Andrena delta 'Kby'

[Paul Dessart]

Dear Colleagues Hymenopterists,

Since many years, I unsuccessfully try to solve the following
nomenclatural problem. Personal letters to specialists rarely got an answer,
or it was "I don't know"; public question in a newsletter produced no
reaction.

Here are the facts:

1903  Viereck describes a bee as _Andrena delta_ Viereck, 1903.
1908  Viereck briefly mentions the existence of an _Andrena delta_
Kby, the reason why he coins for his own species the new name
_Andrena didelta_ Viereck, 1908.
1908  Curiously (without consequence for my problem), the same year,
appears the description of another homonym, namely _Andrena delta_
Saunders, 1908.

     My problem is that I cannot find the *date* of _Andrena delta_ Kby
despite the many catalogues consulted; I suppose, as an apid is
concerned, that Kby is William Kirby (1759-1850) (not William Forsell
Kirby, 1844-1912).

Who could give me the solution?

Many thanks to any colleague who will consider the question.

Paul Dessart,
Chef honoraire de la Section Insectes & Arachnomorphes
a' l'Institut royal des Sciences naturelles de Belgique.

dessart at kbinirsnb.be