Andrena (Aciandrena) curviocciput 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 : 15-16

Andrena (Aciandrena) curviocciput Pisanty & Wood sp. nov.

( Figs. 10–17 )

Female ( Fig. 10 ).

Body length: 5.5 mm.

Colour. Body dark brown to black ( Fig. 10 ). Anterior side of flagellum gradually becoming orange apically ( Figs. 10–11 ). Distal tarsal segments reddish-brown. Wings slightly infuscate, stigma brown peripherally, yellowish to brown medially, veins light to dark brown ( Fig. 10 ). Tergal marginal zones yellowish to dark brown ( Fig. 13 ).

Pubescence. Body hair mostly short, minutely plumose, white to golden ( Fig. 10 ). Clypeus and mandibles with short golden hairs. Supraclypeal and paraocular areas, frons and vertex with short whitish hairs ( Fig. 11 ). Facial foveae with minute whitish to brownish hairs. Genal area with short hair, whitish dorsally, golden ventrally. Mesonotum with sparse, minute inconspicuous hairs. Scutellum and metanotum with short whitish hairs ( Fig. 12 ). Mesepisternum with long white hairs. Propodeal corbicula incomplete, dorsoposterior fringe with sparse, long white plumose hairs. Surface of corbicula with sparse, long white simple hairs. Leg hair white to golden ( Fig. 10 ). Scopal hairs simple, whitish. Flocculus incomplete, white. Tergal discs with sparse, minute, inconspicuous white hair. Tergal marginal zones 2–4 with narrow lateral bands of short hair, white on 2–3, white to golden on 4. Prepygidial fimbria golden medially, white laterally; pygidial fimbria golden ( Fig. 13 ).

Head ( Fig. 11 ). 1.2–1.3 times broader than long. Labral process trapezoidal, apex much narrower than base. Clypeus weakly convex, shiny, superficially shagreened, punctures of moderate size and strength, puncture density 1–2 puncture diameters, a broad impunctate midline is sometimes partly to fully developed ( Fig. 11 ). Paraocular area shiny, finely longitudinally striated, densely and more finely punctured, distance between punctures 0–0.5 puncture diameters. Flagellomere 1 about as long as 2+3, 2 as long as 3. Frons shiny, superficially shagreened, finely and weakly punctured, distance between punctures about 2 puncture diameters. Facial fovea 0.6 times as broad as antennocular distance, extending from almost upper end of lateral ocellus to lower end of antennal socket or slightly below. Upper 3/5 of fovea shallow, gradually tapering, lower 2/5 deeper, almost linear, separated from compound eye by smooth area ( Fig. 11 ). Distance of fovea from lateral ocellus about 0.8 ocellus diameters. Vertex strongly arched, lateral ocelli reaching preoccipital ridge (ocelloccipital distance zero) ( Figs. 11–12 ). Genal area as broad as compound eye ( Fig. 10 ).

Mesosoma ( Fig. 12 ). Mesonotum and scutellum shiny, superficially shagreened and weakly punctured, distance between punctures 2–4 puncture diameters on mesonotum and 1–2 on scutellum ( Fig. 12 ). Mesepisternum, propodeal corbicula and posterolateral part of propodeum shiny, finely reticulate, impunctate. Propodeal triangle equilateral, more coarsely reticulated than rest of propodeum, with narrow basal band of longitudinal rugae ( Fig. 12 ). Tarsal claws unidentate. Recurrent vein 1 reaching submarginal cell 2 at its middle or slightly closer to submarginal crossvein 1. Nervulus distinctly antefurcal.

Metasoma ( Fig. 13 ). Tergal discs shiny, impunctate, finely shagreened except on apical parts of 2–4. Tergal marginal zones weakly depressed, shiny, superficially shagreened, impunctate, occupying 0.3–0.4 of tergal width. Pygidial plate V-shaped, flat.

Male ( Fig. 14 ).

Body length: 5.5 mm.

Colour. Similar to female. Clypeus and paraocular areas dark ( Fig. 15 ).

