Andrena (Euandrena) oblata, Wood & Monfared, 2022

Wood, Thomas J. & Monfared, Alireza, 2022, A revision of the Andrena (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae) fauna of Iran, with the description of 16 new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 843, pp. 1-136 : 12-15

Andrena (Euandrena) oblata sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:AC3B3A80-B5BC-49F2-8256-37BDEA1EF690

Figs 25–30

Diagnosis

Andrena oblata sp. nov. can be placed in the subgenus Euandrena in the female sex because of the characteristically drop-shaped foveae which are narrowed below, and the simple scopal hairs ( Fig. 28 ). The centrally flattened clypeus places it close to two taxa, A. canuta Warncke, 1975 from Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan and A. alijevi Osytshnjuk, 1986 from Azerbaijan. Andrena oblata can be separated from A. canuta because the clypeus is completely flat centrally ( Fig. 26 ) (centrally with a longitudinal excavated groove), the clypeus itself is compact, not noticeably elongated (weakly elongated), and the tibial scopa is golden (tibial scopa white). Andrena oblata can be separated from A. alijevi by the facial fovea which dorsally occupy ⅓ of distance between lateral ocellus and compound eye (dorsally occupying ½ this distance), the uniformly golden hairs of the vertex, paraocular area, and scutum (hairs here greyish-brown with admixture of black hairs), and the golden tibial scopa (tibial scopa whitish with yellow-brown hairs at base). See also A. sani sp. nov. (below).

Etymology

From the Latin adjective ‘ oblatus ’, meaning ‘flattened’, in reference to the flattened clypeus.

Material examined

Holotype IRAN • ♀; Yasouj, Darreh Grouh Firuz Abad, Faramarz Village ; 30.945° N, 51.596° E; 6 May 2021; E. Rostami leg.; OÖLM.

Paratypes IRAN • 2 ♀♀; Yasouj, Darreh Grouh Firuz Abad, Faramarz Village ; 30.945° N, 51.596° E; 6 May 2021; E. Rostami leg.; OÖLM • 2 ♀♀; same collection data as for preceding; TJWC • 5 ♀♀; same collection data as for preceding; ICPI • 2 ♀♀; Yasouj, 2 km after Davood Abad Village ; 1811 m a.s.l.; 6 May 2021; E. Rostami leg.; ICPI .

Description

Female

MEASUREMENTS. Body length 9.5–11 mm ( Fig. 25 ).

HEAD. 1.2 times as wide as long. Clypeus dark, centrally flattened, with clear and variable punctures; punctures dense laterally, separated by 0.5 puncture diameter, becoming sparse and irregular centrally, separated by 1–4 puncture diameters ( Fig. 26 ). Surface of clypeus laterally with weak shagreenation, smooth and shining over majority of area. Process of labrum trapezoidal with rounded corners, twice as broad as long. Face, scape, gena, and vertex with uniformly golden hairs, longest approximately half of length of scape. Gena slightly exceeding width of compound eye; ocelloccipital distance equalling diameter of lateral ocellus. Fovea narrow dorsally, occupying ⅓ of distance between lateral ocellus and compound eye, slightly narrowed below at level of antennal insertions; filled with dark brown hairs. Antennae dark, A3 slightly exceeding A4+5, A4 sub-square, slightly wider than long, A4 as long as broad.

MESOSOMA. Scutum and scutellum with very fine and irregular shagreenation, surface shining to weakly shining; surface densely and clearly punctate, punctures separated by 0.5–1 puncture diameter ( Fig. 27 ). Pronotum without humeral angle. Mesepisternum finely rugose, dull, lateral faces of propodeum with shagreened, weakly shining. Propodeal triangle poorly delineated with very fine and inconspicuous lateral carinae, internal surface with fine network of slightly raised rugae. Dorsolateral faces of propodeum strongly shagreened and densely punctate with large shallow punctures, punctures separated by 0.5–1 puncture diameter, propodeal triangle therefore distinguished by absence of punctures. Mesosoma with golden hairs, becoming lighter ventrally, longest on mesepisternum, not exceeding length of scape; propodeal corbicula with plumose hairs comprising dorsal fringe and weakly plumose hairs on internal surface. Legs uniformly dark, pubescence brownish basally to golden apically; tibial scopae brownishgolden, femoral scopae and flocculus lighter ( Fig. 28 ). Hind tarsal claws with inner tooth. Wings hyaline, stigma orange, venation basally brown, becoming orange over majority of wing; nervulus weakly antefurcal to antefurcal, first recurrent vein enters second submarginal cell slightly beyond its middle.

METASOMA. Terga dark, marginal areas of T2–4 depressed, T1–4 with apical margins narrowly lightened yellow-hyaline ( Fig. 29 ). Terga faintly shagreened, weakly shining, clearly and deeply punctate, punctures separated by 1–2 puncture diameters, marginal areas weakly and obscurely punctate ( Fig. 30 ). T1–4 on discs with sparse golden hairs, on T1 extending onto margin to form comparatively weak apical band, not obscuring underlying surface, T2–4 with dense complete apical hairbands of long yellowish hairs, obscuring underlying surface. Apical fringe of T5 and hairs flanking pygidial plate golden; pygidial plate narrowly triangular, with raised rounded longitudinal ridge centrally.

Male

Unknown.

Remarks

All specimens were collected from Elaeagnus angustifolia L. ( Elaeagnaceae ) in May, with the majority of individuals having their scopae full of pollen. Further study is required to see if this is an important part of the pollen diet. Use of pollen of Elaeagnus has also been recorded in Andrena (Euandrena) nasica Lebedev, 1933 , which is found in Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan ( Osytshnjuk et al. 2008). This species can easily be separated by its strongly elongated clypeus, fulvous tarsi and hind tibiae, its narrower foveae, and its much less densely punctate terga. However, the association with Elaeagnus and broadly similar morphology suggests that this plant and its associated fauna of Andrena should be more thoroughly studied in semidesert environments in Iran and Central Asia.

Distribution

Southern Iran (Yasouj).

Figures

Figs 25–30. Andrena oblata sp. nov., ♀ (OÖLM). 25. Profile. 26. Face. 27. Dorsum. 28. Tibial scopa. 29. Terga. 30. Terga, detail.