Andrena (incertae sedis) concisura, WOOD, 2024

WOOD, T. J., 2024, Further revisions to the Palaearctic Andrena fauna (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae), Zootaxa 5483 (1), pp. 1-150 : 124-127

Andrena (incertae sedis) concisura spec. nov.

Figures 77A–G .

HOLOTYPE: TAJIKISTAN: S., Tigrova Balka res., Pianj. Riv. [inferred 37.1975 oN, 68.5639 oE], 4.ix.2006, ♀, leg. V. Gurko, OÖLM.

PARATYPE: TAJIKISTAN: same information as holotype, 1♀, TJWC .

Description: Female: Body length: 7–8 mm (74A). Head: Dark, 1.1 times wider than long ( Figure 77B ). Clypeus domed, polished and shining, irregularly punctate, punctures separated by 0.5–2 puncture diameters. Process of labrum rounded triangular, as long as wide ( Figure 77C ). Gena equalling width of compound eye; ocelloccipital distance subequal to diameter of lateral ocellus. Frons slightly domed, surface polished and shining, densely punctate, puncture separated by 0.5–1 puncture diameters. Vertex posterolateral to lateral ocelli with shining, impunctate, roughly triangular spaces. Foveae dorsally broad, occupying ¾ space between compound eye and lateral ocellus, long, ventrally extending to below level of antennal insertions; foveae filled with light brown hairs ( Figure 77D ). Face, gena, scape with short white hairs, becoming light golden-brown on vertex. Antennae basally dark brown, A5–12 ventrally lightly lightened by presence of brownish scales; A3 exceeding A4, shorter than A4+5.

Mesosoma: Scutum and scutellum smooth and shining, irregularly punctate, scutum with punctures typically separated by 0.5–2 puncture diameters, scutellum with punctures sparse medially, separated by up to 4 puncture diameters ( Figure 77E ). Pronotum with weak humeral angle. Mesepisternum smooth and shining, punctate, punctures separated by 0.5–1 puncture diameters.Dorsolateral parts of propodeum with obscure weak shagreen, weakly shining; propodeal triangle laterally delineated by slightly impressed shining rim, surface weakly shagreened, medially with weak network of slightly raised rugae; propodeal triangle thus poorly defined ( Figure 77F ). Mesepisternum with moderately long plumose whitish to light brownish hairs, not equalling length of scape. Scutum, scutellum, and tegulae covered with very sort light brown squamous hairs, not covering and obscuring surface, hairs becoming sparse on discs of scutum and scutellum. Propodeal corbicula incomplete, dorsal fringe composed of white weakly plumose hairs, internal surface densely covered with abundant long white weakly plumose hairs that do not obscure the underlying surface. Legs brown, apical tarsal segments lightened orange, pubescence whitish to light brownish. Flocculus complete, composed of whitish plumose hairs; femoral and tibial scopae composed of simple white hairs. Hind tarsal claws with strong inner tooth. Wings hyaline, stigma and venation orange, nervulus interstitial.

Metasoma: Tergal discs predominantly dark, marginal areas and parts of discs of T1–2 lightened reddish brown ( Figure 77G ). Disc of T1 medially with elongate punctures, punctures separated on average by 1–2 puncture diameters, laterally and on declivity with dense simple punctures, punctures separated by 0.5–1 puncture diameters. Discs of T2–4 densely and regularly punctate, punctures separated by 0.5 puncture diameters, interspaces polished and shining. Marginal areas of T2–4 strongly and clearly depressed, T1–4 with strong and dense apical whitish to yellowish hairbands, covering entire marginal area and extending onto following tergal disc, hairbands complete, obscuring underlying surface. Apical fringe and hairs flanking pygidial plate whitish to brownish. Pygidial plate laterally with raised margin, apically with deep broad emargination, medially slightly humped, surface dull ( Figure 77G ).

Male. Unknown.

Diagnosis. Andrena concisura presents an unusual morphology which is unique within the Central Asian fauna. Specifically, it presents a domed shining clypeus ( Figure 77B ), a triangular process of the labrum ( Figure 77C ), impunctate and shining triangular areas adjacent to the lateral ocelli ( Figure 77D ), the pronotum with a weak humeral angle, the scutum, scutellum, and tegulae with short squamous hairs ( Figure 77E ), the mesepisternum shiny and punctate, the propodeal triangle very weakly defined with minimal sculpture ( Figure 77F ), tergal discs T2–4 very densely punctate ( Figure 77G ; contrasting T1 with sparse punctures), marginal areas strongly depressed and entirely covered with dense complete hairbands, and the pygidial plate with a clear and deep emargination medially ( Figure 77H ). It lacks other distinctive characters such as a broadened hind tibial spur, plumose hairs, or spines on the posterior face of the hind femorae.

Amongst Central Asian species it could perhaps be compared to A. (Carinandrena) carinifrons Morawitz, 1876 (see Astafurova et al. 2022b for illustrations) due to the more or less quadrate head, the domed and shining clypeus, and the shiny impunctate areas adjacent to the lateral ocelli, but there are numerous differences such as the triangular process of the labrum (in A. carinifrons with the process of the labrum apically narrowly but clearly emarginate), the lack of a longitudinal carina on the frons (in A. carinifrons with a conspicuous raised carina here), and terga with strong apical hairbands that cover and obscure the marginal areas (in A. carinifrons with terga with hairbands predominantly arising from the tergal bases, marginal areas predominantly hairless, certainly medially). Two Central Asian species formerly placed in the polyphyletic subgenus Poliandrena Warncke, 1968 (see Pisanty et al. 2022b) with squamous hairs on the scutum and scutellum ( A. jakowlevi Morawitz, 1893 and A. kryzhanovskii Osytshnjuk, 1993 ) are strongly different, as these hairs are very short and dense, forming a clear patch of hairs as in several members of the subgenus Lepidandrena Hedicke, 1933 , whereas in A. concisura the squamous hairs are individually longer and also individualised, with each hair standing alone and distinctly separated from its neighbours.

