Andrena (Notandrena) juliana Wood, 2021

Wood, Thomas J., Ghisbain, Guillaume, Michez, Denis & Praz, Christophe J., 2021, Revisions to the faunas of Andrena of the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco with the descriptions of four new species (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 758, pp. 147-193 : 174-178

Andrena (Notandrena) juliana Wood sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D61A664D-0821-4470-8807-6CC3C7B93E9F

Figs 70–72, 74, 76 , 78–83

Diagnosis

This taxon can be placed in the subgenus Notandrena in the female sex because of its broad head (clearly broader than wide), the weakly rugose (not shagreened) propodeal triangle, the clearly punctured metasoma, and by the dorsolateral angle of the pronotum with a weak transverse ridge. In the male sex, recognition is easy because of the greatly enlarged and carinate gena in combination with the broadened apex of the gonostyli.

Eight species of the subgenus Notandrena are known from Iberia ( Wood et al. 2020). Female Andrena juliana Wood sp. nov. can be recognised in the group of A. nitidiuscula Schenck, 1853 because of its small size (7–8 mm, excluding A. erythrocnemis Morawitz, 1870 , A. langadensis Warncke, 1965 , and A. urdula Warncke, 1965 which average 11–12 mm in length) and dark hind tibiae (orange in A. chrysosceles (Kirby, 1802)) . Within this group, it lacks the distinctive shortened dorsal scopal hairs of A. pallitarsis Pérez, 1903 , the gena and vertex are normal (vertex clearly less than the diameter of a lateral ocelli, clearly greater than this distance in A. foeniculae Wood, 2020 ), and there is no deeply impressed line on the front half of the scutum (clearly impressed in A. nitidiuscula ). In an Iberian context, it is therefore closest to A. fulvicornis Schenck, 1853 (alternative character state in parentheses), but differs in the sparser punctures on T1, separated by 2–3 puncture diameters (separated by one puncture diameter, Fig. 77 ), by the shinier scutellum (scutellum shagreened and clearly dull, Fig. 73 ), and by the hind tibiae which are dark (orange). Outside of Iberia, A. juliana Wood sp. nov. is also close to A. curvana Warncke, 1965 which is distributed from southern Germany southwards and eastwards to Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, and the European part of Turkey ( Gusenleitner & Schwarz 2002; Schwenninger 2013). It can be separated by the sculpturing of the clypeus which is shiny centrally (centrally shagreened) and by the sculpturing of the scutellum which is shiny (strongly shagreened and dull).

Males can be quickly recognised by their yellow clypeus in combination with their small size (7 mm), a character that is also found in A. chrysosceles and A. pallitarsis ( A. erythrocnemis , A. langadensis , and A. urdula with the clypeus yellow marked, but larger, averaging 10 mm). In both these species, the yellow markings cover the entire clypeus and extend onto the lower paraocular areas, whereas in A. juliana sp. nov. this marking is restricted to the centre of the clypeus. The gena is noticeably more carinate, and as in the female the scutum is also noticeably shinier. The genitalia conform to the typical shape found in members of the nitidiuscula group ( Fig. 83 ; see illustrations in Schmid-Egger & Scheuchl 1997; Schwenninger 2013). As for other members of this group, the gonocoxa are weakly shagreened in a similar fashion to that found in the Zonandrena Hedicke, 1933 . However, the outer margin of the gonostyli is almost straight, whereas there is a clearer obtuse angle here in A. chrysosceles , A. pallitarsis , and A. fulvicornis (see illustrations in Schmid-Egger & Scheuchl 1997; Schwenninger 2013). As in the female sex, the male is also similar to the eastern A. curvana . However, apart from the yellow clypeus (black in A. curvana ), the genitalia are different, with less pronounced gonocoxal teeth, and lacking the pronounced impressed channel in the basal section of the gonostyli (see illustration of this character in Schwenninger 2013).

Etymology

The name is taken from the locus typicus, San Julián.

Material examined

Holotype SPAIN • ♀; Málaga , San Julián 8 km SW of Málaga; [36.666° N, 4.476° W]; 25 May 1962; Jeekel & Wiering leg.; NMNL (illustrated Figs 70–72, 74, 76 ).

Paratype PORTUGAL • 1 ♂; Algarve , Gambello [Gambelas]; 5 Mar. 1986; H. Teunissen leg.; NMNL (illustrated Figs 78–83 ) .

Description

Female

MEASUREMENTS. Body length 8.5 mm ( Fig. 70 ).

HEAD. Dark, broad, 1.4 times as wide as long ( Fig. 71 ). Clypeus domed, laterally and dorsally shagreened and densely punctate, punctures separated by 0.5 puncture diameters, centrally shiny and less densely punctate, punctures separated by 0.5–1.5 puncture diameters, weakly-marked impunctate line present. Process of labrum small, rectangular, front margin very weakly emarginate. Gena as wide as compound eye, gena, vertex, and face with whitish hairs, these not exceeding length of scape. Antennae dark, A5– 12 lightened orange below, A3 equalling A4+5, both A4 and A5 clearly broader than long. Facial fovea neither wide nor narrow, occupying half space between lateral ocellus and compound eye. Ocelloccipital distance short, less than half diameter of lateral ocellus.

