Anthophora (Pyganthophora) aestivalis (Panzer, 1801)

Brooks (1988) synonymised this taxon with Anthophora retusa. These species are nevertheless conspicuously distinct. Alfken (1926: 423) gave very good diagnostic characters to separate these species. One should pay a special attention to avoid confusion between A. aestivalis and the southern taxon Anthophora retusa meridionalis. A straightworward character to separate these taxa is the colour of the matatibial brush: whitish in aestivalis and yellow in retusa meridionalis.

Pierre Rasmont