Andrena (Euandrena) hermonella Scheuchl & Pisanty, 2016

WOOD, T. J., 2024, Further revisions to the Palaearctic Andrena fauna (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae), Zootaxa 5483 (1), pp. 1-150 : 76-79

Andrena (Euandrena) hermonella Scheuchl & Pisanty, 2016

Material examined. TURKEY: Hakkâri, Suvari Halil-Pass , 2500 m, 2.vi.1980, 1♂, 5♀, leg. M. Schwarz & K. Warncke, OÖLM/ TJWC ; Hakkâri, Tanin-Tanin-Pass, 23–2800 m, 3.vi.1980, 13♀, leg. M. Schwarz, OÖLM/ TJWC ; Hakkâri, Tanin-Tanin-Pass, 2500 m, 2.vi.1980, 21♀, leg. K. Warncke, OÖLM/ TJWC .

Remarks: Andrena hermonella was described with a male holotype, and two female paratypes that were not actually caught at the same time and place as one of the distinctive males ( Pisanty et al. 2016). Pisanty et al. (2022a) found that the female was not conspecific, and instead belonged to A. (Euandrena) gageae Wood & Pisanty, 2022 ( Israel and Lebanon). Examination of material from Turkey has revealed a single specimen of the distinctive male (unique genital capsule), and a large number of associated female specimens. The female sex of A. hermonella is therefore described here for the first time.

Description: Female: Body length: 9–10 mm ( Figure 51A ). Head: Dark, 1.2 times wider than long ( Figure 51B ). Clypeus weakly domed, densely punctate, punctures separated by 0.5 puncture diameters, underlying surface shagreened, weakly shining. Process of labrum rounded trapezoidal, 3 times wider than long, surface smooth and shining. Gena broader than width of compound eye; ocelloccipital distance equalling diameter of lateral ocellus. Foveae dorsally narrow, occupying ⅓ space between compound eye and lateral ocellus, narrowing further ventrally at level of antennal insertions; foveae filled with dark brown hairs. Face with almost entirely white hairs, with line of black hairs along inner margin of compound eyes. Gena with white hairs ventrally, becoming light yellow-brown dorsally and on vertex. Scape white-haired, with scattered black hairs; longest hairs of head slightly exceeding length of scape. Antennae dark, A5–12 ventrally slightly lightened by presence of grey scales; A3 exceeding A4+5, only slightly shorter than A4+5+6.

Mesosoma: Scutum shagreened, weakly shining, irregularly and shallowly punctate, punctures separated by 0.5-2 puncture diameters; scutellum with weaker shagreen, more strongly shining, puncture density similar ( Figure 51C ). Pronotum rounded. Mesepisternum finely microreticulate, dull. Dorsolateral parts of propodeum also finely microreticulate,microreticulation overlain with sparse network of raised rugosity forming appearance of large shallow punctures with raised rims. Propodeal triangle narrow, internal surface with granular microreticulation, propodeal triangle thus defined by change in surface sculpture; triangle basally with short raised rugae. Mesepisternum with long finely and densely plumose whitish hairs, exceeding length of scape, hairs becoming shorter, light brown in colour, and less clearly plumose dorsally and on scutum and scutellum. Propodeal corbicula incomplete, dorsal fringe composed of long light brown plumose hairs, internal surface with scattered long light brown simple to weakly plumose hairs. Legs dark, pubescence brown. Flocculus moderately developed, composed of whitish plumose hairs; femoral scopae composed of whitish predominantly simple hairs, some minutely plumose; tibial scopae composed of orange hairs, predominantly simple, some weakly plumose. Hind tarsal claws with strong inner tooth. Wings hyaline, stigma and venation orange, nervulus weakly antefurcal.

Metasoma: Tergal discs dark, tergal margins broadly lightened hyaline-brown ( Figure 51D ). Tergal discs weakly sculptured, weakly shining, clearly and deeply punctate, punctures separated by 1–2 puncture diameters; tergal margins slightly but distinctly depressed, impunctate and shining. Terga with long, scattered, plumose light brown hairs, with weak concentration on T1–4 at junction between tergal discs and margins, forming sparse erect hairbands, not obscuring underlying surface. Apical fringe of T5 and hairs flanking pygidial plate dark brown; pygidial plate rounded triangular, surface flattened, with obscure dense punctures, punctures separated by 0.5 puncture diameters, surface dull.

Diagnosis: Andrena hermonella can be placed in the subgenus Euandrena due to the narrow facial foveae, occupying slightly less than one third of the space between the compound eye and a lateral ocellus, the foveae narrowing further ventrally, pronotum without humeral angle, A3 long (clearly exceeding A4+5), and the simple hairs of the tibial scopae (hairs not plumose). Females can be recognised due to their tergal margins which are broad, slightly depressed, lightened hyaline-brown, and very weakly sculptured, thus shining ( Figure 51D ). This is similar to the state observed in A. angustior (Kirby, 1802) which is found in Western Europe only ( Wood et al. 2021), but A. hermonella is easily separated by the clypeus which is densely and clearly punctate with puncture separated by 0.5 puncture diameters, without an impunctate longitudinal mid-line, whereas in A. angustior the clypeus is more irregularly and shallowly punctate with puncture separated by 0.5–1 puncture diameters, and with a clear impunctate longitudinal mid-line over ½ of the clypeus length, the mid-line also being slightly impressed (thus forming a slight furrow). The facial pubescence is also different, with abundant pale pubescence medially and black hairs along the entire length of the inner margin of the compound eye in A. hermonella , compared to brown facial pubescence with black hairs more or less limited to the area between the antennal insertions and the compound eye in A. angustior .

Distribution: Northern Israel (Mount Hermon), south-eastern Turkey (Hakkâri). Almost certainly present also in Lebanon and Syria on Mount Hermon.

11) Additional newly described species

Figures

FIGURE 51. Andrena (Euandrena) hermonella Scheuchl & Pisanty, 2016 female. A. Habitus, lateral view; B. Face, frontal view; C. Scutum, dorsal view; D. Terga, dorsal view.