An update and revision of the Andrena fauna of Morocco (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Andrenidae) with the description of eleven new North African species

Abstract

Morocco has a diverse bee fauna, but one that has also been relatively understudied in recent years. Here a revision of the species-rich genus Andrena is presented that reveals eleven new species for science and substantially improves our understanding of North African Andrena. From Morocco, Andrena (Aciandrena) semiadesus Wood, sp. nov., Andrena (Aciandrena) triangulivalvis Wood sp. nov., Andrena (Campylogaster) sparsipunctata Wood sp. nov., Andrena (Carandrena) hebescens Wood sp. nov., Andrena (Cnemidandrena) niveofacies Wood sp. nov., Andrena (incertae sedis) tenebricorpus Wood sp. nov., Andrena (Notandrena) acutidentis Wood sp. nov., Andrena (Poliandrena) breviceps Wood sp. nov., and Andrena (Poliandrena) farinosoides Wood sp. nov. are described and their ecology is discussed. Andrena (Aciandrena) astrella Warncke, 1975 is synonymised with Andrena (Aciandrena) fulica Warncke, 1974 syn. nov. The unknown female of Andrena (Nobandrena) ounifa Warncke, 1974, and the unknown male of Andrena (Poliandrena) guichardi Warncke, 1980 are described. Andrena (incertae sedis) gafsensis Wood sp. nov. from Tunisia is described due to its similarity to Andrena tenebricorpus. Andrena (Poecilandrena) nigriclypeus Wood sp. nov. from Algeria is also described as it was collected within 10 km of the Moroccan border. A further 18 species are recorded in Morocco for the first time. Andrena (Melandrena) nitida (Müller, 1776) and Andrena (Notandrena) nitidiuscula Schenck, 1853 are removed from the Moroccan list due to historic problems in the application of these names to Mediterranean taxa.