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Simple Summary: The Yellow-legged Hornet is an exotic and invasive insect which, having entered Europe through France in 2004, has now spread across many countries of the continent. It is a threat to biodiversity and causes significant damage to beekeeping. Control measures have not been able to stop the expansion of this hornet, so all means of fight are important, including natural predators. We studied the diet of the European Bee-eater to understand its role and predation intensity on the Yellow-legged Hornet. We found several hornet remains in some locations of Central Portugal. Although the importance of this predation remains to be determined, Bee-eater could be one more agent in the fight against the biological control of this pest, even though the two species do not coexist in much of the Iberian Peninsula. However, in a large area of the rest of Europe, it is predictable that the distribution range of the two species will overlap to a greater extent and the Bee-eater may play a greater role as a biological control agent. The Yellow-legged Hornet (Vespa velutina nigrithorax) (YLH) is an invasive insect that arrived in Europe in 2004 and is now spread across nine countries. It is a threat to the native entomofauna and harmful to beekeeping and agriculture, as it is a ravenous predator of the European Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) and other pollinating species. Its expansion has been unstoppable and all resources are needed to fight against it, including native vertebrate predators. Among these, the European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster) (EBE) is a potential one, but little is known about its predation on YLH. In a study carried out in Portugal, remains of YHL were detected in EBE nesting sites, which, to the best of our knowledge, is the first such report. This means that this bird could be one more agent in the biological control of this pest (although research on predation intensity is still needed), in conjunction with other natural predators and other strategies. In the Iberian Peninsula, both species are allopatric in vast regions, so the role of EBE may be more limited. However, in the rest of Europe, at a country or continent scale, the scenario may be different and sympatry may occur to a greater extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Iberian Peninsula is a global hotspot for bee diversity due to its large number of different habitats, particularly Mediterranean scrubland, mountains, and hot and cold steppe. In line with its status as a hotspot of bee diversity, the peninsula hosts a very large Andrena fauna, which despite progress in recent years remains incompletely studied, particularly with reference to genetic investigation. Here the Iberian Andrena fauna is comprehensively revised, resulting in a total of 228 recorded species. Numerous taxonomic changes are necessary following inspection of museum specimens, type material, and genetic investigation. The following subgenera are described: Pruinosandrena subgen. nov., containing six taxa previously placed in the subgenus Campylogaster Dours, 1873, and Blandandrena subgen. nov., Bryandrena subgen. nov., Limbandrena subgen. nov., and Ovandrena subgen. nov., containing one, one, one, and four taxa previously placed in the subgenus Poliandrena Warncke, 1968. Andrena (Limbandrena) toelgiana Friese, 1921 syn. nov. is synonymised with A. (Limbandrena) limbata Eversmann, 1852. The current lectotype of A. (Micrandrena) obsoleta Pérez, 1895 was incorrectly designated by Warncke; the taxon differs from A. obsoleta sensu Warncke, belonging instead to a taxon within the A. mariana Warncke, 1968 complex. A new lectotype is designated for A. obsoleta sp. resurr. from Algeria, and A. mariana solda Warncke, 1974 syn. nov. is synonymised with it; A. (Micrandrena) alma Warncke, 1975 stat. nov., A. (Micrandrena) mica Warncke, 1974 stat. nov., and A. (Micrandrena) tenostra Warncke, 1975 stat. nov. are raised to species status. Andrena (Truncandrena) abunda Warncke, 1974 stat. nov., A. (Micrandrena) lecana Warncke, 1975 stat. nov., A. (Pruinosandrena) parata Warncke, 1967 stat. nov., A. (Micrandrena) pauxilla Stöckhert, 1935 sp. resurr., A. (Pruinosandrena) succinea Dours, 1872 sp. resurr., and A. (Notandrena) varuga Warncke, 1975 stat. nov. are also returned or elevated to species status. A lectotype is designated for A. (Euandrena) lavandulae Pérez, 1902 sp. resurr. which is returned to species status, and A. (Euandrena) impressa Warncke, 1967 syn. nov. is synonymised with it. Andrena (Truncandrena) nigropilosa Warncke, 1967 stat. nov. is elevated to species status, and A. (Truncandrena) truncatilabris espanola Warncke, 1967 syn. nov. is synonymised with it as a junior subjective synonym. A lectotype is designated for A. (Melandrena) vachali Pérez, 1895; A. (Melandrena) creberrima Pérez, 1895 syn. nov. and A. (Melandrena) vachali syn. nov. are synonymised with A. (Melandrena) discors Erichson, 1841, and Andrena (Melandrena) hispania Warncke, 1967 syn. nov. is synonymised with A. (Melandrena) morio Brullé, 1832. Andrena (Pruinosandrena) mayeti Pérez, 1895 syn. nov. is newly synonymised with A. (Pruinosandrena) caroli Pérez, 1895 and A. (incertae sedis) setosa Pérez, 1903 syn. nov. is newly synonymised with A. (incertae sedis) ranunculorum Morawitz, 1877. Andrena (Simandrena) cilissaeformis Pérez, 1895 sp. resurr. is returned to species status, and is the correct name for A. (Simandrena) breviscopa auctorum. Andrena (incertae sedis) breviscopa Pérez, 1895 is returned to synonymy with A. (incertae sedis) numida Lepeletier, 1841, and A. (incertae sedis) inconspicua Morawitz, 1871 is newly synonymised syn. nov. with A. numida. Andrena (Euandrena) isolata sp. nov. and A. (Micrandrena) ortizi sp. nov. are described from the Sierra Nevada (Granada), A. (Truncandrena) ghisbaini sp. nov. is described from Málaga province, and A. (Avandrena) juliae sp. nov. is described from Cádiz province. The males of A. (Micrandrena) alma and A. (?Euandrena) ramosa Wood, 2022 are described. Additional lectotypes are designated for A. (Plastandrena) asperrima Pérez, 1895, A. (Plastandrena) atricapilla Pérez, 1895, A. (Aenandrena) hystrix