Andrena (Notandrena) ayna, Wood, 2023

Wood, Thomas James, 2023, New Old World Andrena species, with a focus on Turkey (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae), Zootaxa 5266 (1), pp. 1-72 : 37-38

Andrena (Notandrena) ayna spec. nov.

HOLOTYPE: Hakkâri, Beytüşşebap [inferred 37.5680 oN, 43.1658 oE], 25.v.1988, 1♀, leg. K. Warncke, OÖLM.

PARATYPE: Hakkâri, Beytüşşebap , 25.v.1988, 1♀, leg. K. Warncke, OÖLM .

Description: Female: Body length: 8–9 mm ( Figure 20A ). Head: Dark, 1.3 times wider than long ( Figure 20B ). Clypeus domed, with large, irregular punctures, punctures almost confluent to separated by 1 puncture diameter; underlying surface shagreened, weakly shining. Process of labrum broadly trapezoidal, short, three times wider than long, widely emarginate medially. Gena slightly exceeding width of compound eye; ocelloccipital distance equalling 0.5 times diameter of lateral ocellus. Foveae occupying slightly less than half of space between lateral ocellus and compound eye, deeply impressed and channelled, ventrally extending to level of antennal insertions; filled with whitish to light brownish hairs; frons with strongly raised longitudinal striations. Face, gena, vertex, and scape with whitish to faintly yellowish hairs, none exceeding length of scape. Antennae basally dark, A6–12 ventrally lightened orange, A3 exceeding A4+5, slightly shorter than A4+5+6. Mesosoma: Scutum and scutellum extremely polished, smooth and shining, with occasional scattered punctures ( Figure 20C ). Pronotum carinate in ventral half, with clear humeral angle. Mesepisternum densely punctate, punctures separated by 0.5–1 puncture diameter, underlying surface weakly shining. Dorsolateral parts of propodeum with strongly raised rugosity, more or less dull; propodeal triangle predominantly smooth and shining, medially with raised, long longitudinal carinae, remaining basal surface with short carinae; propodeal triangle thus defined by change in surface sculpture; lateral (vertical) faces of propodeum with dense network of raised wrinkled rugosity. Mesosoma with whitish plumose hairs laterally, dorsally with shorter yellowish plumose hairs on the scutum and scutellum laterally. Propodeal corbicula incomplete, composed of dense fringe of plumose hairs, internal surface with sparse long simple hairs. Legs dark, tibiae apically and tarsi lightened dark reddish brown, pubescence whitish; flocculus, femoral and tibial scopae white. Hind tarsal claws with small inner tooth. Wings hyaline, stigma and venation orange-brown, nervulus interstitial. Metasoma: Terga dark, marginal areas long, on T2–4 occupying half dorsal length medially, marginal areas clearly depressed, lightened dark reddish-brown ( Figure 20D ). Disc of T1 with obscure fine punctures, punctures separated by 2–4 puncture diameters, discs of T2–4 with clear punctures basally, punctures separated by 1–2 puncture diameters, punctures becoming scarce to absent apically adjacent to tergal margins, tergal margins essentially impunctate. Tergal discs narrowly microreticulate at their bases, becoming smooth and shining on disc adjacent to tergal margins, tergal margins themselves obscurely shagreened, weakly shining. T2–4 with narrow apical fringes of whitish hairs laterally at the apex of the marginal areas, with additional long whitish hairs emerging from base of marginal areas, these slightly overlying apical fringes. Apical fringe of T5 and hairs flanking pygidial plate yellowish-white, pygidial plate broadly rounded, internal surface depressed over majority of area, with dense network of essentially confluent punctures.

Male: Unknown.

Diagnosis: Andrena ayna can be recognised as a Notandrena by the short and broad head ( Figure 20B , clearly wider than long), the dorsolateral angle of the pronotum with a strong transverse ridge, and the strongly punctate terga ( Figure 20D ). It is unique within Notandrena because the scutum and scutellum are almost entirely smooth and shining, with only a few scattered punctures ( Figure 20C ). It also displays other usual characters for Notandrena , such as the lateral faces of the propodeum that are covered in raised wrinkly rugosity (c.f. Andrena proxima (Kirby, 1802) and related species), and the very broad and depressed tergal margins (occupying half dorsal area). It therefore cannot be confused with any other taxon.

Etymology: Taken from the Turkish ayna which means mirror, in reference to the extremely polished scutum and scutellum. It is a noun in apposition.

Distribution: South-eastern Turkey (Şırnak province).

Figures

FIGURE 20. Andrena (Notandrena) ayna spec. nov. female. A. Habitus, lateral view, B. Face, frontal view, C. Scutum, dorsal view, D. Terga, dorsal view.