Andrena (Melandrena) nox, Wood, 2023

Wood, Thomas James, 2023, New Old World Andrena species, with a focus on Turkey (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae), Zootaxa 5266 (1), pp. 1-72 : 34-37

Andrena (Melandrena) nox spec. nov.

HOLOTYPE: TURKEY: Hakkâri, S. Varegös / Mt. Sat , 2000 m [inferred 37.2986 oN, 44.3103 oE], 18.vi.1984, 1♀, leg. K. Warncke, OÖLM.

PARATYPES: Hakkâri, S. Varegös / Mt. Sat , 2000 m, 18.vi.1984, 4♀, leg. K. Warncke, OÖLM / TJWC ; Hakkâri, S. Varegös / Mt. Sat , 1700 m, 15.vi.1984, 2♀, leg. K. Warncke, OÖLM .

Description: Female: Body length: 12–14 mm ( Figure 18A ). Head: Dark, 1.2 times wider than long ( Figure 18B ). Clypeus weakly domed, densely punctate, punctures confluent to separated by 1 puncture diameter, with obscure impunctate longitudinal line medially; underlying surface shagreened and dull laterally to weakly shining medialy. Process of labrum trapezoidal, three times wider than long, fore margin truncate. Gena exceeding width of compound eye; ocelloccipital distance equalling 2 times diameter of lateral ocellus. Foveae dorsally broad, occupying two thirds of space between lateral ocellus and compound eye; fovea ventrally slightly diverging from inner margin of compound eye, separated by a narrow shining punctate strip, strip subequal to basal width of A3; foveae filled with dark brown hairs. Face, gena, and vertex with black hairs, base of antennal insertions and scape with intermixed black and white hairs. Antennae dark, A5–12 ventrally lightened by presence of grey scales; A3 subequal to A4+5 ( Figure 18C ). Mesosoma: Scutum punctate, punctures separated by 0.5–1 puncture diameters, punctures becoming sparser posterior-medially, here forming two small impunctate spots; underlying surface laterally and anteriorly shagreened and dull, shagreenation becoming weaker medially, here weakly shining ( Figure 18D ). Scutellum with punctures separated by 0.5–2 puncture diameters, medially forming two sparser spots, here smooth and shining. Pronotum without humeral angle. Mesepisternum and dorsolateral parts of propodeum microreticulate, with raised hair-bearing punctures; propodeal triangle delineated with fine carinae, internal surface microreticulate, without hair-bearing punctures, basally with raised rugosity, propodeal triangle thus contrasting dorsolateral parts of propodeum. Mesosoma covered with black hairs, none exceeding length of scape; propodeal corbicula incomplete, dense, composed of black plumose hairs, internal surface with numerous black simple hairs. Legs dark, pubescence black to dark brown; flocculus, femoral and tibial scopa black. Hind tarsal claws with inner tooth. Wings strongly infuscate, entire forewing from radial and cubital cell to wing apex infuscate; stigma and venation dark brown, nervulus interstitial to slightly antefurcal ( Figure 18E ). Metasoma: Tergal discs with strong metallic blue reflections, marginal areas lightened dark reddish-brown. Tergal discs regularly and finely punctate, T1–3 with puncture separated by 1–2 puncture diameters, T4 with punctures much sparser, punctures separated by 3–4 puncture diameters; marginal areas with obscure and scattered punctures. Terga laterally with obscure black hairs, apical fringe of T5 and hairs flanking pygidial plate black to dark brown ( Figure 18F ); pygidial plate rounded triangular, surface flat, featureless.

Male: Unknown.

Diagnosis: Andrena nox can be recognised as a medium-sized Melandrena with dark tibial scopal hairs, regularly punctate tergal discs, and metallic blue reflections on the terga whilst simultaneously lacking lateral patches of white pubescence, placing it close to A. cineraria (Linneaus, 1758) , A. barbareae Panzer, 1805 , and A. danuvia St ̂ckhert, 1950. It is important to exclude A. marmora Nurse, 1904 ( Figures 19A–D , tibial scopae dark, terga without blue reflections, terga laterally with patches of white hairs) and A. metallescens Cockerell, 1906 (see species entry below for lectotype designation; tibial scopae yellowish, terga laterally with patches of white hairs), and due to past taxonomic confusion, see Remarks.

