Andrena (Micrandrena) ortizi Wood, sp. nov.

Wood, Thomas J., 2023, The genus Andrena Fabricius, 1775 in the Iberian Peninsula (Hymenoptera, Andrenidae), Journal of Hymenoptera Research 96, pp. 241-484 : 241

Andrena (Micrandrena) ortizi Wood, sp. nov.

Type material.

Holotype. Spain: Granada, Sierra Nevada, Mirador Monte Ahí de Cara, 37.1239°N, - 3.4322°W, 2100 m, 6.vi.2021, 1♀, leg. T.J. Wood, on Vella spinosa ( Brassicaceae ), OÖLM [BOLD accession number WPATW972-22].

Paratypes. Spain: Granada, Sierra Nevada, Mirador Monte Ahí de Cara, 2100 m, 6.vi.2021, 2♀, leg. T.J. Wood, on Vella spinosa ( Brassicaceae ), OÖLM /TJWC; Granada, Sierra Nevada, Puerto de la Ragua, Barranco Maja Caco, 2000 m, 10.vi.2021, 1♀, leg. T.J. Wood, TJWC; Granada, Sierra Nevada 1900 m, ri. Veleta, 1.vi.1982, 1♀, leg. R. Leys, RMNH; Granada: Órgiva N, 1300 m, 26.vi.1988, 1♀, leg. M. Schwarz, OÖLM.

Description.

Female. Body length: 7 mm (Fig. 49A ). Head: Dark, 1.1 times wider than long (Fig. 49B ). Clypeus long, apical margin clearly ventrally exceeding level of line between lower margins of compound eyes, surface weakly domed, irregularly punctate, punctures separated by 1-3 puncture diameters, impunctate longitudinal midline present; underlying surface basally finely shagreened and weakly shiny, shagreenation becoming weaker apically, here almost smooth and shiny. Process of labrum narrowly trapezoidal, slightly broader than long, apical margin narrowly truncate. Gena slightly exceeding width of compound eye; ocelloccipital distance equalling diameter of lateral ocellus. Fovea dorsally narrow, occupying ¼ space between lateral ocellus and compound eye, ventrally extending below level of antennal insertions, consistently wide along its length, filled with white hairs. Face, gena, vertex, and scape covered with sparse whitish hairs, none equalling length of scape. Antennae dark, A3 equalling length of A4+5. Mesosoma: Scutum and scutellum regularly punctate, punctures separated by 1 puncture diameter, underlying surface shagreened and weakly shiny (Fig. 49C ). Pronotum rounded. Mesepisternum microreticulate, weakly shiny with finely raised reticulation. Dorsolateral parts of propodeum with dense network of reticulation; propodeal triangle laterally delineated with raised carinae, internal surface with dense network of raised rugosity. Mesepisternum, scutum, and scutellum with long whitish hairs, none equalling length of scape. Propodeal corbicula incomplete, dorsal fringe composed of long whitish plumose hairs, internal surface with scattered long simple whitish hairs. Legs dark, pubescence whitish to light brownish. Flocculus complete, composed of short weakly upturned plumose hairs; flocculus, femoral and tibial scopae white, tibial scopae with some brown hairs dorso-basally. Hind tibial claws with inner tooth. Wings hyaline, stigma dark brown, venation brown, nervulus interstitial. Metasoma: Terga dark, apical rim of marginal areas very narrowly lightened hyaline-brown. Tergal discs densely and clearly punctate, disc of T1 with punctures separated by 1 puncture diameter, T2-3 with punctures separated by 0.5 puncture diameters, underlying surface shagreened and weakly shiny (Fig. 49D ). Marginal areas impunctate, with rectangular shagreen; marginal areas long, on T1 occupying ¼ of tergum, on T2 occupying ½ of tergum, on T3 occupying 2/3rds of tergum, on T4 occupying almost all visible tergum. T2-4 with long sparse plumose hairs arising from base of marginal area, covering but not obscuring marginal area; T3-4 apically with dense short apical fringe of white hairs laterally, obscuring underlying surface. Apical fringe of T5 and hairs flanking pygidial plate dark brown with occasional whitish hairs laterally; pygidial plate rounded triangular, with obscurely raised medial ridge, otherwise featureless.

Male. Unknown.

Diagnosis.

