Andrena ( Micrandrena ) lindbergella Pittioni, 1950

Pisanty, Gideon, Santerre, Rémi, Martin, Teresa, Cardinal, Sophie & Wood, Thomas J., 2025, Integrated taxonomic revision of the mining bee subgenus Andrena (Micrandrena) (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae) in the Levant and Cyprus, Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny 83, pp. 573-655 : 573-655

3.1.2.14. Andrena ( Micrandrena) lindbergella Pittioni, 1950

Figures 11 , 15 L , 20 B, N

Andrena lindbergella Pittioni, 1950: 42, ♀ [ Cyprus: MZHF]

Diagnosis of male.

Within the Andrena minutula species group, A. lindbergella belongs to the species around A. rugulosa Stöckhert , characterized by a smooth clypeus and punctate terga, which include also A. alshaykh Pisanty sp. nov. and A. libanica Wood sp. nov. The male is easily differentiated from A. alshaykh by the genital capsule, in which the gonostyli are uniformly curving (suddenly converging medially, producing distinct kinks in the inner and outer margins in A. alshaykh ), and the penis valves are narrower (Fig. 20 L, N ). In addition, the scutum is more densely punctured, and the body size is larger. Both A. alshaykh and A. lindbergella are closely related to A. rugulosa Stöckhert (absent from the Levant) and A. libanica Wood sp. nov., but differ in the smoother scutum and more weakly punctured terga (Fig. 15 J – L ). In addition, the male of A. rugulosa does not have dorsal gonocoxite lobes.

Description of male.

Body length: 6.5 mm. — Integumental colour: Body and legs black. Flagellum fully black, overlayed with minute grey setae. Wings weakly infuscate, veins and stigma dark brown (Fig. 11 A ). Tergal marginal zones black, occasionally brownish apically (Fig. 11 D ). — Pubescence: Clypeus with dense and long semi-erect white hairs, underlying cuticle partly obscured. Paraocular area ventrally with dense and long, semi-erect to erect whitish hairs, dorsally with short to medium, mostly black hairs. Supraclypeal area with medium-lengthed erect hairs, mostly whitish, a few black. Scape with dense medium to long hairs, mostly white, a few black. Frons with sparse, semi-erect medium-lengthed black hairs (Fig. 11 A, B ). Preoccipital ridge with short to long erect whitish hairs. Upper margin of compound eye with sparse short black hair. Genal area with dense whitish hair, medium-lengthed dorsally, long ventrally (Fig. 11 A – C ). Scutum, scutellum and metanotum with long erect hair, mostly yellowish-whitish, sparse centrally, denser peripherally, scutellum with few short erect black hairs. Mesepisternum and propodeum with very long white hairs (Fig. 11 A, C ). Leg hair mostly whitish, partly brownish on tarsi (Fig. 11 A ). Base of tergal disc 1 and lateral parts of all tergal discs with sparse, short to medium white hair, rest of tergal discs with minute inconspicuous whitish hair. Tergal marginal zones 2–4 with distinct, lateral white hair bands, 5 with very weak and sparse, continuous whitish hair band. Terminal fringe brownish, flanked by whitish hairs (Fig. 11 A, D ). — Head: 1.2 times broader than long (Fig. 11 B ). Mandibles bidentate, moderately crossed. Galea very finely shagreened. Labral process trapezoidal, apical part slightly elevated, apical margin concave. Clypeus domed, very shiny, basally very superficially shagreened, apically smooth, punctation strong and dense, density decreasing medioapically, distance between punctures <0.5–1 puncture diameter, without impunctate midline. Flagellomere 1 1.3 times longer than 3, 1.8 times longer than 2 (Fig. 11 B ). Frons rugose-areolate, with clearly discernible embedded fine punctures. Ocelloccipital distance 1 ocellus diameter. Preoccipital ridge weakly carinate (Fig. 11 C ). — Mesosoma: Dorsolateral angle of pronotum not elevated. Scutum and scutellum fully shagreened, slightly shiny, punctation fine, strong and dense, distance between punctures 0.5–1 puncture diameters on scutum, slightly sparser on scutellum (Fig. 11 C ). Mesepisternum finely alveolate, overlayed by shallow oblique punctures. Anteroventral corner of propodeum reticulated, rest of propodeum rugose-areolate, propodeal triangle basally slightly more coarsely sculptured compared to flanking areas, apically very finely areolated (Fig. 11 C ). Recurrent vein 1 meets submarginal cell 2 near its middle. Nervulus slightly antefurcal (Fig. 11 A ). — Metasoma: Tergal discs 1–3 shagreened, distinctly finely punctured, distance between punctures 1 puncture diameter. Tergal discs 4–6 with similar, weaker sculpturing. Tergal marginal zones shiny, very superficially shagreened, with occasional extremely fine, inconspicuous punctures (Figs 11 D , 20 B ). — Genitalia and hidden sterna: Gonocoxites with small, partly rounded dorsal lobes. Gonostyli simple, finger-shaped, slightly broadening apically, blade flattened, apical margin rounded. Penis valves moderately broad basally, parallel-sided close to visible base, then tapering apically (Fig. 20 N ). Sternum 8 columnar, apical process as broad as stem, apical margin rounded.

