfkenella pillichi . This specimen was separated from the A. alfkenella pillichi sequences by an average genetic distance of 3.76% (range 3.65–3.95%). More broadly, when including A. alfkenella s. str. sequences from Portugal, Spain, Germany, and Greece (Crete, see above), the two taxa were separated by an average genetic distance of 4.08% (range 3.65–4.56%). Since the two taxa can be found in direct sympatry with consistent genetic differentiation and since their morphology is consistent with the criteria identified by Noskiewicz (with the caveat that some morphological variation is typical in members of the subgenus Micrandrena , particularly bivoltine species), A. pillichi stat. rev. is returned to species status. Revision of European material of A. alfkenella sensu lato is required to establish the precise range limits, though A. pillichi appears to be a strongly Pannonian species.

Material examined. AUSTRIA: Niederosterreich, 1 km E Poysdorf , 22.vii.2009, 1♀, leg. J. Halada, OÖLM ; CRIMEA: Krim, Karadagh [Kara Dag], Vodianja balka, Wald , 5–10.iv.2003, 1♀, leg. Y. Budaschkin, OÖLM ; CZECHIA: Moravia, Čejč , 17.viii.1941, 1♀, leg. V. Zavadil, OÖLM ; Moravia, Čejkovice , 12.viii.1941, 1♂, leg. V. Zavadil, OÖLM ; ROMANIA: Iași, 1 km NNW Ciurea , fallow fields, 23.viii.2023, 4♀, leg. T.J. Wood, TJWC ; Iași, Iași, 500 m E of Ursoaia, Dealul lui Dumnezeu , 21.vii.2023, 10♂, 5♀, leg. T.J. Wood, TJWC ; SLOVAKIA: Štúrovo , 28.vii.1972, 9♀, leg. M. Kocourek, OÖLM/ TJWC ; Vihorlat, Remetské Hámre , 21.vii.1987, 1♀, leg. Z. Pádr, OÖLM .

Distribution. Not completely clear due to synonymisation, but across Pannonian Europe, including eastern Austria, Czechia, Hungary, northern Serbia, Slovakia, Romania, and Ukraine. Warncke’s distribution map ( Gusenleitner & Schwarz 2002) shows a predominantly Pannonian distribution focused on Hungary, with scattered records across Ukraine, one in the Caucasus, and some around the northern part of the Adriatic Sea ( Italy, Croatia). The records from the Caucasus and Adriatic region must be revised for clarity.

Figures

FIGURE 37. Phylogenetic tree (maximum likelihood) of Andrena subgenus Micrandrena Ashmead, 1899 based on the mitochondrial COI gene. Numbers above branches represent bootstrap support (values of <75 are omitted).