3.1.2.11. Andrena (Micrandrena) friedmani Pisanty sp. nov.

Figures 8, 16 B, H, L, 20 K

Etymology.

Named after the Israeli coleopterist Ariel Leib Leonid (a. k. a. Laibale) Friedman, who collected most of the type series, as well as many other rare and unusual Hymenoptera .

Diagnosis.

Andrena friedmani is distinguished from other Levantine Micrandrena by the combination of small body size, finely transversely striated clypeus in the female (Figs 8 B, 16 B), dark flagellum (Fig. 8 A, B), polished-smooth scutum (Figs 8 C, 16 H), and partly smooth, finely punctate tergum 1 (Figs 8 D, 16 L). Andrena tkalcui Gusenleitner & Schwarz and A. calandra Warncke are also small-sized with a shiny scutum, but easily differ by the flagellum which is anteriorly orange. In addition, in A. tkalcui, the female clypeus is not striated (Fig. 17 C), the scutum is often partly shagreened centrally (Fig. 17 H), tergum 1 is shagreened and impunctate, the dorsal gonocoxite lobe is rounded apically (Fig. 20 F), and sternum 8 is apically emarginate (Fig. 20 W). In the female of A. calandra, tergum 1 is shagreened and impunctate, whereas in the male, all terga are more strongly punctured (Fig. 6 D), and the genitalia lacks a strong dorsal gonocoxite lobe (Fig. 20 H).

Description.

Female. Body length: 5.5–6 mm. — Integumental colour: Body black. Flagellum dark brown, slightly tinted reddish. Legs brown to black. Wings slightly infuscate, veins golden to brown, stigma golden centrally (Fig. 8 A). Tergal marginal zones black basally, more brownish apically (Fig. 8 D). — Pubescence: Clypeus with rather sparse, medium-lengthed, semi-erect white hair. Supraclypeal area with short erect white hair. Paraocular area and scape with dense, medium-lengthed erect white hair (Fig. 8 A, B). Frons and ocellar triangle with sparse, medium-lengthed white hair. Preoccipital ridge with long, erect whitish hair (Fig. 8 A – C). Lower of half of facial fovea with whitish hair, upper half with brownish to whitish hair, depending on angle of view (Fig. 8 C). Scutum, scutellum and metanotum with erect whitish hair of varying length, longer and thicker peripherally, mostly minute and inconspicuous centrally, underlying cuticle visible (Fig. 8 A, C). Mesepisternum with very long white hair (Fig. 8 A). Propodeal corbicula incomplete, dorsoposterior fringe with long white hair, corbicular surface with sparse and long, simple white hairs. Leg hair mostly whitish; flocculus incomplete, white; tibial scopa composed of white simple hairs (Fig. 8 A). Tergal discs centrally with minute inconspicuous hair, laterally with small patches of sparse, short white hair. Tergal marginal zones 2–3 with broadly interrupted, weak bands of white hair; 4 with very weak, almost continuous band of extremely sparse whitish hair. Terminal fringe yellowish- to brownish-white (Fig. 8 A, D). — Head: 1.2 times broader than long. Galea very finely shagreened (Fig. 8 B). Labral process trapezoidal, apical margin blunt (Fig. 16 B). Clypeus moderately domed, basal half matt and finely transversely striated, apical half gradually more finely shagreened, becoming partly shiny near apex. Clypeus punctation of moderate strength and size, distance between punctures 1–2 puncture diameters (Figs 8 B, 16 B). Upper part of paraocular area longitudinally striated. Flagellomere 1 about 1.2 times longer than 2 + 3, 2 slightly shorter than 3 (Fig. 8 A, B). Frons finely, strongly rugose-areolate, with complete medial carina, flanked by very fine areolation almost resembling dense punctures (Fig. 8 B). Facial fovea moderately broad and very shallow above, 0.4 times as broad as antennocular distance, deeper and somewhat narrower below, extending from level of lower end of lateral ocellus to slightly above base of clypeus, fovea almost adjacent to compound eye, lower half occasionally separated by very narrow, shiny cuticular strip. Distance of fovea from lateral ocellus about 2 ocellus diameters (Fig. 8 B, C). Ocelloccipital distance about 0.8 ocellus diameter. Preoccipital ridge moderately carinate (Fig. 8 C). — Mesosoma: Dorsolateral angle of pronotum not elevated. Scutum and scutellum very shiny, almost completely smooth, strongly and densely punctured, distance between punctures 0.5–1 puncture diameter (Figs 8 C, 16 H). Posterior part of mesepisternum finely alveolate, anterior part strongly and densely, obliquely punctured. Surface of propodeal corbicula finely alveolate, with large punctures around hair bases, surrounded by weak star-shaped wrinkles. Posterior part of propodeum strongly differentiated into horizontal vs. vertical regions, strongly rugose-areolated. Propodeal triangle poorly differentiated from flanking regions, basal half very coarsely rugose-areolated, becoming more radially rugose near basal margin, apical half gradually very finely sculptured (Fig. 8 C). Hind pretarsal claw with distinct inner tooth. Recurrent vein 1 meeting submarginal cell 2 close to its middle. Nervulus more or less interstitial (Fig. 8 A). — Metasoma: Tergal disc 1 shiny and more or less smooth, with fine, irregular punctation becoming dense apically (Figs 8 D, 16 L). Tergal discs 2–4 strongly shagreened and matt, essentially impunctate. Tergal marginal zones weakly depressed, weakly arched, 2–3 centrally occupying 0.4–0.5 of tergal length, cuticle shiny, mostly shagreened, apically often partly smooth, punctation absent (Fig. 8 D). Pygidial plate normally developed. — Male. Body length: 5–5.5 mm. — Integumental colour: Body and legs black. Flagellum black to brown. Apical tarsomeres black to brown. Wings almost hyaline, veins golden to light brown, stigma golden centrally (Fig. 8 E). Tergal marginal zones black basally, dark brown to reddish-brown apically (Fig. 8 H). — Pubescence: Completely white. Clypeus with dense long hair, underlying cuticle partly concealed. Paraocular area with moderately dense, medium-lengthed hair. Scape and area around antennal sockets with dense long hair (Fig. 8 E, F). Frons and ocellar triangle with moderately dense, medium-lengthed erect hairs. Preoccipital ridge with long erect hairs. Genal area with medium-lengthed hair dorsally, long hair ventrally (Fig. 8 E – G). Scutum, scutellum and metanotum with sparse, short to long erect hair, longest and most prominent peripherally, underlying cuticle visible (Fig. 8 G). Mesepisternum with very long hair (Fig. 8 E). Propodeum with long hair. Terga centrally with inconspicuous short thin hair, laterally with moderately dense medium-lengthed hair, on marginal zones 2–4 creating distinct, broadly interrupted hair bands (Fig. 8 E, H). — Head: 1.25 times broader than long (Fig. 8 F). Labral process broad trapezoidal, apical margin concave. Clypeus domed, very shiny, strongly and very densely punctured, distance between punctures 0–1 puncture diameters, without impunctate midline. Lower part of paraocular area smooth and densely punctate, upper part with a narrow, finely punctured strip near inner margin of compound eye, elsewhere strongly longitudinally striated. Flagellomere 1 0.9 times shorter than 2 + 3, 2 distinctly shorter than 3 (Fig. 8 F). Frons strongly rugose-areolate, punctures blended within the rugosity can occasionally be discerned. Ocelloccipital distance about 1 ocellus diameter. Preoccipital ridge moderately carinate (Fig. 8 G). — Mesosoma: Dorsolateral angle of pronotum not elevated. Scutum very shiny, partly shagreened on anterior margin, elsewhere weakly roughened to almost completely polished, punctation dense and strong, distance between punctures 0.5–1.5 puncture diameters. Scutellum completely polished, similarly punctured (Fig. 8 G). Mesepisternum finely alveolate, overlayed by dense, shallow oblique punctures creating an almost honeycomb-like shallow rugosity. Anteroventral edge of propodeum reticularly shagreened, rest of propodeum coarsely areolated. Propodeal triangle strongly and coarsely sculptured, basal part radially rugose, apical part rugose-areolate (Fig. 8 G). Recurrent vein 1 meets submarginal cell 2 close to its middle or proximal to it. Nervulus interstitial to very slightly postfurcal. — Metasoma: Tergal disc 1 shiny and more or less smooth basally, weakly to strongly shagreened apically, punctation fine, distance between punctures 0.5–2 puncture diameters. Tergal discs 2–4 matt, strongly granularly shagreened, apically occasionally partly smooth, punctation dense, usually hardly discernible from underlying shagreening, distance between punctures about 1 puncture diameter. Tergal marginal zones weakly to strongly shagreened basally, gradually smooth apically, impunctate, 2–4 distinctly depressed (Fig. 8 H). — Genitalia and hidden sterna: Gonocoxites with strong, elongate and pointed, parallel-sided dorsal lobes. Gonostyli simply built, elongate, finger-shaped, blade flattened. Penis valves narrow and elongate, very slightly broadening close to visible base, hereafter gradually tapering apically (Fig. 20 K). Sternum 8 columnar, broadening apically, apical margin blunt-ended.

