Andrena (Chlorandrena) macula Pisanty & Wood, 2022

Pisanty, Gideon, Scheuchl, Erwin, Martin, Teresa, Cardinal, Sophie & Wood, Thomas James, 2022, Twenty-five new species of mining bees (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae: Andrena) from Israel and the Levant, Zootaxa 5185 (1), pp. 1-109 : 33-36

Andrena (Chlorandrena) macula Pisanty & Wood sp. nov.

( Figs. 66–74, 76–77 )

Female ( Fig. 66 ).

Body length: 8.5 mm.

Colour. Body and legs black to dark brown ( Fig. 66 ). Anterior side of flagellomeres 4–10 orange. Wings weakly infuscate, veins brown, stigma yellowish to brownish. Tergal marginal zones reddish basally, gradually yellowish apically ( Fig. 69 ).

Pubescence. Face, vertex and genal area more or less uniformly covered with moderately dense, short to medium, white to yellowish minutely plumose hairs. Facial foveae with dense minute hair, appearing white in dorsal view, brownish to black in ventral view ( Figs. 67–68 ). Mesonotum, scutellum and metanotum with white to yellowish, minutely plumose hairs, very short and sparse medially, denser and longer peripherally ( Fig. 68 ). Mesepisternum with long, white to yellowish plumose hairs ( Fig. 66 ). Propodeal corbicula incomplete, dorsoposterior fringe with long, white to yellowish plumose hairs, corbicular surface with sparse, minute white hairs and a few long, simple to plumose white hairs. Leg hair white to golden. Scopa large, greatly broadened apically, hair dense, strongly plumose, white to golden ( Fig. 66 ). Flocculus developed, white. Tergal discs weakly haired, hair white, minutely plumose, minute and inconspicuous apically, slightly longer basally, much longer laterally. Tergal disc 4 with sparse, narrow apical band of relatively long whitish hairs extending over entire marginal zone length. Tergal marginal zones 2–4 with weak bands of white hair covering their apical half, strongly interrupted in 2–3, continuous in 4. Prepygidial fimbria golden medially, white to golden laterally; pygidial fimbria golden ( Fig. 69 ).

Head ( Figs. 67–68 ). 1.2 times broader than long. Mandible slightly to distinctly bidentate. Galea finely shagreened, apex weakly pointed. Labral process trapezoidal, broader than long, apex straight to weakly emarginate. Clypeus weakly convex, basal half strongly transversely striated and usually dull, apical half smoother, shiny; punctation strong and dense, finer and denser basally, without impunctate midline, distance between punctures 0–1 puncture diameters. Flagellomere 1 longer than 2+3, 2 as long as 3. Frons strongly longitudinally striated. Facial foveae deep, broad on upper part, gradually tapering downwards, extending from level of upper end–middle of lateral ocellus to slightly below lower end of antennal sockets, 0.6 times as broad as antennocular distance ( Figs. 66–68 ). Distance of fovea from lateral ocellus about 0.7 ocellus diameter. Ocelloccipital distance 0.8 ocellus diameter. Vertex weakly carinate ( Fig. 68 ).

Mesosoma ( Fig. 68 ). Pronotum without elevated dorsolateral angle or lateral carina. Anterior 1/3–1/2 of mesonotum dull to weakly shiny, weakly shagreened, weakly, finely and densely punctured, distance between punctures 0.5–1 puncture diameters; posterior 1/2–2/3 smooth and shiny, strongly and more coarsely and sparsely punctured, distance between punctures 0.5–2 puncture diameters. Scutellum similar to posterior part of mesonotum, but more finely punctured ( Fig. 68 ). Mesepisternum finely reticulate, obliquely punctured; propodeal corbicula finely reticulate. Posterolateral part of propodeum finely rugose-areolate. Propodeal triangle delineated by carina, basal half rugose-areolate, often with strong medial carina, apical half very finely alveolate to transversely striate ( Fig. 68 ). Inner side of hind femur smooth, not to weakly carinate dorsally, with about 10 spines. Hind leg pretarsal claw bidentate. Recurrent vein 1 meets submarginal cell 2 distal to its mid-length. Nervulus antefurcal.

Metasoma ( Fig. 69 ). Tergal discs smooth, punctation without raised margins (not crater-like). Tergal disc 1 clearly differentiated into basal and apical parts, basal part irregularly, very finely and sparsely punctured, distance between punctures 1–4 puncture diameters; apical part more coarsely and densely punctured, distance between punctures 0.5–2 puncture diameters. Tergal discs 2–4 distinctly punctured, distance between punctures 0.5–1 puncture diameters. Tergal marginal zones increasing in shagreenation towards apical terga, weakly and very finely punctured, distance between punctures about 1 puncture diameter; 1 not depressed; 2–4 depressed. Pygidial plate without elevated medial area.

Male ( Fig. 70 ).

Body length: 7.5 mm.

Colour. Body and legs black to brown ( Fig. 70 ). Clypeus yellow medially, black peripherally, yellow area often with two dark lateral triangles ( Fig. 71 ). Anterior side of flagellomeres 3–11 brown to orange. Wings weakly infuscate, veins brown, stigma brownish ( Fig. 70 ). Tergal marginal zones reddish basally, gradually whitish apically ( Fig. 73 ).

Pubescence. Head with dense medium-lengthed white hair ( Fig. 71 ). Mesonotum and scutellum with long white to yellowish hairs ( Fig. 72 ). Mesepisternum and propodeum with long white hairs. Femora and tibiae with short white hairs; tarsi with short whitish to golden hairs ( Fig. 70 ). Apical 1/3 of tergum 1 with sparse long white hairs. Tergal discs 2–4 with minute inconspicuous hair medially and short white hair laterally. Tergal marginal zones 1–4 with distinct bands of white hair, denser but strongly interrupted in 1–3, sparser but almost continuous in 4. Terminal fringe whitish to golden ( Fig. 73 ).

