32. Andrena (incertae sedis) floridula Smith, 1878

Andrena floridula Smith, 1878: 2, ♂ [India: Ladakh, ZSI, examined by photograph].

Listed by

Bingham (1897); Bingham (1908); Meena & Dey (2019); Chandra et al. (2021); Ascher & Pickering (2023).

Material examined

Holotype

INDIA • ♀; Leh; ZSI; ZSI0000008658.

Remarks

Gusenleitner & Schwarz (2002) indicate that the NHMUK is the type depository, but no entry exists in the type register and no specimens could be found here. Baker (unpublished thesis) indicates that type material could be in the ZSI, but he never saw any such material. Examination of the ZSI website indicates that a specimen is present in that collection. The specimen is in very poor condition with the metasoma having been partially glued back onto the mesosoma and with the hind legs missing, but a dorsal view of the head shows the presence of facial foveae, even though Smith described the species in the male sex. Examination of the illustrated plate provided by Smith (1878: fig. 4, as A. floricula sic) indicates that the type specimen may actually be female, since the hind legs (not preserved in the ZSI specimen) seem to present scopae. We therefore consider this specimen to be the holotype, and actually be a female despite Smith’s original description as a male specimen.

Distribution

India (Ladakh) (Smith 1878).