Andrena (Melandrena) assimilis Radoszkowski 1876
Creators: name: Wood, Thomas J.
name: Monfared, Alireza
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Andrenidae
Andrena
Andrena assimilis

description: 15. Andrena (Melandrena) assimilis Radoszkowski, 1876 *
Andrena (Melandrena) assimilis Radoszkowski, 1876: 84 (♀, Caucasus).
Andrena (Melandrena) gallica Schmiedeknecht, 1883: 549 (♀, France, Mont-de-Marsan). Syn. nov.
Andrena (Melandrena) gallica alpicola Bischoff, 1922: 289 (♀, Italy, Cadenabbia). Syn. nov.
Andrena (Melandrena) gallica iberica Bischoff, 1922: 289 (♀, ‘Hispania’). Syn. nov.
Andrena (Melandrena) gallica taurica Bischoff, 1922: 289 (♀, Crimea). Syn. nov.
Andrena (Melandrena) gallica fulvitegularis Bischoff, 1922: 290 (♀, Germany, Gross Machnow). Syn. nov.
Material examined
Lectotypes CAUCASUS • ♀ (lectotype of Andrena assimilis); Caucasus; ZMHB (illustrated Figs 133–138).
FRANCE • ♀ (lectotype of Andrena gallica); Mont-de-Marsan; MNHN (illustrated Le Divelec 2021).
Syntypes
ITALY • ♀ (syntype of Andrena gallica alpicola); Como-S. Cadenabbia; 1–31 Mar. 1903; ZMHB (illustrated Figs 139–140).
IBERIA • ♀ (syntype of Andrena gallica iberica); Hispania; 189 [no further information]; ZHMB (illustrated Figs 141–142).
CRIMEA • ♀ (syntype of Andrena gallica taurica); Krim [Crimea]; Nordmann leg.; Coll. Gerst. [Gerstaecker]; ZMHB (illustrated Figs 143–144).
GERMANY • ♀ (syntype of Andrena gallica fulvitegularis); Mittenwalde, Machn. Weinbg.; 20 Jul. 1921; Hedicke leg.; ZMHB • ♀ [syntype of A. gallica fulvitegularis]; Gross Machnow; 21 Jul 1918; ZMHB.
Other material
ALBANIA • 1 ♀; Bizë, b. Shengjergji [Shëngjergj]; 1400–1500 m a.s.l.; 15 Jul. 1961; K. Warncke det. [as assimilis gallica]; OÖLM.
AUSTRIA • 1 ♀; Oberweiden; 15 Apr. 1936; K.K. Warncke det. [as assimilis gallica]; R. Schmidt leg.; OÖLM.
AZERBAIJAN • 1 ♀; Helendorff [renamed Khanlar, now Göygöl]; 1886; K. Warncke det. [as assimilis s. str.]; OÖLM.
CZECH REPUBLIC • 1 ♀; Hovorany; 8 Aug. 1941; K. Warncke det. [as assimilis gallica]; V. Zavdil leg.; OÖLM.
FRANCE • 3 ♀♀; Aude, Servies-en-Val; 5 Aug. 1970; R.T. Simon Thomas leg.; RMNH • 2 ♀♀; Montpellier; ZMHB • 1 ♀; Pyr. Or., Mont Louis; 1600 m a.s.l.; 20 Aug. 1957; M.C. and G. Kreuseman; RMNH.
GERMANY • 6 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀; Niemegk, Fläming; 26 Jul. 1953; E. Heidenreich leg.; ZMHB.
GREECE • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Saloniki; 1–30 Apr. 1932; K. Warncke det.; Paduschin-Kattinger leg.; ZMHB. IRAN • 1 ♂; East Azerbaijan Province, Sis, 10 km E of Shabestar; 1540 m a.s.l.; 19 Jun. 2010; Mi. Halada leg.; OÖLM • 1 ♀; Elburs [Alborz], Pelur [Polour]; ca 2000 m a.s.l.; Wagner leg.; ZMHB • 1 ♀; Elburs [Alborz], Rehne, Demavend [Damavand]; 2700– 2600 m a.s.l.; Wagner leg.; ZMHB • 1 ♀; Elburz, 30 km di. of Ab Ali; 9 Jul. 1965; K. Warncke det. [as assimilis s. str.]; G. Soika and G.A. Mavromoustakis leg.; OÖLM • 1 ♀; Gilan Province, 15 km SE of Tutkabon; 1100 m a.s.l.; 9 Jun. 2014; J. Halada leg.; OÖLM • 1 ♀; Golestan, 70 km E of Minudasht; 1050 m a.s.l.; 12 Jun. 2010; Mi. Halada leg.; OÖLM • 1 ♀; Kerman Province, 20 km E of Ghobira; 1780 m a.s.l.; 5 Jun. 2010; Mi. Halada leg.; OÖLM • 1 ♀; Seman Province, 10 km W of Damghan; 1200 m a.s.l.; 10 Jun. 2010; Mi. Halada leg.; OÖLM.
