Andrena (Micrandrena) gemina, Wood, 2023

Wood, Thomas James, 2023, Revisions to the Andrena fauna of north-western Africa with a focus on Morocco (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 916 (1), pp. 1-85 : 51-54

Andrena (Micrandrena) gemina sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D2CF5BBB-DF33-4D0C-8877-ECFA20F743A1

Figs 29A–E , 30

Diagnosis

Andrena gemina sp. nov. can quickly be recognised as a member of Micrandrena due to its small body size ( Fig. 29A ), dark integument, and partly rugose propodeal triangle ( Figs 29D , 30D ). It is very close to A. tenuistriata due to the facial foveae that narrow ventrally ( Fig. 29B ), the domed clypeus, the intermixed light and dark pubescence on the male face ( Fig. 30B ), and the sculpture of the propodeal triangle which is rugose medially, but this rugosity does not extend to cover the entire propodeal triangle, laterally and apically with granular microsculpture ( Figs 29D , 30D ). This combination of characters is found only in A. tenuistriata . The two species differ by the tergal punctation, as A. gemina has the terga densely and finely punctate ( Fig. 29E ), whereas in A. tenuistriata the terga are more or less impunctate, at most with obscure and scattered punctures ( Fig. 29F ). The two species can be found in sympatry in Morocco, and they are decisively separated by barcodes ( Fig. 3 ), with an average separation of 10.79% (range 9.59–11.44%, see above).

Etymology

Feminine form of the Latin adjective ‘ geminus ’, meaning ‘twin’ (‘similar, resembling, like’), in reference to the close morphological and genetic similarity to A. tenuistriata .

Material examined

Holotype

MOROCCO • ♀; Souss-Massa, R105, Tizirt , 10 km N of Agadir N’Guemzt; 29.9640° N, 9.0146° W; 12 Mar. 2022; T.J. Wood leg.; BOLD: WPATW724-22 ; OÖLM.

Paratypes

MOROCCO • 1 ♀; Anti Atlas, 5 km N of Irherm; 6 Apr. 1983; G.R. Else leg.; NHMUK • 1 ♀; Fès-Meknès , Azrou, P 7217, 10 km S of Azrou; 1800 m a.s.l.; 18 May 2022; T.J. Wood leg.; OÖLM • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; TJWC • 1 ♀; Souss-Massa, Tafraoute , Iguissle (3 km E of Tanalt); 1500 m a.s.l.; T.J. Wood leg.; OÖLM • 1 ♂; Souss-Massa, Tiznit , Inskat, Barrage Youssef Ben Tachfine ; 22 Mar. 2022; T.J. Wood leg.; OÖLM • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; TJWC .

Description

Female

MEASUREMENTS. Body length 5–5.5 mm ( Fig. 29A ).

HEAD. Dark, 1.25 times as wide as long ( Fig. 29B ). Clypeus domed, with irregular shallow punctures, punctures separated by 0.5–2 puncture diameters; underlying surface shagreened, weakly shining. Process of labrum trapezoidal, slightly broader than long, apical margin truncate. Gena equalling width of compound eye; ocelloccipital distance ⅓ diameter of lateral ocellus. Foveae dorsally occupying ⅓ of space between lateral ocellus and compound eye, narrowing further ventrally, separated from inner margin of compound eye by distance less than ventral width of fovea; foveae filled with dark brown hairs. Face, gena, vertex, and scape with whitish hairs, becoming light brownish dorsally. Antennae dark, A5 ventrally lightened by presence of greyish scales; A3 slightly exceeding length of A4+5, shorter than A4+5+6.

MESOSOMA. Scutum and scutellum with granular shagreen, weakly shining, finely punctate, punctures separated by 0.5–2 puncture diameters ( Fig. 29C ). Pronotum rounded. Mesepisternum with fine granular shagreen, shining. Dorsolateral parts of propodeum microreticulate, microreticulation overlain by additional network of raised reticulation. Propodeal triangle laterally delineated by very fine carinae; internal surface with fine raised rugosity on basal half, surface laterally and apically with fine granular microreticulation, sculpture of propodeal triangle thus contrasting with dorsolateral parts of propodeum ( Fig. 29D ). Mesepisternum with long whitish hairs, not equalling length of scape, scutum and scutellum with shorter light brown hairs. Propodeal corbicula incomplete, dorsal fringe composed of light brownish plumose hairs, internal surface with scattered long, white simple hairs. Legs dark, pubescence light brownish. Flocculus incomplete, composed of plumose hairs; flocculus, femoral scopae, and tibial scopae composed of white simple hairs. Hind tarsal claws with small inner tooth. Wings hyaline, stigma orange-brown, venation brown, nervulus interstitial.

METASOMA. Terga dark, apical margins at most with apical rims narrowly and obscurely lightened dark brown ( Fig. 29E ). Tergal discs densely and finely punctate, punctures separated by 0.5–1 puncture diameter, underlying surface finely shagreened, weakly shining. Tergal margins weakly depressed, with obscure and scattered punctures. T2–3 laterally with weak narrow apical hair fringes; base of marginal area of T4 with sparse long light brown hairs overlying but not obscuring marginal area. Apical fringe of T5 and hairs flanking pygidial plate dark brown; pygidial plate rounded triangular, surface featureless, dull.

Male

MEASUREMENTS. Body length 5 mm ( Fig. 30A ).

HEAD. Dark, 1.25 times as wide as long ( Fig. 30B ). Clypeus domed, irregularly punctate with shallow punctures, punctures separated by 0.5–2 puncture diameters, densest basally and laterally; underlying surface weakly microreticulate basally, becoming smooth and shining apically. Process of labrum trapezoidal, slightly broader than long, apical margin truncate. Gena equalling width of compound eye; ocelloccipital distance ½ of diameter of lateral ocellus. Face and scape covered with long, intermixed black and white hairs, some equalling length of scape; gena ventrally with white hairs, vertex with black hairs. Antennae dark, A4–13 ventrally lightened by presence of greyish scales; A3 longer than A4, shorter than A4+5, A4 subquadrate, broader than long, shorter than A5.

MESOSOMA. Mesosoma structurally as in female ( Fig. 30C–D ).

METASOMA. Metasoma structurally as in female ( Fig. 30E ). S8 columnar, apical margin truncate to slightly rounded, ventral surface covered with light brown hairs. Genital capsule with gonocoxae weakly produced into rounded teeth apically ( Fig. 30F ). Gonostyli flattened and spatulate for majority of length, slightly broadening apically, inner and outer margins weakly but distinctly diverging, apices rounded. Penis valves narrow, occupying ½ of space between gonostyli, narrowing medially.

Distribution

South-western (Anti-Atlas) and northern (Middle Atlas) Morocco.

Figures

Fig. 29. Andrena (Micrandrena) gemina sp. nov., holotype, ♀ (OÖLM). A. Lateral habitus. B. Face, frontal view. C. Scutum, dorsal view. D. Propodeum, dorsal view. E. Terga, dorsal view. — Andrena (Micrandrena) tenuistriata Pérez, 1895, ♀. F. Terga, dorsal view.

Fig. 30. Andrena (Micrandrena) gemina sp. nov., paratype, ♂ (OÖLM). A. Lateral habitus. B. Face, frontal view. C. Scutum, dorsal view. D. Propodeum, dorsal view. E. Terga, dorsal view. F. Genital capsule, dorsal view.

Fig. 3. Phylogenetic tree (maximum likelihood) of Andrena subgenus Micrandrena Ashmead, 1899 based on the mitochondrial COI gene. Numbers adjacent to branches represent bootstrap support (values of <75 are omitted).