Head ( Figs. 71–72 ). Clypeus weakly convex, smooth except near base, strongly and coarsely punctured, distance between punctures 0.5–1 puncture diameters, without impunctate midline. Flagellomere 1 as long as 2+3, 2 shorter than 3 ( Fig. 71 ). Ocelloccipital distance 1.5 ocellus diameters. Vertex carinate ( Fig. 72 ). Rest of head similar to female.

Mesosoma ( Fig. 72 ). Punctation of anterior part of mesonotum weaker and sparser than in female ( Fig. 72 ). Mesepisternum and lateral part of propodeum densely obliquely punctured. Recurrent vein 1 meets submarginal cell 2 at or distal to its mid-length. Rest of mesosoma similar to female.

Metasoma ( Fig. 73 ). Similar to female, but punctation of tergal discs slightly sparser, distance between punctures 1–2 puncture diameters. Punctation of apical 1/3 of tergum 1 slightly coarser than rest of terga, with slightly raised margins (crater-like punctures).

Genitalia and hidden sterna ( Figs. 74, 76–77 ). Dorsal gonocoxite lobe strongly developed, elongate, apex pointed. Gonostylus blade broadened, flattened, apex weakly pointed. Penis valves of moderate width, tapering apically ( Fig. 74 ). Sternum 8 columnar, without lateral protrusions, uniformly narrow except for slightly broadened apical process, ventral side with dense tuft of hairs medially, protruding laterally ( Figs. 76–77 ).

Diagnosis. Andrena macula is distinguished from most species of Chlorandrena by the extremely smooth terga, lacking crater-like punctures (although slightly developed in the male) ( Figs. 69, 73 ). It most closely resembles A. clypella Strand , from which it differs in the smaller body size, shorter ocelloccipital distance, antefurcal nervulus (interstitial in A. clypella ), brighter tergal marginal zones with distinct hair bands (hardly developed in A. clypella except for a sparse band on tergum 4), the female’s apically smooth clypeus (fully shagreened in A. clypella ), broader foveae, coarser mesonotal punctation and more rugose propodeum, and the male’s smoother mesonotum and more slender, elongate genitalia ( Figs. 74–75 ).

Distribution: Iran, Central Israel, Jordan.

Flight period: March–May.

Flower records: None. The species most probably forages on Asteraceae , as do all other known species of Chlorandrena .

Holotype: ISRAEL: Park ha-Les Nature Reserve [Park ha-Les NR], 31.2575ºN 34.597ºE, 19.iii.2022, G. Pisanty, sweeping, ♀ ( SMNHTAU:385762).

Paratypes: IRAN: Nain env., 5.v.1999, K. Deneš sen. (2♀) ; ISRAEL: Beersheba [Be’er Sheva], 1.6 km N, Road 40 E, Goral Junction , 352 m, 26.iii.2017, A. Dorchin (2♀) ; 20 km S, 1.v.2019, M. Halada (1♀); Beit Guvrin [Beit Govrin], 28.iii.2010, G. Pisanty (1♀) ; Ein Gedi , 23.iii.1958, I. Kugler (1♀) ; Gilat Research Center , fallow field, 31.3372°N 34.663°E, 2.iii.2022, G. Pisanty, sweeping (1♂) ; Mashabei Sadeh [Mashabe Sade], 16.ii.1976, A. Freidberg (2♂) ; Sde Boker [Sede Boqer], 3 km S, 10.iv.1990, K. Warncke (3♀) ; Sdom Rd. , km 40, 3.iv.1953, E. Swirski (1♂) ; Shivta Junction [Holot Shunera], 30.941°N 34.597°E, 17.iii.2017, G. Pisanty, partly from pan traps (2♀, 1♂) ; JORDAN: Kerak [Al Karak] env., 6.iv.2013, M. Snížek (2♀) ; 15 km E Petra , 26.iv.2006, K. Deneš (1♀) ( OLML, SMNHTAU, TJW) .

Etymology. macula = Latin for “spot”, in reference to the small yellow mark on the male clypeus. The species epithet is a noun in apposition.

Other material examined ( A. clypella ): GREECE: Crete [W. CRETA], Meskla , 3.v.1973, H. Teunissen (1♂); (no precise locality) , 7.v.1939, Dr. Enslin (1♀); NORTH MACEDONIA: Monastery of Saint Naum [Svetli.Naum. Yu.Mac.], 30.v.1972, Teunissen (1♂) ( OLML, SMNHTAU) .

Figures

FIGURES 58–67. Andrena (Chlorandrena) danini Pisanty & Scheuchl. 58. male habitus, 59. male head, 60. male vertex and mesosoma, 61. male metasoma, 62. male genitalia, 64. male eighth sternum, ventral view, 65. male eighth sternum, dorsal view. Andrena (Chlorandrena) cinereophila Warncke. 63. male genitalia. Andrena (Chlorandrena) macula sp. nov. 66. female habitus, 67. female head.

FIGURES 68–77. Andrena (Chlorandrena) macula sp. nov. 68. female vertex and mesosoma, 69. female metasoma, 70. male habitus, 71. male head, 72. male vertex and mesosoma, 73. male metasoma, 74. male genitalia, 76. male eighth sternum, ventral view, 77. male eighth sternum, dorsal view. Andrena (Chlorandrena) clypella Warncke. 75. male genitalia.