The three comparison species highlighted here were lumped together by Warncke (1967), though some subsequent authors have not followed this interpretation (e.g. Schmid-Egger & Scheuchl 1997; Amiet et al. 2010; Scheuchl & Willner 2016), and A. cineraria and A. barbareae have recently been shown to be distinct ( Gueuning et al. 2020). The broad approach of Warncke is used within literature dealing with Asia (e.g. Osytshnjuk et al. 2008; Xu & Tadauchi 2009), though it is my opinion that A. barbareae represents the taxon present in much of central and eastern Asia south to the Himalayas, based on examined specimens and given its reported bivoltine behaviour.

Morphological separation between these three species is based on the degree of infumation in the wing ( Figure 18E ; hyaline in A. cineraria , infumate in A. barbareae and A. danuvia ), the length of A3, and the colouration of the abdominal terga. Whereas all three species share the presence of white hairs anteriorly and posteriorly on the mesosoma with black hairs medially, thus giving a striped appearance, A. nox has the mesosomal hairs entirely black, providing immediate separation. Structurally, A. nox has A3 slightly shorter than A4+5 ( Figure 18C ; longer than A4+ 5 in A. cineraria and A. danuvia , subequal to A4+ 5 in A. barbareae ), the forewings are extensive infumate, with infumation extending over the radial and cubital cell (these cells hyaline in A. barbareae and A. danuvia ), and terga with strong blue metallic reflections (dark in A. barbareae and A. cineraria , strongly metallic and almost blue in A. danuvia ). This combination of characters allows separation from the comparison species. Both A. nox and A. barbareae can be found in sympatry in eastern Turkey (see Comparative material examined), and no intermedial forms could be found in the limited material available for study. Andrena nox is therefore considered to be distinct from A. barbareae and not simply representing a melanic colour form of this taxon.

Remarks: It is important to clarify the status of confused taxa within this group of Melandrena . In addition to the taxonomic problems outlined in the diagnosis, the status of A. marmora and A. metallescens . Andrena marmora was described from Pakistan ( Nurse 1904) and lacks metallic blue reflections on the terga, whilst also possessing white hairs patches on the terga laterally. The syntypic series is housed at the NHMUK ( Figures 19A–D ). The synonymy of A. marmora with A. cineraria proposed by Tadauchi & Matsumura (2007) is rejected for these reasons. The two taxa have been confused in the literature, and so A. cineraria often has a greater reported range than its true range, e.g. it is likely absent from Israel due to misidentified A. marmora material (see Pisanty et al. 2022a). Finally, A. gussakovskii Lebedev, 1932 may be a junior synonym of A. marmora , but this must be established through type inspection ( Wood & Monfared 2022).

Etymology: From the Latin noun nox meaning night or darkness, in reference to the dark pubescence of this species. It is a noun in apposition.

Distribution: South-eastern Turkey (Hakkâri province).

Comparative material examined. Andrena barbareae : TURKEY: Hakkâri, S. Varegös / Mt. Sat , 1800 m, 21.v.1989, 1♀, leg. K. Warncke, OÖLM ; Hakkâri, S. Varegös / Mt. Sat , 2000 m, 18.vi.1984, 1♀, leg. K. Warncke, OÖLM ; Hakkâri, Suvari Halil-Pass , 2900 m, 20.v.1989, 1♀, leg. K. Warncke, OÖLM ; Horasan , 18 km E Delibaba, 25.vi.1993, 1♀, leg. K. Deneš, OÖLM ; Kars, 20 km W Sarikamis [ Sarıkamış ], 2200 m, 1.viii.1983, 1♀, leg. K. Warncke, OÖLM .

Andrena marmora : PAKISTAN: Peshin , iv.1903, 1♀, leg. C.G. Nurse, NHMUK (syntype) ;

Figures

FIGURE 18. Andrena (Melandrena) nox spec. nov. female. A. Habitus, lateral view, B. Face, frontal view, C. Antennae detail, D. Scutum, dorsal view, E. Wing detail, F. Dorsum.

FIGURE 19. Andrena (Melandrena) marmora Nurse, 1904 syntype female. A. Label details, B. Habitus, lateral view, C. Face, frontal view, D. Dorsum.