Andrena (Avandrena) baldocki, WOOD, 2024

WOOD, T. J., 2024, Further revisions to the Palaearctic Andrena fauna (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae), Zootaxa 5483 (1), pp. 1-150 : 9-12

Andrena (Avandrena) baldocki spec. nov.

Figures 4A–F ; 5A–D .

HOLOTYPE: SPAIN: Cádiz , Parque Natural Los Alcornocales , Las Algamitas, Finca Murtas, 36.3273 oN, - 5.5986 oW, 18.iii.2023, ♀, leg. T.J. Wood, OÖLM (BOLD accession number: WPATW992-23).

PARATYPES: PORTUGAL: Algarve, Guia , 12.iii.2009, 1♀, leg. D.W. Baldock, TJWC : Algarve, Aljezur, Vale da Telha , 1–9.v.2016, leg. T.J. Wood; TJWC ; SPAIN: Alhambra [Granada], 9.iii.1957, leg. O. Lundblad , OÖLM (originally determined as a paratype of A. avara s. str.); Iznájar ( Córdoba ), 1–30.iv.1909, 1♂ , OÖLM; Andalucía, 23 km S Cádiz, Chiclana , 8.iv.2010, 2♀, leg. C. Schmid-Egger, CSE .

Description: Female: Body length: 8 mm ( Figure 4A ). Head: Dark, 1.35 times wider than long ( Figure 4B ). Clypeus strongly domed, densely shagreened, very weakly shining, obscurely punctate with shallow and poorlyformed punctures that disappear into underlying sculpture, punctures separated by 1–2 puncture diameters. Process of labrum trapezoidal with angles weakly rounded, 3 times wider than long. Gena equalling width of compound eye; ocelloccipital distance equalling diameter of lateral ocellus. Foveae dorsally occupying ½ space between compound eye and lateral ocellus, reaching upper level of antennal insertions; foveae filled with dark brown hairs. Head predominantly covered with whitish to light brownish plumose hairs, with black plumose hairs restricted to inner margins of compound eyes and frons, not equalling length of scape ( Figure 4C ). Antennae dark, A5–12 ventrally lightened by presence of grey scales; A3 exceeding A4+5, slightly shorter than A4+5+6.

Mesosoma: Scutum and scutellum with strong granular microsculpture, dull to obscurely shining, with large shallow punctures, punctures separated by 1–2 puncture diameters anteriorly and laterally, becoming very sparse posteromedially ( Figure 4D ). Pronotum rounded. Mesepisternum and dorsolateral parts of propodeum with granular microsculpture, dull to weakly shining; propodeal triangle finely delineated by lateral carinae, internal surface with similar granular shagreen, basally with short raised rugae ( Figure 4E ). Mesepisternum with long whitish to light brownish strongly plumose hairs, not equalling length of scape, becoming shorter and much sparser on scutum and scutellum. Propodeal corbicula incomplete, dorsal fringe composed of plumose whitish to light brownish hairs, internal surface with numerous plumose pale hairs. Legs dark, pubescence whitish to light brownish. Posterior face of hind femorae each with 6-7 orange pointed spines, spines intermixed with sparse pale stiff white hairs, length of spines exceeding diameter of lateral ocellus. Flocculus complete, strong, composed of pale plumose hairs; femoral and tibial scopae composed of predominantly white simple hairs, tibial scopae dorsally with some apically plumose hairs. Hind tarsal claws with small inner tooth. Wings hyaline, stigma and venation dark orange-brown, nervulus interstitial.

Metasoma: Tergal discs dark, apical rims of tergal margins increasingly broadly lightened hyaline-yellow, narrowly so on T1, occupying slightly more than ½ visible margin of T4 ( Figure 4F ). Terga with marginal areas of T2–4 strongly depressed, most strongly on T4, forming clear contrast with discs. Tergal discs shagreened, weakly shining, with abundant hair-bearing punctures, punctures without defined rims but clearly visible against underlying sculpture, separated by 1–2 puncture diameters. T1 with numerous long erect whitish hairs, shorter but more abundant on discs of T2–4, margins of T2–4 with complete hairbands emerging from base of marginal areas, overlying marginal areas, not obscuring underlying surface. Apical fringe of T5 and hair flanking pygidial plate brown. Pygidial plate broadly rounded triangular, surface dull, featureless.