KAZAKHSTAN • 1 ♀; Alma-Ata (Medeo); 12 Jul. 1977; K. Warncke det. [as assimilis s. str.]; K. Bleyl leg.; OÖLM.
KYRGYZSTAN • 1 ♀; Alarca [Ala Archa National Park]; 2500 m a.s.l.; 27 May 1974; K. Warncke det. [as assimilis s. str.]; Rataj leg.; OÖLM • 1 ♀; Przewalsk [Karakol], Tian-Schan; K. Warncke det. [as assimilis gallica]; OÖLM.
MOROCCO • 1 ♀; Dait Achlaf [Lac Hachlaf]; 27 Apr. 1987; K. Warncke det. [as assimilis barnei Cockerell, 1931]; M. Kraus leg.; OÖLM • 1 ♂; Ifrane; 22 Jul. 1932; K. Warncke det. [as assimilis barnei]; Ad. Nadig leg.; OÖLM.
PORTUGAL • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Estremadura, Apostiça; 28 Feb 1990; B. Souça leg.; MNHNC • 1 ♀; Baixo Alentejo, Vila Nova de Milfontes; 14 Jul. 1971; E. Scheuchl det.; MNHNC • 2 ♀♀; Carrapateira; 3 Apr. 2015; T.J. Wood leg.; TJWC.
SPAIN • 1 ♀; Aragon, Albarracín; 21 Jul. 1924; K. Warncke det. [as assimilis gallica]; Zerny leg.; OÖLM • 1 ♀; Setcases (Girona); 1500 m a.s.l.; F.J. Ortiz-Sánchez leg.; OSCA (illustrated Fig. 145) • 3 ♀♀; Burgos, Hornilloyuso; 24 Apr. 1984; R. Leys leg.; RMNH • 2 ♀♀; Caceres, Villasbuenas de Gata; 1 Jul. 1988; M. Schwarz leg.; MSC • 2 ♀♀; Puerto de Somosierra (Madrid, Sierra de Guadarama); 1355 m a.s.l.; F.J. Ortiz-Sánchez leg.; OSCA (illustrated Fig. 146) • 4 ♀♀; Granada, Sierra Nevada, Trevélez to Refugio La Campiñuela; 1700–2400 m a.s.l.; T.J. Wood leg.; TJWC (illustrated Fig. 147) • 1 ♀; Madrid, Cercedilla; 21 Apr. 1973; J.A.W. Lucas leg.; RMNH • 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀; Ávila, 1 km S of Navacepeda de Tormes; 15 Jul. 2021; T.J. Wood leg.; TJWC (illustrated Fig. 148) • 1 ♀; Sierra de Guadarrama; 18 Aug. 1912; K. Warncke det. [as assimilis s. str.]; J. M. Dusmet y Alonso leg.; OÖLM • 1 ♀; Soria; 26 May 1965; K. Warncke det. [as assimilis gallica]; W. Linsenmaier leg.; OÖLM.
RUSSIA • 1 ♀; Bijsk [Biysk]; 27 May 1921; ZMHB • 1 ♂ [syntype of A. gallica fulvitegularis]; Irkutsk; 28 Apr.–11 May 1913; O. Hesse leg.; ZMHB • 1 ♀ [syntype of A. gallica fulvitegularis]; Irkutsk; 14–27 May 1913; O. Hesse leg.; ZMHB.
SERBIA • 1 ♀; Fejértelep [Šušara]; K. Warncke det. [as assimilis s. str.]; OÖLM.
