Andrena (Euandrena) boustaniae Wood, 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 : 8-12

Andrena (Euandrena) boustaniae Wood sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:33AD35D5-FBE2-4BDC-9C7C-0B17C62EB284

Figs 13–24

Diagnosis

Andrena boustaniae sp. nov. can be placed in the subgenus Euandrena Hedicke, 1933 in the female sex because of the characteristically drop-shaped foveae which are narrowed below, and the simple scopal hairs. This subgenus is poorly understood in the Eastern Mediterranean to the Middle East ( Praz et al. 2019; TJW, G. Pisanty & C. Praz unpublished data) and extreme care should be taken when identifying material in this region.

Female material is superficially similar to taxa around A. allosa Warncke, 1975 (see Praz et al. 2019) due to the light scutal hairs ( Fig. 13 ) and intermixed black and white hairs on the face ( Fig. 15 ). However, females of A. boustaniae sp. nov. present several important characters, specifically the flattened clypeus with a slightly raised impunctate longitudinal ridge ( Fig. 16 ), the broad, apically projecting, and medially emarginate process of the labrum ( Fig. 18 ), the finely rugose propodeal triangle, the dorsally wide facial fovea (occupying over half the distance between the compound eye and the lateral ocellus), the dark hind tibiae with bicoloured tibial scopa ( Fig.13 , white ventrally, black dorsally), the densely and clearly punctate scutum, the apically hyaline tergal margins ( Fig. 20 ), and the clear white hair bands on T2–4. In combination, these characters allow separation from all described Turkish, Caucasian, and Central Asian taxa of Euandrena .

In the male sex, A. boustaniae sp. nov. has a unique genital capsule for Euandrena in this region, lacking gonocoxal teeth, the inner margins with an almost obtuse angle, thus superficially resembling the genitalia of certain species of A. ( Graecandrena ), gonocoxae slightly diverging medially, and the penis valves extremely broad at the base ( Fig. 24 ). In the diverging gonocoxae, the genital capsule slightly resembles A. hermonella Scheuchl & Pisanty, 2016 , but the lateral hyaline extensions of the penis valves are rounded, not forming angular projections.

Etymology

Named after Mira Boustani for her tireless work researching and cataloguing the understudied Lebanese bee fauna ( Boustani et al. 2021).

Material examined

Holotype IRAN • ♂; Yazd, Banadak-o sadat; 31.573° N, 54.204° E; 2103 m a.s.l.; 22 Mar. 2021; S. San leg.; OÖLM.

Paratypes IRAN • 1 ♀; Yazd, Mehriz, Posht e Hosseinie Shohaday gomnam; 1500 m a.s.l.; 28 Feb. 2020; S. San leg.; OÖLM • 1 ♀; Yazd, Sakhvid, Mazraeh Khosraw ; 2469 m a.s.l.; 27 Mar. 2019; S. San leg.; ICPI • 5 ♂♂; Yazd, Banadak-o sadat ; 2103 m a.s.l.; 22 Mar. 2021; S. San leg.; ICPI • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; TJWC • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; OÖLM • 1 ♂; Yazd, Tezerjan, paen tar az Seyyed Mahmood ; 1993 m a.s.l.; 6 Mar. 2020; S. San leg.; OÖLM • 1 ♂; Yazd, Jade konj-e kooh, dakal ; 2019 m a.s.l.; 26 Mar. 2021; S. San leg.; ICPI .

Description

Female

MEASUREMENTS. Body length 11 mm ( Fig. 13 ).

HEAD. 1.2 times as wide as long ( Fig. 15 ). Clypeus dark, centrally flattened, irregularly punctate with unevenly sized punctures; punctures basally separated by <0.5 puncture diameter, becoming sparse apically, separated by 1–4 puncture diameters; apical rim of clypeus essentially impunctate; clypeus centrally with impunctate, longitudinal, and slightly raised ridge; underlying clypeal surface smooth and shining ( Fig. 16 ). Process of labrum triangular-trapezoidal, strongly narrowing apically, with distinct, strongly bifurcate medioapical extension ( Figs 17–18 ). Face centrally with white hairs on clypeus, supraclypeal area, scape, and frons, intermixing with black hairs laterally, dorsally, and ventrally. Gena ventrally with long white hairs, longest exceeding length of scape, intermixing with black hairs dorsally, hairs on vertex predominantly white. Gena slightly exceeding width of compound eye; ocelloccipital distance slightly exceeding diameter of lateral ocellus. Foveae dorsally broad, occupying slightly over ½ distance between compound eye and lateral ocellus, narrowed to half width below at level of antennal insertions; foveae filled with black hairs. Antennae dark, A4–12 slightly lightened below due to presence of grey cilia; A3 exceeding A4+5, A4 sub-square, A5 longer than broad, A3 shorter than A4+5+6.

