Andrena (Taeniandrena) prazi, Wood, 2023

Wood, Thomas James, 2023, Revisions to the Andrena fauna of north-western Africa with a focus on Morocco (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 916 (1), pp. 1-85 : 57-60

Andrena (Taeniandrena) prazi sp. nov.

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Fig. 32

Diagnosis

Andrena prazi sp. nov. can be recognised as a member of Taeniandrena due to its strongly flattened clypeus. Morphological identification of females of species of Taeniandrena is extremely challenging, and care must be taken; ideally, comparison with barcoded specimens should be made. With these caveats, A. prazi can be recognised in fresh specimens by its combination of bright orange-red pubescence on the face and mesosoma ( Fig. 32A–C ), its bright orange-red terminal fringe ( Fig. 32E–F ), its orange hind tibiae ( Fig. 32D ), the variable orange-red colouration of the hind femur, mid tibiae and tarsi, and fore tibiae (sometimes entirely dark), its sometimes entirely red terga ( Fig. 32E–F ; red colouration present in Tunisian populations, Moroccan populations with terga dark), the tergal discs clearly, finely, and densely punctate, and T2–4 laterally with extremely thick hairbands, broadly interrupted on T2–3, complete on T4, obscuring the underlying surface ( Fig. 32E–F ). Its bright orange-red pubescence combined with orange hind tibiae (and sometimes hind femur) resemble conditions in A. russula Lepeletier, 1841 (= A. similis Smith, 1849 ) sensu lato (see above; also Praz et al. 2022), but the tergal discs are clearly punctate ( Fig. 32E–F ), whereas in A. russula the tergal discs are essentially impunctate. Faded specimens can resemble members of the gelriae group (see Praz et al. 2022), but none of these have yet been recorded in North Africa, and the extremely thick hairbands of A. prazi permit recognition.

Etymology

Named in honour of the Swiss entomologist Christophe Praz for his work on bee taxonomy, particularly for the genus Megachile , but also on many other bee groups including Andrena .

Material examined

Holotype

MOROCCO • ♀; Oriental, Guercif, Debdou, 2 km S of Debdou ; 1500 m a.s.l.; 33.9495° N, 3.0524° W; 11 May 2022; T.J. Wood leg.; BOLD: WPATW637-22 ; OÖLM ( Fig. 32H ).

Paratypes

MOROCCO • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; TJWC • 1 ♀; Fès-Meknès, Taza , P 5420, 10 km NE of Ctre Commune Bab Boudir; 1350 m a.s.l.; 16 May 2022; T.J. Wood leg.; OÖLM • 1 ♀; Fès-Meknès, Taza , P 5425, 3 km W of Aghil Oumial; 1300 m a.s.l.; 12 May 2022; T.J. Wood leg.; OÖLM • 1 ♀; Fès-Meknès, Taza , R 507, 3 km N of Tametrhouste; 1500 m a.s.l.; 10 May 2022; T.J. Wood leg.; OÖLM • 1 ♀; Souss-Massa, Tafraoute , Iguissle (3 km E of Tanalt); 1500 m a.s.l.; 13 Mar. 2022; T.J. Wood leg.; OÖLM ( Fig. 32G ) • 1 ♀; Fès-Meknès, 5 km SE of Boulemane, junction of R503 and N4; 1900 m a.s.l.; 19 May 2022; T.J. Wood leg.; TJWC .

TUNISIA • 1 ♀; Kef, Sidi Mtir , SW of El Kef; 28 Apr. 2012; C. Praz leg.; PRUN • 1 ♀; 10 km ESE of Maktar ; 900 m a.s.l.; 10 Mar. 1994; H. v. Oorschot and E. Rubbrecht leg.; RMNH .

Description

Female

MEASUREMENTS. Body length 9–10 mm ( Fig. 32A ).

HEAD. Dark, 1.3 times as wide as long ( Fig. 32B ). Clypeus strongly flattened over majority of surface, densely punctate, punctures separated by 0.5–1 puncture diameter with exception of slightly raised, longitudinal, impunctate midline; underlying surface finely microreticulate, dull. Process of labrum trapezoidal, short, 3 times as broad as long, surface with raised irregular striations, apical margin emarginate. Gena equalling width of compound eye; ocelloccipital distance 1.5 times diameter of lateral ocellus. Foveae broad, occupying majority of space between lateral ocellus and compound eye, separated from lateral ocellus by distance equal to its diameter, slightly narrowing ventrally at level of antennal insertions; foveae filled with light brown hairs. Face, gena, vertex, and scape with bright orange-red hairs in fresh specimens, fading to yellow-orange. Antennae dark, A3 exceeding length of A4+5, shorter than A4+5+6.