Andrena ortizi can quickly be recognised as a Micrandrena due to its small body size, dark integument, and entirely rugose propodeal triangle. Due to the comparatively (for a Micrandrena ) long face and clypeus (head overall only 1.1 times wider than broad; apical margin of clypeus clearly ventrally exceeding level of a line drawn between the lower margins of the compound eyes), narrow facial fovea (dorsally occupying ¼ of space between the lateral ocellus and the compound eye, consistently wide along its length, and densely punctate scutum (punctures separated by <1 puncture diameter) they are comparable to A. rugulosa Stöckhert, 1935 (Switzerland to Lebanon and the Caucasus), A. atlantea Wood, 2021 (High and Middle Atlas Mountains in Morocco), and an undescribed Micrandrena species from the Middle Atlas (see above).

Andrena ortizi can be separated from A. rugulosa by the scutum which is slightly less densely punctate, punctures separated by 1 puncture diameter (punctures separated by 0.5 puncture diameters in A. rugulosa ), the underlying surface of the scutum being finely shagreened and shiny (scutum is densely shagreened and dull in A. rugulosa ), the tergal discs are strongly and clearly punctate (tergal discs obscurely punctate in A. rugulosa ), and the marginal areas of T2-4 occupy at least ½ the visible length of the tergum, on T3-4 clearly occupying over ½ this length (marginal areas typically occupying ⅓ length of tergum, at most occupying ½ tergum on T4 in A. rugulosa ). Andrena ortizi is more similar to A. atlantea , sharing a similarly less densely punctate and weakly shiny scutum, but the same character of wide tergal margins can be used to separate them, with the marginal areas occupying at most ⅓ of the length of the tergum in A. atlantea . Finally, A. ortizi is most similar to the undescribed Micrandrena from the Middle Atlas, and the width of the tergal margins can again be used to separate them, with the tergal margins occupying at most ⅓ of the disc of T2 and ½ of the discs of T3-4. Additionally, A. ortizi has the disc of T2-3 clearly and densely punctate, whereas in the undescribed Micrandrena the discs of T2-3 are at most obscurely punctate, with punctures disappearing into the background microreticulation. Andrena ortizi also has a strongly isolated distribution, separated from the Swiss Alps ( A. rugulosa ) by c. 1,300 km and the high altitude parts around Ifrane and Azrou in the Middle Atlas ( A. atlantea , the undescribed Micrandrena species) by c. 400 km.

Remarks.

At the Mirador Monte Ahí de Cara (Fig. 50A , see also Fig. 22A ), this species was collected foraging for pollen on the spiny yellow species Vella spinosa ( Brassicaceae ) in open habitat just above the tree line. Andrena ortizi appears to be endemic to the Sierra Nevada. Searches at elevations lower than 2000 m did not detect the species during 2021 surveys, so the collection nominally made at 1300 m near Órgiva may not be representative - the slopes above Órgiva (southern slopes of the Sierra Nevada) ascend rapidly, the collector may well have climbed to a higher altitude when collecting this specimen. The morphological similarity between A. rugulosa , A. ortizi , and A. atlantea suggests a pattern of geographical isolation in montane habitats, though only A. ortizi and A. atlantea show a close genetic relationship based on the COI sequences.

Etymology.

Dedicated to the Spanish naturalist and hymenopterist Francisco Javier Ortiz-Sánchez who has worked extensively on the Iberian bee fauna for many years, including that of the Sierra Nevada.

Distribution.

Spain (Sierra Nevada).

Figures

Figure 22. Andrena (Micrandrena) pauxilla Stoeckhert, 1935 A habitat, Granada, Sierra Nevada, Mirador Monte Ahi de Cara, 2100 m, 12. vi. 2021 B female collecting pollen from Vella spinosa (Brassicaceae) C habitat, Cuenca, Mirador Valle de Valdecabras, 21. vi. 2021 D female collecting pollen from Sedum spp. (Crassulaceae).

Figure 49. Andrena (Micrandrena) ortizi sp. nov. female A profile B face, frontal view C scutum, dorsal view D terga, dorsal view.

Figure 50. Habitat context A Andrena (Micrandrena) ortizi sp. nov., Granada, Sierra Nevada, Mirador Monte Ahi de Cara, 2100 m, 12. vi. 2021 B Andrena (Truncandrena) ghisbaini sp. nov., Malaga, PN Sierra de las Nieves, mountain peak S of Pinsapo Escalereta, 1600 m, 30. v. 2021.