Andrena (Micrandrena) protuber Pisanty, 2022

Pisanty, Gideon, Scheuchl, Erwin, Martin, Teresa, Cardinal, Sophie & Wood, Thomas James, 2022, Twenty-five new species of mining bees (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae: Andrena) from Israel and the Levant, Zootaxa 5185 (1), pp. 1-109 : 56-59

Andrena (Micrandrena) protuber Pisanty sp. nov.

( Figs. 127–136 )

Female ( Fig. 127 ).

Body length: 6 mm.

Colour. Body and legs dark brown to black ( Fig. 127 ). Anterior side of flagellomeres 3–10 dark brown. Wings hyaline, veins dark brown, stigma brown. Tergal marginal zones light brown to yellowish ( Fig. 134 ).

Pubescence. Clypeus with medium-lengthed whitish hairs, apical margin with long brown hairs ( Figs. 129– 130 ). Outer half of paraocular area with short to medium black hairs. Area around antennal sockets with both whitish and black medium-lengthed hairs. Facial foveae brown. Vertex with medium brownish hairs. Genal area with short black hair anteriodorsally, medium whitish hair posteroventrally. Mesonotum, scutellum and metanotum with short to medium whitish to brown hair ( Figs. 127, 132 ). Mesepisternum with long white hair ( Fig. 127 ). Propodeal corbicula incomplete, posterodorsal fringe with long white plumose hair, corbicular surface with medium-lengthed weakly plumose white hair. Leg hair white to brown. Flocculus incomplete, white. Tibial scopal hair weakly plumose, greyish-white ( Fig. 127 ). Tergal discs with sparse, minute inconspicuous white hair centrally, short white hair laterally. Tergal marginal zones 2–4 with distinct narrow bands of short white hair on apical half, interrupted on 2–3, almost continuous on 4. Terminal fringe light brown ( Fig. 134 ).

Head ( Figs. 129, 130, 132 ). 1.1 times broader than long. Mandible bidentate. Galea shiny, shallowly, finely shagreened. Labral process broad and short, trapezoidal, smooth and shiny except near base, apical margin blunt to slightly concave. Clypeus moderately protuberant, strongly convex, strongly shagreened basolaterally, smooth and shiny centrally, coarsely punctured, distance between punctures 1–2 puncture diameters, apical half with weakly indicated impunctate midline, apical margin of clypeus laterally thickened and densely longitudinally striated ( Figs. 129–130 ). Supraclypeal and paraocular areas and frons finely longitudinally striated and moderately to finely punctured, punctation finer dorsally. Flagellomere 1 about as long as 2+3, 2 as long as 3 or slightly shorter. Facial foveae linear and narrow, extending from level of lower end of lateral ocellus almost to lower end of antennal socket, weakly tapering downwards, distinctly separated from compound eye, 0.4 times as broad as antennocular distance ( Figs. 129, 132 ). Distance of fovea from lateral ocellus about 1.5 ocellus diameters. Ocelloccipital distance about 0.7 ocellus diameter. Vertex weakly to moderately carinate ( Fig. 132 ).

Mesosoma ( Fig. 132 ). Dorsolateral angle of pronotum not elevated, pronotum not carinate. Mesonotum finely and uniformly shagreened, weakly shiny, finely, shallowly and irregularly punctured, distance between punctures 1–3 puncture diameters. Scutellum very shiny and more weakly shagreened, similarly punctured ( Fig. 132 ). Mesepisternum and propodeal corbicula finely reticulate, shallowly obliquely punctured. Posterolateral part of propodeum finely reticulate, area close to triangle very finely, shallowly rugose. Propodeal triangle broad, equilateral, delineated by distinct carina, mediobasal part distinctly radially rugose, apicolateral part finely reticulate ( Fig. 132 ). Hind tibial spur distinctly curved apically. Hind pretarsal claw bidentate. Nervulus antefurcal. Submarginal crossvein 1 meets marginal cell 2–5 vein widths from stigma.

Metasoma ( Fig. 134 ). Tergal disc 1 smooth, 2–4 shallowly shagreened to almost smooth basally, smooth apically, tergal punctation fine to very fine, distance between punctures 1–2 puncture diameters, apical ¼ of discs mostly impunctate, punctation gradually finer on discs 3–4. Tergal marginal zones shallowly shagreened to smooth, occasionally with fine punctures.

Male ( Fig. 128 ).

Body length: 5.5–6 mm.

Colour. Head and mesosoma black ( Fig. 128 ). Anterior side of flagellomeres 2–11 brown. Legs dark brown to black. Wings hyaline, veins dark brown, stigma brown. Metasoma brown to black. Tergal marginal zones light brown to yellowish ( Fig. 136 ).

Pubescence. Clypeus hair medium to long, two-coloured, white medioapically, black laterally, black to mixed black and white mediobasally ( Figs. 128, 131 ). Paraocular area and frons with short to long black hairs. Area around antennal sockets with black and white, medium to long hairs. Central part of vertex with long erect whitish hairs. Lateral part of vertex and anteriodorsal part of genal area with medium black hairs. Posteroventral part of genal area with white hairs. Mesonotum, scutellum and metanotum with sparse, medium-lengthed erect white to yellowish-white hair ( Figs. 128, 133 ). Mesepisternum mostly with long white hairs, dorsal part also with few black hairs ( Fig. 128 ). Propodeum with long white hairs. Legs with white to brownish hairs. Tergal discs with sparse, minute inconspicuous white hair centrally, short white hair laterally. Tergal marginal zones 2–4 with weak, narrow bands of short white hair on apical half, broadly interrupted on 2–3, narrowly interrupted on 4 ( Fig. 136 ).

