Andrena (Aciandrena) semiadesus 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 (Aciandrena) semiadesus Wood sp. nov. Figures 1-8

Material.

Holotype: Morocco: Fès-Meknès, Laanoucer, 1456 m, 33.6166N, - 4.7484W, 11-12.iv.2019, 1♂, white pan trap, leg. L. Hamroud & A. Sentil. Deposited in the OÖLM. Paratypes: Morocco: Fès-Meknès, Laanoucer, 1456 m, 11-12.iv.2019, 4♂, white and yellow pan traps, leg. L. Hamroud & A. Sentil; Drâa-Tafilalet, 20 km W Boudnib, 9.iv.1995, 2♂, 2♀, leg. Ma. Halada. Paratypes are deposited at the OÖLM, with a male and female retained in the personal collection of TJW.

Diagnosis.

The finely shagreened propodeal triangle, the narrow facial foveae, the absence of longitudinal striations on the clypeus, and the yellow-marked clypeus in the male place this bee in the Aciandrena . The classification of Aciandrena and its relationship to Micrandrena , Graecandrena , and Distandrena is somewhat in flux, and the subgenus is currently polyphyletic ( Pisanty et al. 2020). However, when excluding uncharacteristic taxa that are currently placed in the Aciandrena such as A. janthina Warncke, 1975 that clearly belong elsewhere ( Pisanty et al. 2020), A. semiadesus meets the classical definition of Aciandrena . The male can be instantly separated from the other Aciandrena with yellow clypei because the yellow marking is diminished, it does not extend all the way to the clypeal margins, and the two dark spots that are usually found towards the centre of the clypeus in yellow-faced Aciandrena are absent as they instead are contiguous with black markings that extend in from the clypeal margins (Fig. 6 ). The genitalia are also noticeably more elongate, the capsule almost twice as long as wide, and with a broad penis valve, most other Aciandrena species with capsules only a little longer than wide and with a comparatively narrow penis valve (Figs 100 , 102 , 104 , 126 , 128 , 130 ; Pisanty et al. 2016). The female is most similar to A. (Graecandrena) totana Warncke, 1974 as they both have a broad, shagreened, dull, moderately raised, and centrally slightly flattened sparsely punctate clypeus, but the tergites of A. semiadesus are completely impunctate and the foveae are narrower.

Description.

Female: Body length 7 mm (Fig. 1 ). Head: Black, as wide as long (Fig. 2 ). Clypeus broad, slightly arched, dull, strongly shagreened with exception of apical margin where shagreenation is weaker, therefore weakly shining. Sparsely and shallowly punctured, punctures separated by 2-3 puncture diameters. Process of labrum semi-circular, weakly shining. Foveae in lower half deep, narrow, less than half the width of an antenna, very close to inner margin of compound eye. In upper half foveae widen to approximately the width of an antenna, at their widest still occupying less than half the distance between top of compound eye and lateral ocellus. Face, gena, and vertex with moderate brownish to whitish hairs, the longest of these roughly equal to ½ the length of the scape. Antennae dark, A5-12 lightened orange below, A3 equalling A4+5 combined. Gena slightly wider than width of compound eye, weakly longitudinally striate. Ocelloccipital distance short, less than 1/3 width of lateral ocellus. Mesosoma: Scutum and scutellum completely shagreened, weakly shining, punctures shallow and inconspicuous, punctures separated by 2-3 puncture diameters (Fig. 3 ). Propodeal triangle differentiated from rest of propodeum by larger and coarser shagreenation, weakly shining. Episternum and propodeum finely shagreened, dull. Episternum with sparse, long white hairs, these approaching ¾ of the length of the scape. Legs dark, tarsal segments becoming dark brown. Femoral and tibial scopa simple, white. Wings hyaline, venation light brown, stigma pale yellow, nervulus interstitial to slightly antefurcal. Metasoma: Tergites dark, margins lightened yellow (Fig. 4 ). Tergal discs strongly microreticulate, punctation extremely sparse and obscured. T2-4 laterally with very weak fringes of white hairs. T5-6 with golden hairs flanking pygidial plate, this rounded with raised margin, shagreened, weakly shining.

Male. Body length 6.5-7 mm (Fig. 5 ). Head: Black, wider than long. Clypeus slightly arched, ground colour black but with large yellow marking covering approximately 90% of surface (Fig. 6 ). Yellow marking does not extend to base of clypeus. Laterad of clypeal centre, yellow marking reduced, two black triangular markings extending in towards the centre, giving marking a broad, inverted T-shape. In basal half, clypeus dull and shagreened, becoming shiny in apical half. Clypeal punctures shallow and irregular, separated by 2-5 puncture diameters. Process of labrum rectangular, twice as broad and long, shiny. Face, gena, and vertex with long white hairs, longest on underside of head, equalling length of the scape. Scape and pedicel black, following antennal segments dark brown to black, A3 longer than A4, shorter than A4+5 combined. Gena and ocelloccipital distance as in female. Mesosoma: Scutum and scutellum dull, strongly shagreened, sparsely and shallowly punctured, punctures separated by 1-4 puncture diameters. Propodeal triangle weakly marked, scarcely differentiated from propodeum, shagreened, slightly shining laterally. Mesosoma with white hairs, sparse on scutum, denser and longer on episternum, exceeding length of scape. Legs dark, only final tarsal segment slightly lightened to dark brown, pubescence white. Wings hyaline, venation brown, stigma brown, nervulus interstitial. Metasoma: Tergites as in female, but margins more strongly lightened, transparent whitish apically (Fig. 7 ). Tergal margins laterally with loose white hair bands of irregular length, very widely interrupted. Genitalia simple (Fig. 8 ), gonocoxites forming rounded dorsal lobes, gonostyli long, tapering to rounded end.

Distribution.

Central and eastern Morocco (Fig. 145a ).

Floral preferences.

None recorded.

Etymology.

The name semi (partly or partially) + adesus (eaten, worn, eroded) was chosen to illustrate the clypeus of the male, where the central yellow marking is laterally diminished by intruding black marks.

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 1 - 8. Andrena (Aciandrena) semiadesus sp. nov. 1 female profile 2 female face 3 female dorsum 4 female tergites 5 male profile 6 male face 7 male tergites 8 male genitalia.

Figures 99 - 104. Andrena (Aciandrena) fulica Warncke, 1974 99 male face 100 male genitalia. Andrena (Aciandrena) fulica astrella Warncke, 1975 (Morocco) 101 male face 102 male genitalia (Spain) 103 male face 104 male genitalia.

Figures 125 - 130. Andrena (Aciandrena) pratincola Warncke, 1974 (Morocco) 125 male face 126 male genitalia (Egypt, Paratype) 127 male face 128 male genitalia Andrena (Aciandrena) varicornis Perez, 1895 129 male face 130 male genitalia.