Distribution and habitat.

Endemic to shrubland and sub-alpine habitats of the Troodos range in Cyprus, usually above 1200 m. Previous reports from the Levant ( Pisanty et al. 2018; Wood et al. 2020) are reinterpreted as Andrena alshaykh sp. nov.

Flight period.

Late March to mid-June.

Flower records.

Collected from Brassicaceae ( Alyssum ) and Caryophyllaceae ( Arenaria ).

Material examined.

HOLOTYPE: CYPRUS ● ♀; Troodos , Chionistra [Mount Olympus]; 17 Jun. 1939; H. Lindberg leg.; MZHF . – PARATYPE: CYPRUS ● 1 ♀; ibid.; NHMUK. – non-type material: CYPRUS: ● 1 ♂; Finikária, Kyparissia Trail; 34.7775°N 33.1176°E; 530 m a. s. l.; 22 Mar. 2024; R. Santerre leg.; BOLD accession no. RSCMC 029-25; UMONS ● 1 ♀; Olympus Mount, S slope; 34.9265°N 32.8668°E; 1821 m a. s. l.; 3 May 2024; R. Santerre leg.; on Alyssum ; UMONS ● 1 ♀; Olympus Mount, SE slope; 34.9332°N 32.8723°E; 1842 m a. s. l.; 3 May 2024; E. Ruelle leg.; on Alyssum ; UMONS ● 1 ♂; Platres; 34.892– 7°N 32.861– 8°E; 10 Apr. 2023; G. Pisanty leg.; sweep; BOLD accession no. ANDCY 038-25; SMNHTAU 426966 ● 1 ♀; Troodos range, 0.7 km N Olympus Mt.; 34.9429°N 32.8653°E; 1828 m a. s. l.; 24 Apr. 2024; R. Santerre leg.; on Arenaria ; ● 1 ♂; ibid.; BOLD accession no. RSCMC 030-25; UMONS ● 1 ♂; ibid.; BOLD accession no. RSCMC 031-25 ● 1 ♀; ibid.; TJWC ● 1 ♂; ibid.; flying.

Figures

Figure 11. Andrena lindbergella Pittioni, 1950, male. A Habitus; B head; C vertex and mesosoma; D metasoma.

Figure 15. Andrena (Micrandrena) females, clypei (A – C), scuta and scutella (D – F) and terga 1–3 (G – L). A, D A. tringa; B, K A. alshaykh; C, E A. calandra; F A. convexifrons; G A. magunta; H A. luscinia; I A. enslinella; J A. libanica; L A. lindbergella.

Figure 20. Andrena (Micrandrena) males, terga 2–3 (A, B), vertices (C), genitalia (D – V) and eighth sterna (W). A, M A. libanica; B, N A. lindbergella; C, T A. magunta; D A. yelkouan; E A. extenuata; F, W A. tkalcui; G A. sulfurea; H A. calandra; I A. convexifrons; J A. spreta; K A. friedmani; L A. alshaykh; O A. cervina; P A. phoenicia; Q A. stolida; R A. rugothorace; S A. lunaris; U A. enslinella; V A. luscinia.