Andrena androfovea
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| Andrena androfovea | |
|---|---|
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| Side view of a female Andrena androfovea | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Andrenidae |
| Genus: | Andrena |
| Species: | A. androfovea |
| Binomial name | |
| Andrena androfovea Neff, Bossert & Hung, 2024 | |
Andrena androfovea is a species of miner bee in the family Andrenidae from Texas and Oklahoma, characterized by its metallic dark blue to blue-green and distinctive coarse punctation.[1] First observed in the late 1980s, it was formally described as a new species in 2024.[2][3] Genetic analyses revealed that Andrena androfovea represents a distinct lineage within the genus Andrena, leading to the creation of a new subgenus. Unique among Andrena species, Andrena androfovea primarily feeds on flowers of the family Solanaceae.[1][2]
Andrena androfovea is a member of the hyperdiverse genus Andrena, which contains approximately 1700 described species. The specific epithet "androfovea" is a combination of the words "Andrena" and "fovea", in reference to the punctation present on the male bee's head, a rare trait in North American members of the genus. Phylogenetic analyses reveal that Andrena androfovea represents a distinct lineage of Andrena that diverged from its closest known relatives around 12.6 million years ago. Therefore, the subgenus Foveoandrena was created to accommodate the genetic and morphological distinctiveness of the species.[1]