MESOSOMA.Scutum with fine granular shagreen, weakly shining, densely and regularly punctate,punctures separated by 0.5–1 puncture diameter. Scutellum smooth and shining, without sculpture, punctured, punctures laterally separated by 1 puncture diameter, becoming weak to absent medially, separated by 2–3 puncture diameters. Pronotum rounded. Mesepisternum and dorsolateral parts of propodeum finely microreticulate, weakly shining to dull, microreticulation overlain with additional network of weak reticulation resembling punctures; pseudopunctures separated by 0.5–1 puncture diameter. Propodeal triangle laterally delineated by very fine carinae, internal surface covered, finely rugose-areolate ( Fig. 32C ). Mesepisternum, scutum, and scutellum in fresh specimens with bright orange-red hairs. Propodeal corbicula incomplete, dorsal fringe dense, composed of strongly plumose orange-red hairs, internal surface with long orange hairs. Colouration of legs variable; light form with legs basally dark, orange markings on fore tibiae and tarsi, mid tibiae and tarsi, hind femorae, tibiae, and tarsi; dark form with orange markings restricted to hind tibiae and tarsi; pubescence of legs light orange ( Fig. 32D ). Flocculus complete and dense, composed of plumose hairs, flocculus and femoral and tibial scopae composed of bright orange simple hairs. Hind tarsal claws with strong inner tooth. Wings hyaline, stigma and venation orange, nervulus postfurcal.

METASOMA. Tergal colouration variable; light form with tergal discs extensively orange-marked, orange markings extending weakly onto darker tergal margins ( Fig. 32E ); dark form with terga almost entirely dark with only apical margins narrowly lightened hyaline-brown ( Fig. 32F ). Tergal discs finely shagreened, weakly shining. Tergal discs finely punctate; disc of T1 with punctures separated by 1–2 puncture diameters, T2–4 with punctures separated by 0.5–1 puncture diameter. Terga with marginal areas up to hyaline margin with fine network of latitudinal wavy shagreen, densely but obscurely punctate, punctures separated by 0.5 puncture diameter, marginal areas less strongly shining than discs. T2–4 with extremely dense and long apical hairbands composed of orange-red hairs, widely interrupted on T2–3, complete on T4, obscuring underlying surface. Apical fringe of T5 and hairs flanking pygidial plate golden-orange; pygidial plate rounded triangular, internal surface obscurely raised medially, otherwise featureless.

Male

Unknown.

Remarks

Like other species of Taeniandrena , A. prazi sp. nov. is strongly associated with Fabaceae and can be considered to be a specialist on this botanical family ( Table 1 ). Pollen analysis included the taxa Astragalus type, Lotus spp. , Genista type, Medicago sativa type, Onobrychis spp. , and Trifolium pratense type, indicating that it has a broad dietary range (broad oligolecty, Müller & Kuhlmann 2008) within the Fabaceae . The variable colouration of the terga and legs may present a longitudinal gradient, with the darkest specimens collected in the Anti-Atlas ( Fig. 32G ), the extensively red-marked specimens in Tunisia ( Fig. 32E ), and somewhat intermediate forms with dark terga ( Fig. 32F ), but extensive orangemarkings on the legs found in northern Morocco ( Fig. 32H ).

Distribution

Morocco (from the Anti-Atlas, Middle Atlas, and Massif de Debdou) to northern Tunisia (El Kef and Maktar). Almost certainly present also in Algeria.

Figures

Fig. 32. Andrena (Taeniandrena) prazi sp. nov., holotype, ♀ (OÖLM). A. Lateral habitus. B. Face, frontal view. C. Propodeum, dorsal view. D. Hind leg, dorsal view. E. Terga, light form, dorsal view. F. Terga, dark form, dorsal view. G. Dark form, ♀, Anti-Atlas, Iguissle, 13 Mar. 2022. H. Intermediate form, ♀, Massif de Debdou, 11 May 2022.