Andrena (Micrandrena) convexifrons, 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 : 476-478

Andrena (Micrandrena) convexifrons spec. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:FBDA736E-4EF8-4122-9922-E0B07CB60970

HOLOTYPE: JORDAN: 16 km WWN Aljun [Aljoun], 600 m, 21.v.2007, 1♀, leg. Z. Kejval ( OÖLM).

PARATYPES: JORDAN: Same as holotype, 2³, 38♀; 20 km SW Madaba, 31.v.2006, 6♀, leg. F. Kantner ( OÖLM) , 2♀ ( TJWC) , 2♀ ( SMNHTAU) ; Ajlun, 30 km W Jarash , 2.vi.2006, 1♀, leg. Z. Kejval ( OÖLM) ; Zadba / Zadaba [Madaba?], 6.v.2012, 86³, 3♀, leg. M. Kafka ( OÖLM) ; Kufur , 4–5.v. 2012, 3³, leg. M. Kafka ( OÖLM) ; North Shuna , 29–30.iv. 1996, 4³, leg. Ma. Halada ( OÖLM) ; Aljoun , 7.v.2012, 1³, leg. M. Kafka ( OÖLM) .

Description: Female: Body length 6.5 mm ( Figure 83 ). Head: Black, 1.3 times wider than long ( Figure 84 ). Clypeus weakly domed, irregularly punctate with sparse, large punctures, punctures slightly obscured by transverse striations, underlying surface microreticulate, weakly shining. Process of labrum rectangular, slightly wider than long, basal half transversely striate, apical half shining. Gena moderately broad, equalling width of compound eye; ocelloccipital distance equals width of lateral ocellus. Frons with two bulges immediately anterior to lateral ocelli ( Figures 85, 87 ), bulges extend into ocellar triangle, area therefore raised above profile of vertex, whole area with longitudinal striations, particularly anterior of central ocellus. Gena, vertex, face, and scape with whitish to brownish hairs, not exceeding half of length of scape. Fovea long and narrow, extending well below level of antennal insertions, dorsally slightly narrower than width of flagellum, occupying ¼ of space between lateral ocellus and compound eye, ventrally slightly narrowed. Antenna dark, A4 apically, A5–12 lightened orange below, A3 equals A4+5. Mesosoma: Scutum and scutellum strongly shagreened, shallowly punctate, punctures separated by 1–2 puncture diameters, obscured and disappearing into underlying shagreen ( Figure 88 ). Pronotum with hint of extremely weak humeral angle, dorsolaterally slightly angulate. Episternum and propodeum shagreened, weakly shining, propodeal triangle rugose, lateral margins poorly defined. Episternum and propodeum with white hairs, propodeal corbicula well defined dorsally, scutum and scutellum with short brownish hairs. Legs dark, apical tarsal segments lightened brown, pubescence white, scopa white. Hind tarsal claws with inner tooth. Wings hyaline, venation and stigma dark brown, nervulus slightly antefurcal. Metasoma: Terga dark, strongly microreticulate, weakly shining, essentially impunctate ( Figures 89–90 ). Tergal margins narrowly lightened brown apically, slightly depressed, T2–3 with weak lateral hair fringes present laterally. Apical fringe of T5 and hairs flanking pygidial plate golden; pygidial plate flattened, margins slightly raised, centrally with fine mesh-like pattern.

Male: Body length 6 mm ( Figure 91 ). Head: As in female, but hairs on vertex longer, equalling length of scape, antenna with A5–13 lightened orange below, A3 exceeding A4 but shorter than A4+5 ( Figure 92 ). Mesosoma: As in female. Metasoma: As in female, but terga with slightly more strongly depressed apical margins ( Figure 93 ). Genitalia simple, gonocoxae with weakly produced apical teeth, gonostyli with straight outer margin, penis valve basally parallel sided, slightly narrowing apically ( Figure 94 ).

Diagnosis: Andrena convexifrons can also easily be recognised as a Micrandrena because of its small size, black integument, and strongly rugose propodeal triangle. In the female sex, it can be further recognised as part of the simontornyella -group of species that have a transversely striate clypeus, and which are most diverse in the Eastern Mediterranean. It can initially be recognised because of its small size, and is most similar to A. paganettina Warncke, 1965 which is the smallest West Palearctic Micrandrena at 5–6 mm in length, both species sharing the transversely striate clypeus, narrow foveae, and weakly shining, impunctate, strongly microreticulate terga. However, A. convexifrons differs in the sculpturing of the frons which conspicuously forms two bulging mounds in front of the ocellar triangle (note, this character is difficult to see in photographs without a specimen because of the compression effect of photograph stacking software), these bulges extending into the ocellar triangle and therefore raising it above the level of the vertex, this whole area longitudinally striate, most obviously immediately around the central ocellus ( Figures 85, 87 ). In contrast, the frons of A. paganettina is regularly flat, not elevated, without obvious longitudinal striations ( Figure 86 ). The two species can additionally be separated by the sculpturing of the scutum, which is strongly shagreened and only very weakly shining in A. convexifrons with punctures disappearing into the shagreen, but weakly shagreened and more strongly shining in A. paganettina , with punctures more distinct. Males are harder to diagnose because of the simple, featureless genitalia, but they also possess the same bulging frons and clearly elevated ocellar triangle ( Figure 92 ). This character is unique in currently described Micrandrena species.

Etymology: The name is a combination of convex (curved, bulging) + frons (forehead) that describes the distinctive protrusions on the frons that allow separation from other Micrandrena species.

Figures

FIGURES 83–90. Andrena convexifrons spec. nov. 83. female profile, 84. female face, 85. female frons detail, 87. female frons detail, lateral view, 88. female scutum, 89. female terga, 90. female terga detail. Andrena paganettina Warncke, 1965; 86. female frons detail.

FIGURES 91–94. Andrena convexifrons spec. nov. 91. male profile, 92. male face, 93. male terga, 94. male genitalia.