Andrena (incertae sedis) muelleri sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 53444414-9FEC-4BA4-9649-8B1747110481

Figs 33A, C, E, 34

Diagnosis

Andrena muelleri sp. nov. is part of an undescribed subgenus best referred to as the relata group (see Pisanty et al. 2022b), which does not display clear defining or distinctive characters, leading to its lack of historical recognition. This group is incompletely characterised, but can predominantly be recognised by the weak and poorly defined propodeal triangle (Fig. 34E), the compact head, with the clypeus having the fore margin slightly raised and forming a ‘]’ shape (Fig. 34C), the ovoid metasoma (Fig. 34F), and the lack of any distinctive derived characters. Consequently, diagnosis is best made with reference to the most similar morphological species, A. corax Warncke, 1975 (Portugal and Spain), A. macroptera Warncke, 1974 (Portugal, Spain, Morocco), and A. melaleuca Pérez, 1895 (Algeria to Egypt). Andrena muelleri has finely punctate terga (Fig. 34F), which excludes A. macroptera and A. melaleuca which have strong and coarse punctation on the tergal discs.

Andrena muelleri sp. nov. is thus extremely similar to A. corax . Andrena muelleri can be separated (alternative character state of A. corax in parentheses) by the clypeus, which has weak latitudinal striations and a variably produced impunctate longitudinal mid-line on its basal half (Fig. 34B; clypeus without latitudinal striations or a longitudinal, impunctate mid-line), by the facial foveae which are filled with brown hairs (Fig. 33A), outer margin thus appearing well defined (facial foveae filled with black hairs, outer margin poorly defined, Fig. 33B), by the more brownish pubescence, on the face with pubescence ventrally white, becoming light brown dorsally, scutum and scutellum with short light brown hairs over the majority of their surface, medially with dark brown hairs (Fig. 33C; face uniformly with white-grey pubescence, scutum and scutellum with short white-grey pubescence, medially with extensive and strongly contrasting short black pubescence, Fig. 33D), and by the punctation of the scutum, which becomes sparse medially, punctures separated by 2–3 puncture diameters, underlying surface with granular shagreen, dull to weakly shining (Fig. 33E; scutum with regular punctures, punctures only becoming slightly sparser medially, separated at most by 2 puncture diameters, usually by 1 puncture diameter; underlying surface smooth and shining, Fig. 33F). The two species cannot be found in sympatry, as A. corax is restricted to Iberia and A. muelleri is currently known only from south-western Morocco.

Etymology

This species is named in honour of the Swiss entomologist Andreas Müller for his work on bee taxonomy, particularly on the tribe Osmiini, and for his collection of the type series of this species.

Material examined

Holotype

MOROCCO • ♀; 20 km N of Tafraoute; 1220 m a.s.l.; 14 Apr. 2017; A. Müller leg.; OÖLM.

Paratypes

MOROCCO • 1 ♀; 20 km N of Tafraoute; 1220 m a.s.l.; 14 Apr. 2017; A. Müller leg.; TJWC • 2 ♀♀; 40 km SSE of Ait Baha, Kasbah de Tizourgane; 1190 m a.s.l.; 22 Apr. 2019; A. Müller leg.; OÖLM .

Description

Female

MEASUREMENTS. Body length: 11–12 mm (Fig. 34A).

HEAD. Dark, 1.25 times as wide as long (Fig. 34B). Clypeus weakly domed, densely punctate with latitudinally elongate punctures, punctures typically separated by 0.5–1 puncture diameter, sometimes with poorly defined longitudinal impunctate mid line; underlying surface shagreened, weakly shining, with obscure but numerous, weakly raised latitudinal striations between punctures. Apical margin of clypeus weakly upturned. Process of labrum trapezoidal, twice as broad as long, apical margin thickened and truncate, strongly emarginate, basal surface with latitudinal striations (Fig. 34C). Gena slightly exceeding width of compound eye; ocelloccipital distance 2 times diameter of lateral ocellus (Fig. 34D). Foveae broad, occupying ¾ of space between lateral ocellus and compound eye, dorsally separated from lateral ocellus by distance equal to diameter of lateral ocellus, ventrally extending below antennal insertions; foveae filled with brown hairs (Fig. 33A). Face on ventral half and gena ventrally with whitish hairs, becoming light brown around antennal insertions, frons, and gena posteriorly; vertex with intermixed black and brown hairs. Antennae dark basally, A4–12 ventrally lightened orange-brown; A3 slightly exceeding A4+5, shorter than A4+5+6.

MESOSOMA. Scutum and scutellum laterally and anteriorly with strong granular shagreen, dull, shagreen becoming weaker medially, here weakly shining; surface predominantly densely punctate, punctures separated by 0.5–1 puncture diameter, becoming sparser medially, here separated by 2–3 puncture diameters (Fig. 33E). Pronotum with obscure and small humeral angle. Mesepisternum and dorsolateral parts of propodeum with granular microreticulation, microreticulation overlain with additional network of weakly raised reticulation, surface dull. Propodeal triangle poorly defined laterally by very weak carinae, internal surface with fine granular shagreen, on basal half with short, raised rugae (Fig. 34E). Mesepisternum with white hairs on ventral half, becoming light brown dorsally (Fig. 34C). Scutum and scutellum with short and strongly plumose light brown hairs, almost squamous, medially with intermixed short dark brown hairs. Propodeal corbicula incomplete, dorsal fringe dense, composed of long, plumose, light brown hairs, internal surface with abundant long, light golden hairs. Legs dark, apical tarsal segments lightened dark reddish-brown, pubescence light to dark brown. Flocculus incomplete but distinctly produced, composed of plumose hairs; flocculus and femoral scopa white, tibial scopa dorsally dark brown, ventrally becoming white, hairs simple. Hind tarsal claws with strong inner tooth. Wings hyaline, stigma and venation brown, nervulus interstitial.

METASOMA. Terga dark, apical margin very narrowly lightened dark brown (Fig. 34F). Tergal discs finely and densely punctate, disc of T1 with punctures sparse laterally, separated by 2–4 puncture diameters, becoming dense medially, separated by 1 puncture diameter. Margin of T1, discs and margins of T2–4 densely and evenly punctate, punctures separated by 0.5–1 puncture diameter. Terga almost without sculpture, smooth and shining between punctures. Terga with scattered short white hairs, forming small patches basolaterally; tergal discs and marginal zones mostly hairless, apical hair bands absent. Apical fringe of T5 and hairs flanking pygidial plate dark brown, at most with occasional long white hairs laterally on T5; pygidial plate with clear raised area medially, surface dull.

Male

Unknown.

Distribution

Southern Morocco in the Anti-Atlas around Tafraoute.