Andrena (Notandrena) acutidentis Wood, 2020

Wood, Thomas James, Michez, Denis, Cejas, Diego, Lhomme, Patrick & Rasmont, Pierre, 2020, An update and revision of the Andrena fauna of Morocco (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Andrenidae) with the description of eleven new North African species, ZooKeys 974, pp. 31-92 : 31

Andrena (Notandrena) acutidentis Wood sp. nov. Figures 67-70 , 71-76

Material.

Holotype: Morocco: Souss-Massa, 10 km SE Ait Baha, 18.iv.1996, 1♀, leg. M. Schwarz. Deposited in the OÖLM. Paratypes: Morocco: Souss-Massa, 10 km SE Ait Baha, 18.iv.1996, 2♂, 2♀, leg. M. Schwarz; 20.iv.1996, 2♂, leg. M. Schwarz; Souss-Massa, 10 km W Tiznit, 6.v.1995, 5♂, 1♀, leg. Mi. Halada, OÖLM; Souss-Massa, 30 km SE Taliouine, 17.iv.1996, 3♀, leg. M. Schwarz, OÖLM; Souss-Massa, Biougra-Tafraout, 13.ii.1987, 1♂, leg H. Teunissen, NMNL. Paratypes are deposited at the OÖLM and NMNL, with a male and female retained in the personal collection of TJW.

Diagnosis.

A small Notandrena recognised in the subgenus by the dorsolateral angle of the pronotum with a transverse ridge, the clearly punctured metasoma, and the weakly rugose (not shagreened) propodeal triangle. Because of its small size it can be placed into the nitidiuscula group, and it is most similar to A. fulvicornis Schenck, 1853 (see also species newly recorded for Morocco below). It differs by the clypeus which has a central, shining, impunctate line (Fig. 68 , evenly punctured and shagreened in A. fulvicornis ) and the shiny scutum and scutellum (Fig. 69 , shagreened and dull in A. fulvicornis ).

The male can easily be recognised as a Notandrena because of the greatly enlarged and carinate gena (Fig. 73 ) and the broadened apex of the gonostyli in combination with a punctured metasoma (Fig. 75 ). It can be further recognised within the Notandrena by the shape of the genitalia which are short and compact (Fig. 76 ), placing it close to species like A. chrysosceles , A. fulvicornis , A. nitidiuscula , and A. pallitarsis (see illustrations in Schmid-Egger and Scheuchl 1997). However, the apices of the gonostyli are produced into points whereas they are rounded in the other species, the clypeus is yellow (Fig. 72 , black in species like A. fulvicornis and A. nitidiuscula ), and the apex of sternite 8 is also emarginate. The combination of these characters is unique.

Description.

Female: Body length 8-8.5 mm (Fig. 67 ). Head: Black, head wider than long (Fig. 68 ). Clypeus broad, evenly arched, evenly punctured, punctured separated by one puncture diameter with the exception of clear impunctate line in centre equivalent to two puncture diameters. Underlying surface weakly shagreened, shining. Process of labrum trapezoidal, weakly emarginate. Gena broad, 1.2 times wider than width of compound eye, clearly and evenly punctured, punctures separated by one puncture diameter, underlying surface close to the compound eye shining, becoming shagreened towards the hind margin of the vertex, punctures becoming obscure. Gena, vertex, and face with moderate brown hairs, never exceeding the scape in length. Foveae of average width, occupying half distance between top of compound eye and lateral ocellus. Antennae dark, A4 apically and A5-12 lightened orange below, A3 slightly shorter than A4+5+6. Ocelloccipital distance short, ½ width of lateral ocellus. Mesosoma: Scutum and scutellum moderately densely punctured, punctures separated by 1-1.5 puncture diameters, underlying surface weakly shagreened, generally shiny (Fig. 69 ). Scutum and scutellum with short, fine, brownish hair. Episternum and propodeum microreticulate, dull, propodeal triangle clearly marked by a faint carina, propodeal triangle weakly rugose. Episternum and propodeum with longer brownish-whitish hair, not exceeding length of the scape, propodeal corbiculae well defined. Legs dark, tarsi lightened brown, pubescence yellowish to whitish. Femoral and tibial scopa white. Wings hyaline, venation and stigma dark brown. Nervulus interstitial. Metasoma: Tergites dark, margins slightly lightened yellow to light brown (Fig. 70 ). T1 moderately punctured, puncture separated by 2-3 puncture diameters, T2-4 more densely punctured, punctures separated by 1-1.5 puncture diameters, underlying surface weakly shagreened, shining. T2-4 with thin hairbands of yellowish-white hairs, on T2+3 broadly interrupted, on T4 complete. T5+6 with a fringe of golden hairs.

Male. Body length 8 mm (Fig. 71 ). Head: Black, head wider than long (Fig. 72 ). Clypeus broad, evenly arched, entirely yellow with exception of two small dark triangles laterally. Process of labrum narrow, longer than broad, emarginate. Gena substantially wider than width of compound eye, angulate with distinct upper and lower corner, carinate (Fig. 73 ). Genal punctation and sculpturing as in female. Gena, face, vertex, and scape with white hairs, longest equalling scape in length. Antennae dark, A3 apically and A4-13 lightened orange below, A3 equalling A4+5. Ocelloccipital distance short, 2/3 width of lateral ocellus. Mesosoma: Mesosomal sculpturing and pubescence as in the female (Fig. 74 ). Legs brown, tarsi light brown, pubescence whitish. Wings hyaline, venation and stigma dark brown. Nervulus slightly antefurcal. Metasoma: Tergites brownish, punctation and sculpturing as in the female (Fig. 75 ). Tergites 2-4 with very thin and faint white hair bands, very broadly interrupted. Sternite 8 apically emarginate and bilobed. Genitalia short and compact (Fig. 76 ), gonocoxites not forming points, dorsal surface shagreened in a manner reminiscent of Zonandrena . Gonostyli forming a point.

Distribution.

The Souss valley in south-western Morocco (Fig. 145d ).

Floral preferences.

None recorded. Other members of the Notandrena are associated with Apiaceae ( Wood et al. 2020a).

Etymology.

The name acuti (sharp) + dentis (teeth) was chosen because of the male genitalia where the apices of the gonostyli are produced into points in contrast to other members of this group where they are rounded.

Figures

Figure 145. Distribution of sampling locations of newly described species A Andrena hebescens (circles), Andrena semiadesus (squares) B Andrena tenebricorpus (diamond), Andrena niveofacies (circle), Andrena triangulivalvis (triangle) C Andrena sparsipunctata (circles), Andrena breviceps (diamonds) D Andrena acutidentis (squares), Andrena farinosoides (triangles), Andrena nigriclypeus (circle). Relief is indicated by shading, measured in meters above sea level.

Figures 67 - 70. Andrena (Notandrena) acutidentis sp. nov. 67 female profile 68 female face 69 female dorsum 70 female tergites.

Figures 71 - 76. Andrena (Notandrena) acutidentis sp. nov. 71 male profile 72 male face 73 male gena 74 male dorsum 75 male tergites 76 male genitalia.