Pubescence. Genal area with long hair ventrally, mostly white ( Fig. 14 ). Rest of body hair similar to female, but generally brighter, usually white ( Fig. 14 ).

Head ( Figs. 15–16 ). Labral process broad, rectangular-trapezoidal, apex not much narrower than base. Ocelloccipital distance about 0.3 ocellus diameter ( Figs. 15–16 ). Rest of head similar to female.

Mesosoma. Similar to female, except rugosity of propodeal triangle more extensive, covering basal third of triangle; tarsal claws bidentate.

Metasoma. Similar to female.

Genitalia and hidden sterna ( Fig. 17 ). Dorsal gonocoxite lobe distinct, rounded. Gonostylus blade strongly broadened, more or less triangular, flattened, outer margin weakly concave, inner margin strongly convex, apex rounded. Penis valves moderately broad basally, tapering apically ( Fig. 17 ). Sternum 8 narrow, columnar, apical process broadened, apical margin distinctly notched, fishtail-shaped.

Diagnosis. Andrena curviocciput is easily differentiated from all other species of Aciandrena by the strongly arched vertex, with the lateral ocelli reaching the preoccipital ridge, therefore without an ocelloccipital distance; this is especially pronounced in the female ( Figs. 11, 12, 15, 16 ). Andrena pulicaria Warncke also possesses a strongly arched vertex, but differs in the distinct ocelloccipital distance, stronger shagreenation on mesonotum and terga, longer female clypeus which is smooth apically, and centrally yellow male clypeus.

Distribution: High altitudes in Lebanon, southeast Turkey and northern Israel (Mt. Hermon). Likely present also in Syria.

Flight period: April–June.

Flower records: Brassicaceae spp.

Holotype: ISRAEL: Mount Hermon [Hermon], 1640–1675 m, 33.298–299°N 35.767–770°E, 19.v.2022, G. Pisanty, on Brassicaceae , ♀ ( SMNHTAU:392774).

Paratypes: ISRAEL: Hermon Nature Reserve [Hermon NR], 300 m N lower parking lot, 1508 m, 33.294°N 35.760°E, 28.v.2019, L. Friedman (1♀) ; Mount Hermon [Har Hermon], 1500 m, 25.v.1977, D. Gerling (1♀) ; 1600 m, 23.v.1998, A. Freidberg (1♀); 18.v.2009, A. Freidberg (1♀); 33.300°N 35.767°E, 11.v.2020, G. Pisanty, pan traps (2♀, 1♂); 33.3005°N 35.767°E, 15.v.2016, G. Pisanty, pan trap (1♀); 1620 m, 33.300ºN 35.767ºE, 11.v.2020, G. Pisanty (1♂); 1642 m, 33.2992°N 35.7668°E, 19.v.2022, G. Pisanty, pan trap (1♀); 1659 m, 33.2984°N 35.7683°E, 19.v.2022, G. Pisanty, pan trap (1♀); 1970 m, 33.310°N 35.796°E, 15.v.2016, G. Pisanty, pan trap (1♀); [ Hermon ], 1640–1675 m, 33.298–299°N 35.767–770°E, 19.v.2022, G. Pisanty, sweeping (7♀) and on Brassicaceae (2♀); LEBANON: Tannourine , 28.iv.2016, N. Nemer (1♂) ; TURKEY: Karadut, Nemrut Dag , 9.vi.1998, M. Halada (2♀) ; Nemrut Dağı , Adiyaman, 1500 m, 1.vi.1983, K. Warncke (1♀) ; Tanin-Tanin-Pass, 2300 m, 19.v.1989, K. Warncke (1♂) ( OLML, RMNH, SMNHTAU, TJW) .

Etymology. curviocciput = Latin for the “curved occiput” characteristic of this species, with an extremely small ocelloccipital distance. The species epithet is a noun in apposition.

Figures

FIGURES 10–17. Andrena (Aciandrena) curviocciput sp. nov. 10. female habitus, 11. female head, 12. female vertex and mesosoma, 13. female metasoma, 14. male habitus, 15. male head, 16. male head and mesonotum, 17. male genitalia.