Andrena acuta tenoensis

Kratochwil, Anselm, Schwabe, Angelika & I, Canary, 2020, Flower-visiting behaviour and habitats of the taxa of the Andrena wollastoni group (Hymenoptera, Anthophila, Micrandrena) on the Canary Islands compared to the Madeira Archipelago *, Linzer biologische Beiträge 52 (1), pp. 309-326 : 316

Andrena acuta tenoensis

This newly described subspecies ( KRATOCHWIL 2020) occurs in the formerly separated Teno Island. We observed individuals mainly north and west of Santiago del Teide and in the surroundings of Erjos; other data were gathered from specimens of different collections after determination of the subspecies status ( KRATOCHWIL 2020). A. a. tenoensis occurs in the thermocanarian zone (II). Most of the detections were made in Zone IIa: thermoinfracanarian, semiarid to dry (Mayteno canariensis-Junipero phoeniceae sigmion). Some are situated in Zone B (thermo-mesocanarian: subhumid Ixantho viscosae-Lauro azoricae sigmion).

The foraging habitats are open places, especially edge structures and fallows with ruderal plant species ( Fig. 1c ). Pollen and nectar resources are especially yellow-flowering Brassicaceae , mainly Hirschfeldia incana ( Fig. 1d ). The main altitude range is 100-1000 m a.s.l., and the flight time is mainly from March to May.

The analysis of flower visits (26♀♀, 2♂♂) is based on our own data (n = 25) and data from HOHMANN et al. (1993) (n = 3):

F e m a l e s: Asteraceae (n = 3): Andryala pinnatifida , N (n = 1); Calendula arvensis , N (n = 2). Brassicaceae : (n = 23): Hirschfeldia incana , N? (n = 22); Sinapis alba , N? (n = 1).

M a l e s: Asteraceae (n = 2): Andryala pinnatifida , N (n = 1); Reichardia spec. (n = 1).

Figures

Fig. 1: (a) Typical crop-field margin with Hirschfeldia incana and Calendula arvensis, both frequently visited by Andrena catula (northern part of Gran Canaria, Zone IIb, 12th March 2018); photo: A. Schwabe. (b) Slope with ruderal vegetation (H. incana, frequently visited by A. g. gomerensis; additionally, Echium plantagineum and Psoralea bituminosa can be seen) with a grazed vegetation complex in the background (La Gomera, Zone IIb, 24th April 2016); photo: A. Schwabe. c: Road margin in the Teno area, with H. incana (frequently visited by A. a. tenoensis; additionally, E. plantagineum and Galactites tomentosus) (Tenerife, Zone IIA, 21st April 2016); photo: A. Schwabe. (d) A. a. tenoensis (female), collecting pollen on H. incana (margin of a small trail in the Teno area) (Tenerife, Zone IIA, 21st April 2016); photo: A. Schwabe.