Male: Body length: 7 mm ( Figure 5A ). Head: Dark, 1.25 times wider than long ( Figure 5B ). Clypeus domed, with somewhat latitudinally compressed punctures, punctures separated by 0.5–1 puncture diameters, underlying surface shagreened, weakly shining. Process of labrum rounded trapezoidal, 2 times wider than long, anterior margin widely but shallowly emarginate. Gena slightly exceeding width of compound eye; ocelloccipital distance equalling diameter of lateral ocellus. Face with mixture of light and dark hairs, dark hairs predominantly restricted to inner margins of compound eyes; gena ventrally with long pale to light brownish hairs, becoming intermixed with black dorsolaterally, vertex with pale hairs; longest hairs on face hairs clearly exceeding length of scape. Antennae basally dark, A4–13 ventrally lightened by presence of brownish scales; A3 exceeding length of A4, shorter than A4–5, A4 subquadrate, slightly broader than long.

Mesosoma: Mesosoma structurally as in female. Mesosoma covered in long whitish to light brownish hairs, those on mesepisternum exceeding length of scape. Legs dark, pubescence whitish. Hind tarsal claws with inner tooth. Wings hyaline, stigma and venation orange, nervulus interstitial.

Metasoma: Metasoma structurally as in female. Terga covered in scattered long light brown hairs, not forming clear apical hairbands ( Figure 5C ). T6–7 with long light brown hairs overlying pygidial plate of T7. S8 with pronounced disc, disc with posterior margin rounded semi-circular, ventral surface covered with dense laterally and posteriorly projecting tuft of dark brown to black hairs. Genital capsule elongate, gonocoxae produced into broadly rounded apical teeth, gonostyli basally narrow, becoming broad, flattened, and spatulate apically, inner margin strongly raised ( Figure 5D ). Penis valves moderately wide basally, occupying ⅓ space between gonostyli, evenly narrowing apically.

Diagnosis. Andrena baldocki can be recognised as an Avandrena due to the short and broad head with short and broad facial foveae combined with the presence of a row of long pointed spines on the posterior face of each hind femur. It can then be recognised in the avara -group due to the face and mesosoma with predominantly pale pubescence. Within the avara -group, the strongly depressed apical margins of T2–4 with the apical rims of the terga clearly lightened hyaline white-yellow ( Figure 4F ) place it closest to A. caligata ( Tunisia, Libya, Italy: Sicily). However, apart from the non-overlapping distributional ranges, A. baldocki has the tergal discs covered with clearly visible hair-bearing punctures, punctures separated by 1–2 puncture diameters, contrasting the underling surface (in A. caligata with the tergal discs obscurely punctate, punctures small and not strongly contrasting the underlying surface, disappearing into the underlying sculpture), and in direct comparison the tergal margins are more strongly depressed compared to A. caligata (comparative material required). See also the identification key below. The male can also be recognised using the same combination of characters; the tergal margins of T2–4 are strongly depressed with the apical rims clearly lightened hyaline white-yellow ( Figure 5C ), the tergal discs have visible and dense hair-bearing punctures, and the apexes of the gonocoxae are produced into rounded teeth ( Figure 5D ; not strongly truncate as in A. gavia , Figure 3C ).

Etymology. Named after the English naturalist David Baldock (1936–†2020) who collected bees, wasps, and other insects widely, with a strong focus on Portugal, and who was instrumental in encouraging me to study the species-rich Mediterranean bee fauna.

Remarks. Specimens were collected from Erodium spp ( Geraniaceae ); the holotype female is covered in Erodium pollen grains ( Figures 4A; F ), and A. baldocki is likely to be a specialist of this genus like all other members of the avara -group.

Distribution. Southern Portugal (Algarve) and southern Spain (Cádiz, Córdoba, Granada). Based on correspondence with Carlos Hererra (Estación Biológica de Doñana-CSIC, Sevilla), A. baldocki is widespread in south-western Spain.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Andrena (Avandrena) gavia Warncke, 1974 male. A. Terga, dorsal view; C. Genital capsule, dorsal view; Andrena (Avandrena) liturata Warncke, 1975 male. B. Terga, dorsal view; D. Genital capsule, dorsal view.

FIGURE 4. Andrena (Avandrena) baldocki spec. nov. female. A. Habitus, lateral view; B. Face, frontal view; C. Face, anterolateral view; D. Scutum, dorsal view; E. Propodeal triangle, dorsal view; F. Terga, dorsal view.

FIGURE 5. Andrena (Avandrena) baldocki spec. nov. male. A. Habitus, lateral view; B. Face, frontal view; C. Terga, dorsal view; D. Genital capsule, dorsal view.