Andrena (Avandrena) collisa, WOOD, 2024

WOOD, T. J., 2024, Further revisions to the Palaearctic Andrena fauna (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae), Zootaxa 5483 (1), pp. 1-150 : 12-17

Andrena (Avandrena) collisa spec. nov.

Figures 6A–C; E; G ; 7A–C; E–F .

HOLOTYPE: CYPRUS: Larnaca district, Lefkara , 34.8852 oN, 33.3235 oE, 2.iii.2019, ♂, leg. M. Mikát & J. Waldhauserová, OÖLM.

PARATYPE: CYPRUS: Limassol, 4.iii.1984, 1♀, leg. H. Weiffenbach, OÖLM .

Description. Female. Body length: 7 mm ( Figure 6A ). Head: Dark, 1.45 times wider than long ( Figure 6C ). Clypeus weakly domed, moderately flattened medially, weakly punctate, punctures slightly latitudinally compressed, separated by 1 puncture diameter; underlying surface with granular shagreen, weakly shining, punctures disappearing into underlying sculpture. Process of labrum narrow, slightly wider than long, with deep narrow emargination medially. Gena equalling width of compound eye; ocelloccipital distance equalling diameter of lateral ocellus. Foveae dorsally occupying ½ space between compound eye and lateral ocellus, ventrally slightly narrowing, reaching upper level of antennal insertions; foveae filled with dark brown hairs. Head predominantly covered with long black hairs, with some pale hairs intermixed on frons and vertex; longest hairs equalling length of scape. Antennae basally dark, A6–12 ventrally lightened dark orange, ventral surface covered with isolated silvery scales; A3 equalling A4+5.

Mesosoma: Scutum and scutellum finely shagreened, laterally weakly shining, shagreen becoming weaker medially, here almost shining; surface punctate, punctures separated by 1–2 puncture diameters ( Figure 6E ). Pronotum laterally with weak humeral angle. Mesepisternum and dorsolateral parts of propodeum with fine granular shagreen, weakly shining. Propodeal triangle, laterally delineated by fine carinae, internal surface with weaky raised fine rugae in basal half ( Figure 6G ). Mesepisternum with long black plumose hairs, longest equalling length of scape. Scutum and scutellum with shorter predominantly white plumose hairs, with scattered intermixed black hairs. Propodeal corbicula incomplete, sparse, dorsal fringe composed of pale plumose hairs, internal surface with abundant simple light brownish hairs. Legs dark brown, pubescence light brown. Posterior face of hind femorae rounded, without spines. Flocculus incomplete, composed of whitish plumose hairs; femoral scopae composed of white simple hairs, tibial scopae composed of simple hairs, ventrally white, dorsally light brown. Hind tarsal claws with inner tooth. Wings hyaline, stigma and venation dark brown to orange, nervulus antefurcal.

Metasoma: Tergal discs dark, marginal areas weakly depressed, most strongly on T3–4, lightened hyaline-brown ( Figure 6B ). Tergal discs polished and shining, weak microsculpture present only narrowly basally; T1 sparsely punctate, punctures separated by 2–3 puncture diameters, T2–4 with punctures separated by 1–2 puncture diameters. Tergal discs with very short sparse white hairs, T1–4 apically with long whitish hairs, forming weak apical hairbands, broadly interrupted on T1–3, complete on T4, not obscuring underlying surface. Apical fringe of T5 and hairs flanking pygidial plate orange-brown. Pygidial plate rounded triangular, surface dull, featureless.

Male. Body length: 6 mm ( Figure 7A ). Head: Dark, 1.5 times wider than long ( Figure 7B ). Clypeus very weakly domed, broadly flattened over majority of area with exception of anterior ⅓, this slightly protruding; surface punctate, punctures separated by 0.5–1 puncture diameter with exception of weak longitudinal impunctate mid-line, underlying surface shagreened, weakly shining. Apical margin of clypeus with narrow yellow marking ( Figure 7B ). Process of labrum rounded trapezoidal, 2 times broader than long, anterior margin with shallow broad emargination. Gena slightly exceeding width of compound eye; ocelloccipital distance 2 times diameter of lateral ocellus ( Figure 7C ). Face and scape covered with long black hairs, gena and vertex predominantly with white hairs, with occasional intermixed black hairs.Antennae basally dark, A6–12 ventrally lightened by presence of orange scales;A3 exceeding A4, slightly shorter than A4+5.

Mesosoma: Mesosoma structurally as in female. Mesepisternum with long black plumose hairs, hairs exceeding length of scape. Scutum, scutellum, and propodeum with mixture of black and white plumose hairs. Legs dark, pubescence whitish to light brown. Hind tarsal claws with inner tooth. Wings hyaline, stigma and venation dark brown to orange, nervulus antefurcal.