MESOSOMA. Scutum weakly shagreened, gently shining, densely but shallowly punctured, punctures separated by 0.5–1 puncture diameter centrally ( Fig. 72 ). Scutum in fore half with barely impressed mid line. Scutellum more clearly shiny, punctures dense only at margin and forming a central longitudinal line, otherwise sparse and separated by 3–4 puncture diameters. Episternum and propodeum finely reticulate, dull, propodeal triangle barely indicated by very fine carina, internal structure essentially unchanged. Scutum and scutellum with short whitish pubescence through which longer hairs protrude, these approaching length of scape. Episternum and propodeum with longer whitish hairs, longest equalling length of scape. Legs dark, apical tarsal segments and apex of basitarsi coloured orange, this extending slightly onto apex of hind tibiae. Wings hyaline, venation orange, nervulus interstitial.

METASOMA. Terga dark, apical margins lightened yellow-brown, underlying surface weakly shagreened, shining ( Fig. 74 ). T1 sparsely and finely punctate on disc, punctures separated by 2–4 puncture diameters ( Fig. 76 ), strongly contrasting with following terga, T2–4 densely punctate on discs, punctures separated by 0.5–1 puncture diameter. Marginal areas of T1–4 less densely punctate, punctures separated by 1–2 puncture diameters. T2–4 with fringes of white hair, interrupted on T2–3, complete on T4. T5 and hairs flanking pygidial plate light brown, pygidial plate smooth, apically rounded, weakly shining.

Male

MEASUREMENTS. Body length 7 mm ( Fig. 78 ).

HEAD. Dark, broad, 1.3 times as wide as long ( Fig. 79 ). Clypeus yellow over majority of disc, all marginal areas black with two lateral triangular black marks. Underlying surface weakly shagreened, shining, centrally sparsely punctate, punctures separated by 2 puncture diameters, marginal areas densely punctate, punctures separated by 0.5–1 puncture diameter. Apical part of clypeus extended and upturned, process of labrum trapezoidal, apical margin upturned forming rounded ridge, apex emarginate. Gena exceeding width of compound eye, weakly carinate ( Fig. 80 ). Gena, vertex, face, and scape with long brownish-white hairs, not exceeding length of scape. Antennae dark, A4–13 lightened orange below, A3 exceeding A4 but shorter than A4+5.

MESOSOMA. Scutum and scutellum laterally shagreened and dull, centrally shining, sparsely punctate, punctures separated by 2–3 puncture diameters ( Fig. 81 ). Episternum, propodeum, and vestiture as in female. Legs dark, apical tarsal segments lightened orange. Wings as in female.

METASOMA. Terga dark, apical margins lightened brown, underlying surface very weakly shagreened, shining ( Fig. 82 ). T1 almost impunctate, T2–4 with sparse and inconspicuous punctures, separated by 1–2 puncture diameters. S8 short, apically slightly broadened and rounded, basally with short and thick golden bristles that project laterally. Genitalia simple, gonocoxa with faint shagreenation, apical corners rounded, diverging ( Fig. 83 ). Penis valve triangular, strongly narrowed apically. Gonostyli with straight external margin, weakly pointed apically, with slightly raised internal margin.

Remarks

Using the key to Iberian Notandrena of Wood et al. (2020), females of A. juliana Wood sp. nov. key to couplet seven which separates A. fulvicornis and A. nitidiuscula . It can be separated from A. nitidiuscula by the absence of an impressed longitudinal line on the front half of the scutum, and from A. fulvicornis by the less dense punctures of T1 and the shinier scutellum. No male key was produced because the male of A. foeniculae is unknown, but males of A. juliana sp. nov. should be identifiable by the combination of their genital structure and yellow clypeus.Additionally, A. foeniculae flies in August and September, and so based on the limited number of specimens collected to date, both taxa are unlikely to fly together at the same time. The similar species A. curvana and A. fulvicornis are bivoltine and fly in both the spring and the summer. Since A. juliana sp. nov. is known only from spring material, further study is needed to clarify its full period of activity.

Distribution

Southern Spain (Málaga) and southern Portugal (Algarve). Both localities are very close to the coast, adjacent to estuaries, specifically those of the Guadalhorce (San Julián) and Ribeira de São Lourenço (Gambelas). This habitat type should be searched during the spring, as it may contain habitat elements or flowering plants that are important for the ecology of A. juliana Wood sp. nov.

Figures

Figs 70–77. 70–72, 74, 76. Andrena juliana Wood sp. nov. (NMNL). 70. Female profile. 71. Female face. 72. Female scutum. 74. Female terga. 76. Female terga detail. — 73, 75, 77. Andrena fulvicornis Schenck, 1853 (TJWC). 73. Female scutum. 75. Female terga. 77. Female terga detail. Not to scale.

Figs 78–83. Andrena juliana Wood sp. nov. (NMNL). 78. Male profile. 79. Male face. 80. Male gena. 81. Male scutum. 82. Male terga. 83. Male genitalia. Not to scale.