Andrena coitana

Andrena coitana (Kirby, 1802) Conservation status EN Distribution This species is found in Europe, Turkey and as far east as Japan (Tomozei 2014). In Belgium, it can be found near the German border, in the southern Ardenne and in the Belgian Lorraine (Pauly 2024). To support the conservation of Andrena coitana, forest management should focus on promoting habitat heterogeneity by maintaining a mix of closed and open areas (Eckerter et al. 2022). Targeted actions, such as controlled grazing and selective cutting, should be employed to slow succession and promote gradual edges where possible. Habitat creation or enhancement should be prioritised in areas with light soils, particularly those adjacent to rivers. To preserve its nesting habitats, riparian sites should be safeguarded against artificialisation. Notes The most frequently reported habitats for this species include forest edges, clearings and clear-cuts (Westrich 2018), but moorlands and coastal grasslands have also been reported (Falk and Lewington 2019). One specimen was collected in a quarry surrounded by woodlands, while the other was found in a tall-herb community within humid meadows. Nesting sites are typically solitary or found in small groups, often associated with light, well-drained soils under tree cover (Westrich 2018). Nests may sometimes be located beneath a layer of moss (Chambers 1949). Other reports indicate that the species may nest in flat riverine environments, within dry and pebbly soils (Stelfox 1927). Although this species is linked to forested environments, its pollen sources primarily come from herbaceous plants rather than trees or shrubs, with the exception of Rubus species (Müller 2018). Its diet is polylectic, incorporating herbs from a broad range of seven to twelve plant families, such as Apiaceae (e. g. Angelica sylvestris, Daucus carota, Heracleum sphondylium), Asteraceae (e. g. Picris, Cirsium), Campanulaceae (e. g. Campanula, Jasione), Plantaginaceae (e. g. Digitalis) and Rosaceae (e. g. Potentilla anserina, Rubus). Andrena coitana is univoltine, flying from June to August (Peeters 2012). Diagnosis One of the small (<9 mm) dark Andrena that does not belong to the Micrandrena subgenus (Fig. 3). Females can be identified thanks to their deep foveae, which extend up to the hind margin of the lateral ocelli. The metasoma features bands of white hairs which are interrupted medially. The propodeum is not delimited by carinae laterally. The metabasitarsi and tibiae are black. Males have a pale clypeus and pale lower para-ocular areas. Their genae are relatively short, being as wide as the compound eyes. Their third antennal flagellomere is as long or shorter than the subsequent two. The first tergite is not strongly shagreened (Wood 2023).