Metasoma: Tergal discs dark, apical rims narrowly lightened hyaline-brown ( Figure 7E ). Tergal discs polished and shining, weak microsculpture present only narrowly basally; T1–4 punctate, punctures separated by 1–2 puncture diameters. Tergal discs with very short sparse white hairs, not forming apical hairbands. T6–7 with long dark brown hairs overlying pygidial plate of T7. S8 columnar, more or less parallel-sided until short broadened apical process; ventral surface medially with two lateral tufts of dense brown hair. Genital capsule slightly elongate, gonocoxae apically produced into weakly rounded teeth, gonostyli with apexes broadly produced into flattened triangular wedges with inner margins raised, stem part of gonostyli with raised longitudinal ridge along inner margins ( Figure 7F ). Penis valves moderately developed, occupying ½ space between gonostyli, medially broadened, apically narrowing.

Diagnosis. Andrena collisa can be recognised as an Avandrena due to its short and broad head with short and broad foveae; recognition of the spineless Avandrena is always more challenging, since the subgenus is partially defined on the presence of this character, and A. collisa lacks spines on the hind face of the hind femorae. Due to their extensive black pubescence, particularly on the mesepisternum which is entirely black-haired, they can be compared to A. canohirta ( Friese, 1923) (North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey; = A. balcanica Warncke, 1965 ; Figure 8 ).

In the female sex, the two species are very close, but A. collisa can be separated by the punctation of the clypeus which is obscurely punctate with latitudinally compressed punctures that disappear into the underlying clypeal sculpture ( Figure 6C ; in A. canohirta with the clypeus covered with shallow but large, round, and clearly visible punctures that do not disappear into the underlying sculpture, Figure 6D ), by the sculpture of the scutum which is laterally shagreened becoming polished medially ( Figure 6E ; in A. canohirta with the scutum uniformly shagreened, Figure 6F ), by the ocelloccipital distance which is subequal to the diameter of a lateral ocellus (in A. canohirta with the ocelloccipital distance 1.2 times the diameter of a lateral ocellus), by the finely delineated propodeal triangle with finely raised internal rugae ( Figure 6G ; in A. canohirta with the propodeal triangle more coarsely delineated, internal surface slightly depressed and covered in more strongly raised internal rugae, Figure 6H ), by the golden-brown terminal fringe ( Figure 6B ; in A. canohirta with the terminal fringe dark brown, Figure 8H ), and by the slightly smaller body length of 7 mm ( A. canohirta 7–8 mm in length). Separation of males is much easier, as the ocelloccipital distance is 2 times the diameter of a lateral ocellus ( Figure 7A ), whereas in A. canohirta it is 3.5 times this diameter ( Figure 7D ). The clypeus is also apically marked with a small area of yellow ( Figure 7B ), whereas A. canohirta always has the clypeus black; additional material is necessary to establish whether this is a consistent character.

Remarks. Friese (1923) inconsistently referred to his material of A. canohirta , referring to a male on p. 186, then a female in the description of the species on p. 206, and then a male at the end of the description. The description is clearly of a female specimen, since Friese mentions the scopae. The only specimen in the ZMHB is a female ( Figures 8A–B ), and it matches the collecting details given by Friese; it is considered to automatically be the holotype, and references to males are simply lapsus on the part of Friese.

Etymology. Feminine singular nominative form of the Latin adjective collisus meaning clashed together, conflicted, contended, in reference to the flattened or somewhat compressed head.

Distribution. Cyprus.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Andrena (Avandrena) collisa spec. nov. female. A. Habitus, lateral view; B. Terga, dorsal view; C. Face, frontal view; E. Scutum, dorsal view; G. Propodeum, dorsal view; Andrena (Avandrena) canohirta (Friese, 1923) female. D. Face, frontal view; F. Scutum, dorsal view; H. Propodeum, dorsal view.

FIGURE 7. Andrena (Avandrena) collisa spec. nov. male. A. Habitus, lateral view; B. Face, frontal view; C. Vertex, dorsal view; E. Terga, dorsal view; F. Genital capsule, dorsal view; Andrena (Avandrena) canohirta (Friese, 1923) male. D. Vertex, dorsal view.

FIGURE 8. Andrena (Avandrena) canohirta (Friese, 1923) holotype female.A. Label details; B. Habitus, lateral view; Andrena (Avandrena) balcanica Warncke, 1965 holotype female. C. Label details; D. Habitus, lateral view; E. Face, frontal view; F. Scutum, dorsal view; G. Mesepisternum, lateral view; H. Terga, dorsal view.