Andrena concisura is more comparable to the two species that make up the arsinoe -group ( Graecandrena I in Pisanty et al. 2022b) whose taxa were previously placed into the subgenera Aciandrena and Graecandrena . The two species A. arsinoe Schmiedeknecht, 1900 ( Libya, Egypt, Israel, Jordan *, Saudi Arabia, Oman *, United Arab Emirates *; Gusenleitner & Schwarz 2002; Pisanty et al. 2018; Ascher & Pickering 2023) and A. amicula Warncke, 1967 ( Algeria, Egypt, Eritrea; Saudi Arabia *, Oman *; Warncke 1967; Ascher & Pickering 2023) present an unusual genital capsule that has the gonostyli strongly constricted medially with the apexes hyaline and finger-like. As the male of A. concisura is unknown, comparison in this sex is currently not possible. However, females are similar to A. arsinoe due to the semi-squamous mesonotal hairs, the domed and shining clypeus (in A. amicula with the clypeus much shorter and densely punctate, thus lacking large shining interspaces>1 puncture diameter), the weakly sculptured propodeal triangle, the strong tergal hairbands, the comparatively stronger punctures on T2–4 compared to T1, and the pygidial plate with a slight hint of a median emargination. The two species are easily separated, as A. concisura presents dark terga that are very strongly and densely punctate, punctures almost confluent (in A. arsinoe the terga are extensively red-marked and weakly punctate, punctures shallow and separated by around 1 puncture diameter), the clypeus is more densely punctate with punctures separated by 0.5–2 puncture diameters (in A. arsinoe with clypeal punctures separated by>2 puncture diameters), and the pygidial plate is apically clearly incised (in A. arsinoe with the apex of the pygidial plate rounded to presenting a hint of an emargination). No concrete action is taken until phylogenetic data are available that can support or oppose an association with the arsinoe -group of species, and the status of the monotypic subgenus Carinandrena Osytshnjuk, 1993 .

Remarks. The observed flight period of early September is unusual, as very few univoltine Palaearctic Andrena fly this late in the summer, with most examples coming from the subgenera Cnemidandrena and Habromelissa Hirashima & LaBerge, 1964 , to which A. concisura does not belong.

Etymology. Feminine singular nominative form of the Latin adjective concisurus meaning cut, incision, gap, in reference to the pygidial plate which is clearly incised apically.

Distribution. Tajikistan.

Other material examined ( Andrena amicula ) ALGERIA: 60 km E of Tamanrasset, 31.iii.1989, 1♀, leg. M. Schwarz, OÖLM ; EGYPT: Gabal Elba , 26.i.1933, 2♂, det. K. Warncke, leg. H. Preisner, ZMHB (paratypes of “ Andrena elbae ” Alfken , unpublished name) ; Gabal Elba [Jabal`Ilbah], 26.i.1933, 1♂, det. K. Warncke, leg. H. Preisner, OÖLM (paratype) ; Aegyptien [no further information], 1♀, leg. O. Schmiedeknecht, OÖLM (holotype) ; OMAN: 10 km SW Sur, Al Fulaij , 7.iii.2022, 3♀, leg. C. Schmid-Egger, CSE / TJWC ; SAUDI ARABIA: Al Ha’ir [Al Haeer], Riyadh, 500 m, 23.i.1983, 1♂, leg. K.M. Guichard, NHMUK .

( Andrena arsinoe ) EGYPT: Dakhla Oasis , 27.iii.1963, 1♀, det. K. Warncke, leg. R.W. Hodges, OÖLM ; Wadi Digla , 12.ii.1932, 1♂, det. K. Warncke, leg. H. Priesner, OÖLM ; Wadi Hof , 23.iv.1909, 2♂, 1♀, det. J.D. Alfken, ZMHB ; JORDAN: Aqaba (s.l.), 6–19.iii.1986, 1♀, leg. K.M. Guichard, NHMUK ; OMAN: J. Hawrah , 8.iv.1983, 1♀, leg. I.L. Hamer, NHMUK ; UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Abu Dhabi, 16.i.1987, 1♀, leg. I.L. Hamer, NHMUK ; Abu Dhabi, Al Wathba , Malaise Trap, 15.i.2015, 1♀, leg. Saji & v. Harten, CSE ; Liwa , 10.iii.1984, 1♀, leg. I.L. Hamer, NHMUK ; Liwa desert, 12 km S Arada, 4–13.i.2011, 1♂, 1♀, leg. C. Schmid-Egger, CSE ; Liwa Oasis , 5 km E Mazairaa, 9.i.2011, 1♂, leg. C. Schmid-Egger, CSE ; Liwa Oasis, Arada , 13.i.2011, 1♂, 1♀, leg. C. Schmid-Egger, CSE ; Liwa Oasis, Mizerah , 12.iii.2017, 1♂, leg. Ma. Halada, OÖLM ; Shweib / Suweihan [Sweihan], 12.ii.1987, 1♀, leg. I.L. Hamer, NHMUK ; Suweihan [Sweihan], 24.i.1986, 1♀, leg. I.L. Hamer, NHMUK .

Figures

FIGURE 77. Andrena (incertae sedis) concisura spec. nov. female. A. Habitus, lateral view; B. Face, frontal view; C. Process of labrum, ventral view; D. Head, dorsal view; E. Scutum, dorsolateral view; F. Propodeum, dorsal view; G. Terga, dorsal view; H. Pygidial plate, posterior view.