Head ( Figs. 131, 133 ). 1.1 times broader than long. Labral process broad and short, trapezoidal to rectangular, smooth and shiny, apical margin blunt to slightly concave. Clypeus convex, moderately protuberant, strongly shagreened basolaterally, smooth and shiny centrally, strongly punctured, distance between punctures 1–2 puncture diameters, without impunctate midline ( Fig. 131 ). Supraclypeal and paraocular areas and frons finely longitudinally striated and moderately to finely punctured, punctation finer dorsally. Flagellomere 1 about as long as 3, longer than 2. Ocelloccipital distance about 1 ocellus diameter. Vertex moderately carinate, dorsoposterior margin of genal area often slightly carinate ( Fig. 133 ).

Mesosoma ( Fig. 133 ). Mesonotum and scutellum finely and uniformly shagreened, weakly shiny, punctation fine and extremely shallow, often imperceptible, distance between punctures 1–3 puncture diameters ( Fig. 133 ). Nervulus strongly antefurcal to almost interstitial ( Fig. 128 ). Rest of mesosoma as in female.

Metasoma ( Fig. 136 ). Tergal discs shiny, basal part weakly to strongly shagreened, apical part more or less smooth, punctation fine to very fine, distance between punctures 1.5–2 puncture diameters, apical margin of discs sparsely punctured to almost impunctate. Tergal marginal zones weakly depressed, shagreened to smooth, occasionally with sparse, very fine punctures.

Genitalia and hidden sterna ( Fig. 135 ). Dorsal gonocoxite lobes weakly developed, broadly rounded. Gonostylus blades flattened, tongue-shaped. Penis valves of moderate width, basal part slightly tapering apically ( Fig. 135 ). Sternum 8 columnar, apical process broadened, apical margin blunt.

Diagnosis. Andrena protuber is distinguished from most other Micrandrena by the narrower head ( Figs. 129, 131 ) and weaker sculpturing of the mesonotum and propodeal triangle ( Figs. 132, 133 ), which are more typical of Aciandrena, Fuscandrena and Graecandrena, and the Andrena fumida species group (subgenus Fumandrena sensu Warncke ); and by the unusual female clypeus, reminiscent of A. (Euandrena) symphyti , which is protuberant, centrally smooth, and laterally longitudinally striated especially at the apical margin ( Figs. 129, 130 ). In the weakly sculptured mesonotum, the males resemble A. immaculata Warncke but can easily be separated by the genital capsule which lacks lateral extensions on the penis valves.

Distribution: Northern Israel. Likely present also in Lebanon and Syria.

Flight period: March–May.

Flower records: Cupressaceae : Juniperus drupacea . The species was collected from pan traps in two localities where plants of Symphytum brachycalyx (Boraginaceae) and/or individuals of Andrena symphyti Schmiedeknecht were also present. It also shares the same protuberant clypeus of the larger Andrena symphyti , which is presumably associated with enhanced mouthparts that enable females to extract pollen and nectar from Boraginaceae flowers. We therefore hypothesize that the species is a Boraginaceae specialist, by analogy to A. symphyti .

Holotype: ISRAEL: Mount Meron [Har Meron], 33.000°N 35.3927°E, 4.iv.2017, G. Pisanty, pan trap, ♀ ( SMNHTAU:270289).

Paratypes: ISRAEL: Mount Hermon [Har Hermon] , 1642 m, 33.2996°N 35.7677°E, 16.iv.2022, G. Pisanty, pan trap (1♂); 19.v.2022, G. Pisanty, pan traps (2♀); 1644 m, 33.2991°N 35.7667°E, 16.iv.2022, G. Pisanty, pan trap (1♂); 1645 m, 33.2994°N 35.7675°E, 16.iv.2021, G. Pisanty (5♂); 1649 m, 33.2992°N 35.7677°E, 16.iv.2022, G. Pisanty, on Juniperus drupacea (4♂); 1650 m, 33.299°N 35.769°E, 7.iv.2021, G. Pisanty (3♂); Mount Meron [Har Meron] , 33.000°N 35.3927°E, 4.iv.2017, G. Pisanty, pan trap (1♀); 1000 m, 1.iv.2012,A. Freidberg (2♂); 1000 m, 32°59.7’N 35°24.7’E, 14.iv.2011, L. Friedman (1♂); Nahal Keziv , Montfort , 33°02.6’N 35°13.3’E, 4.iii.2010, L. Friedman (1♀, 1♂); Sasa , 20.iv.2015, O. Winberger (1♀); Ziv’on , 1 km SW , 33.019°N 35.407°E, 5.iv.2016, G. Pisanty, pan trap (1♂) ( OLML, RMNH, SMNHTAU, TJW) .

Etymology. protuber = Latin for “lump in front”, referring to the protruding clypeus in the female sex. The species epithet is a noun in apposition.

Figures

FIGURES 127–136. Andrena (Micrandrena) protuber sp. nov. 127. female habitus, 128. male habitus, 129. female head, 130. female clypeus, 131. male head, 132. female vertex and mesosoma, 133. male vertex and mesosoma, 134. female metasoma, 135, male genitalia, 136. male metasoma.