Schmiedeknecht, 1883, A. (Pruinosandrena) lanuginosa Spinola, 1843, A. (Notandrena) ranunculi Schmiedeknecht, 1883, and A. (Euandrena) symphyti Schmiedeknecht, 1883. Neotypes are designated for A. (Chlorandrena) boyerella Dours, 1872, A. (Notandrena) griseobalteata Dours, 1872, A. (Taeniandrena) poupillieri Dours, 1872, A. (Pruinosandrena) succinea Dours, 1872, and A. (incertae sedis) numida Lepeletier, 1841. Type photographs and diagnostic characters are presented in each case, as well as new dietary information for understudied species. Finally, an identification key is presented in order to facilitate future research on this hyper-diverse genus in one of their global diversity hotspots, and current and future research perspectives for Iberian Andrena are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The accuracy of predictions of invasive species ranges is dependent on niche similarity between invasive and native populations and on our ability to identify the niche characteristics. With this work we aimed to compare the niche dynamics of two genetically related invasive populations of Vespa velutina (an effective predator of honeybees and wild pollinators), in two distinct climatic regions, one in central Europe and another one in the north-western Iberian Peninsula, and hence to identify uninvaded regions susceptible to invasion. Methods. Niche dynamics and shifts of V. velutina were assessed by comparing the environmental niches of the native and of the two invasive populations, using climatic, topographic and land use variables. We also ran reciprocal distribution models using different algorithms and records from both native and invasive ranges to compare model predictions and estimate which regions are at a greater risk of being invaded. Results. An apparent niche shift was detected in the population of the NW of Iberian Peninsula, where the species is living under environmental conditions different from the native niche. In central Europe, large suitable areas remain unoccupied. The fact that both invasive populations are well established, despite occupying environmentally distinct regions indicates that V. velutina has a high ability to successfully invade different environmental envelopes from those existing in its native range. For example, in north-western Iberian Peninsula the species is now thriving out of its native niche limits. Moreover, the large extent of still unoccupied environmental space with similar conditions to those used by the species in its native range suggests that there is still a large area of central and eastern Europe that can be potentially invaded by the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The name Rhodanthidium caturigense (s.l.) combines several similar taxa which have been described on the level of form, subspecies or species and which occur in an area which extends from Iran in the south-east, across the Alps in the north and to the Iberian Peninsula in the west. A detailed quantitative assessment of 17 parameters describing the colour pattern reveals that it follows a smooth geographical cline, with rich yellow coloration in the south being gradually replaced by more melanic colorations in the north. The correlation between geographic latitude and colour scores follows a linear pattern and is highly significant in both sexes (p < 0.0001). In addition, the body size also increases with the geographic latitude, also following a linear trend (p < 0.001). Females in the northernmost population are on average 7.0% and males 19.1% larger than those in the southernmost populations. Some morphological features such as the shape of the male clypeus and the form of the axillae are also subject to variation along a south-north cline. Finally, while there is no sexual size dimorphism in the southernmost populations (size difference, p > 0.05), the males are on average 9.7% larger than the females in the northernmost populations (p < 0.0001). These multiple clinal variations result in geographic forms which are often easily distinguishable from each other but need to be regarded as conspecific because of the gradual character change. Additional evidence that all these forms belong to the same species was obtained from sequencing the mitochondrial CO1 gene. The pairwise genetic distance between specimens from various populations is 1.42% with a maximum of 2.7%, and all specimens are allocated to the same Barcode Index Number (BIN) as established by the Barcode of Life Data System based on algorithms that do not use prior taxonomic knowledge. Rhodanthidium caturigense herewith turns out to be a species with high phenotypic plasticity and apparently a high epigenetic capacity to adapt to certain environmental conditions, not based on genotypic selection mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wild bees represent a global group of highly diversified insect pollinators, nowadays concerningly well known for their widespread observed patterns of decline. Amongst them is the genus Dasypoda, a widespread Palearctic clade of solitary bees generally poorly represented in entomological collections. Among the 39 accepted species of the genus, 35 are known by both sexes, and a large number of taxa are still known by a low number of specimens. The recently described taxon Dasypoda (Heterodasypoda) michezi Radchenko, 2017 endemic to southern Portugal is just such a case. The species was described from two male specimens, but no female material has been known to date. Here, we provide the first description of the female of D. michezi, collected close to the locus typicus in southern Portugal along with a series of conspecific males. Sex pairing is proposed based on the sympatry of the male and female specimens and on the similar morphology of non-sexual dimorphic traits and on the barcode of a fragment of Cytochrome Oxidase I. We provide high quality imaging of both sexes of D. michezi to help future identification of the species and present a key for all known species of the subgenus Heterodasypoda. We finally propose an IUCN status for D. michezi and discuss the conservation of such geographically restricted species in the current context of global change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]