SWITZERLAND • 2 ♀♀ [paratypes of A. gallica alpicola]; Sierre; 15 Jul. 1884; H. Friese leg.; ZMHB.
TURKEY • 1 ♀; Çıldır, Kars; 2000 m a.s.l.; 19 Aug. 1991; K. Warncke det. [as assimilis s. str.]; OÖLM.
UKRAINE • 1 ♂; Desna Nadinovka [Nadynivka]; 29–30 Apr. 2003; Y. Budaschkin leg.; OÖLM.
Remarks
The taxonomic history of the two names A. assimilis and A. gallica is long and confused (SchmidEgger & Scheuchl 1997; Gusenleitner & Schwarz 2002), in part due to the unclear location of the type material of A. gallica, which was recently rediscovered (Le Divelec 2021). The putative criteria used to separate material was in the colour of the wing venation and the degree of infuscation of the wing itself (Osytshnjuk et al. 2008; Motyka et al. 2016). However, this character is highly variable. Examination of the type of A. assimilis in Berlin shows that, though the wings are somewhat infuscate, the veins are not entirely dark, with intermixed dark and light veins, particularly the basal vein (Fig. 137). In contrast, the type of A. gallica (and more broadly all examined specimens from southern France) has hyaline wings with almost uniformly golden veins (see illustrations in Le Divelec 2021).
Problems with the proposed two-species classification can most easily be seen in Iberia. In the Pyrenees, the light form is present (e.g., A. gallica iberica, Fig. 140), extending across the northern parts of Spain (Fig. 145) and down the Atlantic coast as far as the Algarve in southern Portugal. However, in central and southern Spain forms with dark infuscate wings can be found that show both light and dark veins in the same wing (Madrid, Fig. 146). In the Sierra Nevada (Granada, at 2100 m a.s.l., Fig. 147) and the Sistema Central (Ávila, 1300 m a.s.l., Fig. 148) forms with extremely dark wings and wing venation can also be found. This increased melanism is even more apparent in Morocco, where populations in the Atlas Mountains (A. assimilis barnei) are entirely dark, including all of their body hair.
Warncke treated A. gallica as a subspecies of A. assimilis, and in his distribution map (Gusenleitner & Schwarz 2002) he presented a clean picture of three separated populations: A. assimilis s. str. in the southern Balkans, Turkey, and the Caucasus; A. assimilis gallica in continental Europe and Russia; and A. assimilis barnei in Morocco. However, Warncke was inconsistent with his determination of material from this group, as specimens listed here from Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Serbia with golden wing venation were determined as A. assimilis s. str. He also determined specimens from Spain as both assimilis s. str. and assimilis gallica, contradicting the clean picture presented in his distribution map. Likewise, Osytshnjuk et al. (2008) argue that both A. assimilis and A. gallica are present from Eastern Europe eastwards, Western and Central Europe containing only A. gallica. The situation is reminiscent of the taxonomic confusion present in Bombus (Thoracobombus) concerning B. laesus Morawitz, 1875 and B. mocsaryi Kriechbaumer, 1877, which vary in hair colour and are present in sympatry across much of Eastern Europe. Though varying in their hair colour, these taxa were recently found to belong to the same broad taxon (Brasero et al. 2021).
Due to this extensive variation within A. assimilis, including in the type specimen itself, which does not unambiguously show uniformly dark wing venation, A. gallica is synonymised under A. assimilis. This includes the subspecies described by Bischoff (1922, Figs 139–144), which were previously synonymised under A. assimilis gallica by Warncke (1967) but were listed under A. gallica by Gusenleitner & Schwarz (2002).
Distribution
Andrena assimilis is distributed across the West and Central Palearctic, from Morocco (absent from the rest of North Africa and the Levant) across continental Europe to Turkey, northern Iran *, Russia (European part to Eastern Siberia), and Central Asia (Gusenleitner & Schwarz 2002; Proshchalykin et al. 2017a). It is unclear why Warncke did not include the Soika and Mavromoustakis record from northern Iran in his distribution maps for this species, since he clearly examined and determined it.
description: Published as part of Wood, Thomas J. & Monfared, Alireza, 2022, A revision of the Andrena (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae) fauna of Iran, with the description of 16 new species, pp. 1-136 in European Journal of Taxonomy 843 on pages 60-65, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2022.843.1947, http://zenodo.org/record/7222308