Andrena (Euandrena) fortipunctata 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 : 165-168

Andrena (Euandrena) fortipunctata Wood sp. nov.

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Figs 36–39 , 42–45

Diagnosis

In the female sex, A. fortipunctata Wood sp. nov. can be placed in the subgenus Euandrena because of the narrow, comma shaped fovea, antennal A3 longer than A4+5, metasomal integument brown haired, propodeal triangle weakly wrinkled, hind femur without thorn-like projections, and dorsolateral angle of propodeum without elevated transverse carina ( Praz et al. 2019). The female resembles A. bicolor Fabricius, 1775 in general colour pattern, but differs by the combination of a coarsely and densely punctate clypeus (punctures separated by 0.5 puncture diameters, interspaces barely visible, in A. bicolor punctures separated by 0.5–1 puncture diameters, interspaces visible), strongly punctured tergal discs, and strongly depressed tergal margins (compare Figs 38–41 ).

Males are harder to place through specific subgeneric characters, in common with other Euandrena males as the subgenus is largely defined by female characters ( Praz et al. 2019). However, A. fortipunctata sp. nov. males are instantly recognisable in the Iberian fauna by the wide and extremely strongly depressed tergal margins ( Figs 43, 45 ) that are strikingly more pronounced that in either A. granulosa Pérez, 1902 or A. vulpecula Kriechbaumer, 1873 ( Figs 47, 49 ), the other two European species of A. ( Euandrena ) known for their distinctive depressed tergal margins. These three species also share similar facial pubescence which is centrally yellow and laterally dark ( Figs 46, 48 ), whereas other Iberian species of Euandrena have male facial pubescence that is either predominantly grey ( A. symphyti Schmiedeknecht, 1883 ), brown ( A. rufula Schmiedeknecht, 1883 ), dark ( A. bicolor ), or a mixture of grey and black ( A. allosa Warncke, 1975 ).

Etymology

The name ‘ forti ’ (‘strong’) + ‘ punctata ’ (‘punctured’) was chosen because of the pronounced punctures visible in both sexes that help separate this taxon from other Iberian Euandrena .

Material examined

Holotype SPAIN • ♂; Oveido-León , Puerto de Pajares; 1350–1700 m a.s.l.; [42.994° N, 5.763° W]; 11 Jul. 1972; V.S. May d. Groot and J.A.W. Lucas leg.; NMNL (illustrated Figs 36–39 ).

Paratype SPAIN • 1 ♀; Ávila , Sierra de Gredos, 12 km SSW of Hoyos del Espino; 1950–2100 m a.s.l.; 4 Jul. 1972; V.S. May d. Groot and J.A.W. Lucas leg.; NMNL (illustrated Figs 42–45 ) .

Description

Female

MEASUREMENTS. Body length 10 mm ( Fig. 36 ).

HEAD. 1.2 times as wide as long ( Fig. 38 ). Clypeus weakly arched, very densely punctate, punctures separated by <0.5 puncture diameters to almost contiguous, underlying surface shiny. Gena, face, and scape with black hairs, face between antennal insertions with few grey hairs, vertex with intermixed black and golden hairs, hairs at most equalling length of scape. Antennae dark, A4–12 lightened grey below. Fovea narrow, occupying ⅓ of area between lateral ocellus and compound eye, comma shaped, filled with black hairs.

MESOSOMA. Scutum and scutellum densely punctured, punctures separated by 0.5–1 puncture diameters, underlying surface shagreened, weakly shining ( Fig. 37 ). Episternum and propodeum microreticulate, dull, propodeum with large irregular shallow punctures, separated by 0.5–1 puncture diameters, these not extending onto propodeal triangle, therefore defining it. Scutum and scutellum with golden-brown hairs, episternum centrally with black hairs, anteroventrally with white hairs, propodeum with mixture of whitish and brownish hairs, some black hairs intermixed. Legs dark, slightly lightened to dark red apically, pubescence golden brownish. Flocculus a mixture of blackish and whitish hairs, femoral and tibial scopa golden. Wings hyaline, venation and stigma dark orange, nervulus interstitial.

METASOMA. Terga dark, margins strongly depressed and lightened semi-translucent brown ( Fig. 39 ). Terga densely and uniformly punctate, punctures separated by 0.5–1 puncture diameters, punctures not extending onto depressed tergal margins, excluding margins underlying tergal surface shagreened, weakly shining. T2–4 with hair fringes arising from junction between disc and margin, fringes of sparse white hairs overlying marginal areas, not obscuring underlying surface. Terminal fringe of T5 and hairs flanking pygidial plate dark brown, pygidial plate with centrally raised longitudinal area and raised apical rim, weakly punctate, dull.

Male

MEASUREMENTS. Body length 10 mm ( Fig. 42 ).

HEAD. 1.2 times as wide as long ( Fig. 44 ). Clypeus weakly arched, densely punctate, punctures separated by 0.5 puncture diameters. Gena, vertex, scape, clypeus, and face centrally with yellow hairs, lower paraocular areas to frons with black hairs. Antennae dark, A4–13 lightened brown below, A3 0.9 times as long as A4+5.

MESOSOMA. Structurally as in female, entire surface with long light brown to golden hairs, exceeding scape in length. Legs dark, tarsi lightened, dark red apically, pubescence golden. Wings hyaline, venation and stigma orange, nervulus prefurcal.

METASOMA. Terga dark, apical margins wide and very strongly depressed, semi-translucent brown, impunctate and shiny ( Fig. 43 ). Tergal discs arched, strongly contrasting depressed marginal areas, strongly and densely punctate, punctures separated by 1 puncture diameter, surface covered with loose golden hairs ( Fig. 45 ).

Remarks

The subgenus Euandrena is taxonomically challenging, and it is likely that we are just scratching the surface of hidden species diversity in southern European mountain chains ( Praz et al. 2019). The Andrena of the Iberian alpine areas have received little recent attention, and within this context, the presence of an undetected alpine Euandrena in the high mountains of Spain is less surprising, but emphasises how much more there is to learn about European diversity of Andrena even in a comparatively well-studied region.

Distribution

The Sierra de Gredos in the Sistema Central to the Cantabrian mountains in northwestern Spain in the province of Asturias.

Figures

Figs 36–41. 36–39. Andrena fortipunctata Wood sp. nov. (NMNL). 36. Female profile. 37. Female scutum. 38. Female face. 39. Female terga. — 40–41. Andrena bicolor Fabricius, 1775 (TJWC). 40. Female face. 41. Female terga. Not to scale.

Figs 42–49. 42–45. Andrena fortipunctata Wood sp. nov. (NMNL). 42. Male profile. 43. Male terga detail. 44. Male face. 45. Male terga. — 46–47. Andrena vulpecula Kriechbaumer, 1873 (TJWC). 46. Male face, profile. 47. Male terga. — 48–49. Andrena granulosa Pérez, 1902 (TJWC). 48. Male face, profile. 49. Male terga. Not to scale.