Andrena ( Melandrena ) pyrozonata Friese, 1921

Andrena ( Melandrena) pyrozonata Friese, 1921 View in CoL

Distribution: Cyprus, Israel, Turkey. Likely present also in Lebanon and Syria.

Flight period: March–April.

Flower records: Fagaceae : Quercus infectoria ( Mavromoustakis 1958) ; Sapindaceae : Acer monspessulanum .

Material examined: HOLOTYPE: TURKEY: Kahramanmaraş, Kayabaşı [Kayabaschi], 8.vii.1913, F. Tölg ( ♀) ( ZMHB) ; PARATYPE ( A. perapedica Mavromoustakis ): CYPRUS: Pera Pedi , 4.iv.1952, Mavromoustakis ( 1♀) ( SMNHTAU) ; non-type material: ISRAEL: Montfort [Monfort], 17.iii.1983, A. Freidberg ( 1♂) ; Mount Hermon [Har Hermon], 1640 m, 33.300°N 35.7675°E, 7.iv.2021, G. Pisanty, sweeping ( 1♀) GoogleMaps ; 1644 m, 33.2992°N 35.7670°E, 16.iv.2022, G. Pisanty, pan trap ( 1♀); 1649 m, 33.2993°N 35.7679°E, 16.iv.2021, G. Pisanty, on Acer monspessulanum ( 2♀); Nahal Kziv [Nahal Keziv], 5.iii.2008, L. Friedman ( 1♂) ( SMNHTAU) .

Remarks. This species was formerly classified in the polyphyletic group known as Poliandrena (now a synoynm of Ulandrena, Pisanty el. 2022). We now reclassify it under Melandrena, as it is closely related morphologically to A. ( Melandrena) elmaria Gusenleitner , and the barcode sequences of these two species cluster together with A. ( Melandrena) nigroaenea (Kirby) in phylogenetic analyses of barcode sequences.