Distribution and habitat.

Endemic to scrublands in the southwestern Levant (northern Israel, West Bank).

Flight period.

February to early March.

Flower records.

None.

Type material.

HOLOTYPE: ISRAEL ● 1 ♀; Hare Gilboa’ [Mount Gilboa], Har Ahino’am; 32.502°N 35.414°E; 450 m a. s. l.; 23 Feb. 2012; L. Friedman leg.; SMNHTAU 118591 . – PARATYPES: ISRAEL ● 1 ♀; Har Ahino’am; 32.502–6°N 35.408–14°E; 440 m a. s. l.; 3 Mar. 2025; G. Pisanty leg.; SMNHTAU 463992 ● 1 ♂; ibid.; 32.5035°N 35.413°E; 438 m a. s. l.; pan trap; SMNHTAU 463903 ● 1 ♀; Hare Gilboa’, Har Ahino’am; 32.502°N 35.414°E; 450 m a. s. l.; 23 Feb. 2012; L. Friedman leg.; SMNHTAU 118600 ● 2 ♂; ibid.; SMNHTAU 118594, 118606 . – WEST BANK: ● 1 ♂; Har Kabbir; 750 m a. s. l.; 5 Feb. 2015; L. Friedman leg.; RMNH ● 1 ♂; ibid.; BOLD accession no. ANDIL 410-25; SMNHTAU 202856 ● 1 ♀; Zomet Gittay Avisar [Gitai Avisar Junction], 3 km W Ariel, Rt. 5; 19 Feb. 2016; L. Friedman leg.; BOLD accession no. ANDIL 424-25; SMNHTAU 234151 .