Andrena (Carandrena) inflata, Wood, 2021

Wood, Thomas James, 2021, Fifteen new Andrena species from little-visited arid, Mediterranean, and mountainous parts of the Old World (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae), Zootaxa 4933 (4), pp. 451-492 : 463

Andrena (Carandrena) inflata spec. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6540AA31-2556-4637-86EE-43E47E31CF4E

HOLOTYPE: TUNISIA: Ksar Hadada , 4–5.iv. 1996, 1³, leg. K. Deneš ( OÖLM).

Description: Female: Unknown.

Male: Body length 11 mm ( Figure 37 ). Head: Dark metallic green, 1.3 times wider than long ( Figure 38 ). Clypeus broad, yellow with exception of two small black marks centrally, yellow colouration extending onto lower paraocular areas forming linear maculae parallel to clypeal margin. Clypeus evenly punctate, puncture separated by 2 puncture diameters, underlying surface shagreened, weakly shining. Process of labrum short and broad, slightly longitudinally compressed, shiny. Gena strongly broadened, 1.5 times width of compound eye ( Figure 39 ), dorsal margin faintly carinate; ocelloccipital distance 2/3rds width of lateral ocellus. Gena, vertex, face, and scape with long white hairs, not exceeding length of scape. Antenna dark, A5–13 slightly lightened grey-brown below, A3 exceeding A4+5, shorter than A4+5+6. Mesosoma: Scutum shallowly and irregularly punctate, puncture separated by 1–3 puncture diameters, underling surface shagreened, anterior part densely so, dull, shagreenation becoming weaker centrally, weakly shining; integument with metallic green-purple reflections. Scutellum very weakly shagreened, shining, sparsely punctate centrally. Episternum and propodeum finely microreticulate, weakly shining, propodeal triangle indicated by change in grain of microreticulation, becoming noticeably finer. Pronotum with strong humeral angle, laterally carinate. Episternum, propodeum, scutum, and scutellum with abundant long whitish hair exceeding length of scape. Legs dark, pubescence whitish. Wings hyaline, venation dark orange-brown, stigma orange, nervulus interstitial. Metasoma: Terga weakly metallic green, apical margins lightened brownish-yellow, finely and inconspicuously punctate, punctures separated by 2–3 puncture diameters, underling surface shagreened, weakly shining ( Figure 40 ). Terga covered with sparse whitish hairs, not obscuring underlying surface. Genitalia large, gonocoxae broad, lacking apical teeth, with obtuse inner angle ( Figure 41 ). Gonostyli broadened, inner margin flattened and rounded, outer surface with plumose hairs, penis valve narrow, long, and parallel sided, occupying 1/5 th of space between gonostyli ( Figure 42 ).

Diagnosis: Andrena inflata can easily be recognised as a Carandrena in the male sex because of the wider than long head, yellow marked clypeus, and strongly broadened but with a gena that is only weakly and inconspicuously carinate dorsally. The integument is metallic green, placing it with similar metallic green-coloured species including A. aerinifrons Dours, 1873 , A. deserta Warncke, 1974 , A. nigroviridula Dours, 1873 , and A. reperta Warncke, 1974 . However, it can easily be separated from almost all of these species by its large size, with all species other than A. aerinifrons averaging 6–7 mm in length. Andrena inflata can be structurally separated by the shagreenation of the scutum which is consistent, whereas in A. aerinifrons it becomes weaker and disappears centrally, leaving a circular shiny patch. However, the clearest difference is in genital structure which is aberrant within the Carandrena , with gonocoxae laterally widened, without teeth, gonostyli apically short and broadened, and penis valve comparatively extremely narrow, occupying a small part of the space between the gonostyli ( Figures 41–42 ), whereas A. aerinifrons has elongate genitalia with weakly produced gonocoxal teeth and gonostyli that are apically longer than broad ( Figure 43 ). The genitalia in A. inflata are more like an enlarged and distorted form of those found in smaller metallic green Carandrena like A. reperta , but with broadened gonostyli, further reduced gonocoxal teeth, and a narrower penis valve ( Figure 44 ).

Etymology: The name is derived from the Latin inflatus (inflated) because the genitalia of this species are noticeably larger and broader than other related Carandrena species.

Figures

FIGURES 37–44. Andrena inflata spec. nov. 37. male profile, 38. male face, 39. male vertex, 40. male terga, 41. male genitalia dorsal view, 42. male genitalia direct view. Andrena aerinifrons Dours, 1873; 43. male genitalia. Andrena reperta Warncke, 1974; 44. male genitalia.