MESOSOMA. Scutum and scutellum with very fine and even shagreenation, shining; surface densely but slightly irregularly punctate with clear punctures, punctures separated by <0.5–1 puncture diameter ( Fig. 14 ). Pronotum without humeral angle. Mesepisternum and lateral face of propodeum with fine shagreenation, weakly shining, surface covered with large flat punctures, becoming sparse centrally on face of propodeal corbicula. Propodeal triangle wide, well delineated laterally by fine raised carina, internal surface with raised longitudinal carina centrally, remaining surface with fine network of raised rugae, underlying surface more clearly shining than dorsolateral parts of propodeum ( Fig. 19 ). Mesepisternum and majority of propodeum with long black hairs, propodeal corbicula complete, corbicular fringe dorsally composed of long black plumose hairs, becoming entirely white ventrally; internal surface of propodeal corbicula with simple white hairs. Scutum and scutellum dorsally with predominantly white hairs, some shorter black hairs intermixed laterally and centrally. Legs uniformly dark, pubescence white, fore femorae ventrally with long fringe of white plumose hairs, equalling length of scape. Tibial scopae bicoloured, white ventrally, blackish dorsally, composed of simple hairs; flocculus and femoral scopae unicolourous white. Hind tarsal claws with inner tooth. Wings hyaline, stigma orange centrally, dark brown laterally, venation dark brown; nervulus interstitial, first recurrent vein enters second submarginal cell beyond its middle.

METASOMA. Terga dark, marginal areas of T2–4 slightly depressed, T1–4 with apical margin narrowly lightened yellow-hyaline ( Fig. 20 ). Terga finely microreticulate, weakly shining, tergal discs deeply and densely punctate, punctures separated by 1–2 puncture diameters. T1–2 on discs with loose long whitish hairs, laterally with additional scattered black hairs, discs of T3–4 with short intermixed black and white hairs; T2–4 apically with dense fringe of short white hairs, obscuring underlying surface. Apical fringe of T5 black centrally, with long white hairs laterally, hairs flanking pygidial plate black; pygidial plate triangular, broadly rounded apically, with large and flat triangular raised area centrally.

Male

MEASUREMENTS. Body length 9–11 mm ( Fig. 21 ).

HEAD. 1.2 times as wide as long. Clypeus dark, very weakly domed, densely and evenly punctate, punctures separated by 0.5–1 puncture diameter; underlying surface smooth and shining ( Fig. 22 ). Process of labrum as in female, though longitudinally compressed, with lateral wrinkles and ridges. Face more extensively dark haired than female, though still with white hairs on face centrally, on gena ventrally, and on vertex, longest hairs clearly exceeding length of scape. Gena broad, almost twice width of compound eye; ocelloccipital distance 1½ times diameter of lateral ocellus. Antennae dark, A4–13 slightly lightened greyish-brown below due to presence of tiny cilia; A3 slightly shorter than A4.

MESOSOMA. Scutum and scutellum more extensively shagreened than in female, dull except for small area on scutum centrally with reduced shagreenation, weakly shining. Mesosoma otherwise structurally as in female. Mesepisternum and propodeum with long, uniformly black hairs, without white hairs laterally, some scattered white hairs ventrally; scutum and scutellum with sparse long and intermixed black and white hairs, white hairs dominating. Legs dark, pubescence intermixed black and white, white hairs dominating on tibiae and tarsi. Hind tarsal claws with inner tooth. Wings hyaline, stigma orange centrally, dark brown laterally, venation dark brown; nervulus slightly antefurcal, first recurrent vein enters second submarginal cell beyond its middle.

METASOMA. Terga dark, apical margins of T2–5 slightly depressed, more extensively lightened hyalineyellow ( Fig. 23 ). Tergal discs finely shagreened over majority of area, weakly shining, shagreen absent apically and on marginal areas, here smooth and shining; tergal discs evenly punctate, punctures separated by 2 puncture diameters. Discs of T1–2 with sparse, long white hairs, becoming shorter and intermixed with black hairs on T3–4, disc of T5 with only short black hairs. S8 columnar, apically truncate, laterally with short brown hairs. Genital capsule compact, gonocoxa with inner margin slightly diverging medially, inner angle rounded, slightly obtuse, without gonocoxal teeth. Gonostyli with apical blades spatulate, slightly flattened. Penis valves broad basally with large, rounded hyaline extensions laterally, apically narrowed ( Fig. 24 ).

Remarks

Collected from flowers of Prunus (Amygdalus) spp. ( Rosaceae ) in February and March. It may therefore be associated with flowering trees in the early spring.

Distribution

Central Iran (Yazd).

Figures

Figs 13–20. Andrena boustaniae Wood sp. nov., ♀ (OÖLM). 13. Profile. 14. Dorsum. 15. Face. 16. Face, detail. 17. Process of labrum. 18. Process of labrum with shape outlined. 19. Propodeum. 20. Terga.

Figs 21–24. Andrena boustaniae Wood sp. nov., ♂ (OÖLM). 21. Profile. 22. Face. 23. Terga. 24. Genitalia.