Andrena (Poecilandrena) nigriclypeus 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 (Poecilandrena) nigriclypeus Wood sp. nov. Figures 77-82

Material.

Holotype: Algeria: Tlemcen, 20 km N de Maghnia, Bab Taza, 34.968N, - 1.7622W, 9.iv.1983, 1♂, leg. R. Leys & P. v. d. Hurk. Deposited in the NMNL.

Diagnosis.

The subgenus Poecilandrena is poorly defined and has been treated as a wastebasket for species with few apomorphies ( Pisanty et al. 2018), and so unsurprisingly it has been found to be strongly polyphyletic, containing at least five clades ( Pisanty et al. 2020), and in future revisions, only the labiata and viridescens groups are likely to remain in the Poecilandrena . However, until this point it is desirable to keep superficially similar species together, even if the subgenus itself is clearly polyphyletic, so that they may be dealt with together in future revisions. Based on the criteria outlined by Pisanty et al. (2018), A. nigriclypeus can be placed into the Poecilandrena sensu lato by the combination of small body size (<10 mm), red marked abdomen, non-carinate pronotum, mesepisternum weakly areolate with large, spaced shallow punctures, propodeal triangle moderately rugose, genal area not broadened, and sternite eight columnar.

Currently only one species of Poecilandrena sensu lato is known from North Africa, the similarly red-marked A. maximiliani Scheuchl, 2009 which was described from Tunisia (see Scheuchl 2009 for discussion of previous unconfirmed records of Poecilandrena from North Africa). Andrena nigriclypeus is similar to A. maximiliani as both have male genitalia with pronounced but apically truncate (square-ended) gonocoxal teeth. However, it can be easily separated because the clypeus is black, not yellow, and the gonostyli are completely different, small and narrow and with a shallow emargination in the outer edge before the apex whereas in A. maximiliani they are long, broad, and flattened. The only other similar species is A. paradisaea Warncke, 1975 from Turkey which has a red abdomen and a black clypeus in the male. However, this species has clearly hooked hind tibial spurs and the genitalia are completely different with a broad-based penis valve, spatula-shaped gonostyli with an evenly rounded outer margin, and pointed gonocoxal teeth (see photograph in Pisanty et al. 2018: fig. 122).

Description.

Female: Unknown.

Male. Body length 8 mm (Fig. 77 ). Head: Black, slightly broader than long (Fig. 78 ). Clypeus domed, centrally slightly flattened therefore appearing weakly three-faced. Front 2/3rds weakly shagreened, broadly shiny, basal 1/3 and lateral areas strongly shagreened, dull. Shiny area unevenly punctured, punctures separated by 1-2 puncture diameters, puncture density increases slightly in dull areas, punctures separated by one puncture diameter. Process of labrum rectangular, two times broader than long. Gena and vertex with white hairs, turning to black hairs on gena behind dorsal 1/3 of compound eyes (Fig. 79 ). Scape with short white hairs, lower paraocular areas and areas around the antennal insertions with mixture of black and white hairs. None of the facial pubescence exceeds scape in length. A1-3 dark, A4-13 dark brown, A3 equalling A4+5. Ocelloccipital distance short, ½ width of lateral ocellus. Mesosoma: Scutum and scutellum densely shagreened, dull, slightly shiny centrally. Surface evenly and weakly punctured, punctures separated by 1-2 puncture diameters. Episternum and propodeum strongly microreticulate, with weak raised reticulation, very weakly shining. Episternum with very shallow wide punctures between raised reticulation. Propodeal triangle well-marked with raised external carina, internal surface with weakly raised longitudinal rugosity. Legs dark, tarsal segments 2-5 on first two pairs of legs and all segments including the basitarsi on hind legs lightened dark red-orange (Fig. 77 ). Wings hyaline, venation amber, nervulus interstitial. Metasoma: T1 predominantly dark, red-marked only on apical margin, T2-4 red, T5-6 black (Fig. 80 ). T2-5 with apical margins lightened yellow, slightly hyaline apically. All tergites densely and uniformly punctate, punctures separated by 0.5 puncture diameters, underlying surface finely shagreened, weakly shining. T6+7 with short golden hairs. S8 arched, centrally at vertical apex of the arch with a patch of dense yellowish hairs, remaining part of relatively hairless sternite narrowly projecting beyond (Fig. 81 ). Genitalia simple, gonocoxites with pronounced but apically truncate and square-ended teeth (Fig. 82 ). Penis valve triangular basally with slightly raised winged margins. Gonostyli narrow, apically strongly truncate with a shallow emargination in outer margin (Fig. 82 ).

Distribution.

North-western Algeria close to the Moroccan border (Fig. 145d ).

Floral preferences.

None recorded.

Etymology.

The name nigri (black) + clypeus (clypeus) was chosen because of the entirely black male clypeus, which is unusual within small red-marked Andrena species.

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 77 - 82. Andrena (Poecilandrena) nigriclypeus sp. nov. 77 male profile 78 male face 79 male dorsum 80 male tergites 81 male sternite eight 82 male genitalia.