Andrena (Simandrena) ardentia Pisanty, 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 : 69-70

Andrena (Simandrena) ardentia Pisanty sp. nov.

( Figs. 163–166 )

Female ( Fig. 163 ).

Body length: 7.5–8 mm.

Colour. Head, mesosoma and legs black to reddish-brown ( Fig. 163 ). Anterior side of flagellomeres 4–10 orange. Wings slightly infuscate, veins and stigma light brown. Tergal discs largely yellowish- to reddish-orange, darker colouration may appear mostly on base of tergum 1, apical parts of terga 2–3, and on terga 4–5. Tergal marginal zones orangish-yellow ( Fig. 166 ).

Pubescence. Body hair usually relatively short, moderately dense, white to whitish, minutely plumose ( Fig. 163 ). Clypeus, paraocular area, scape, vertex and genal area with short to medium, white to whitish hairs ( Fig. 164 ). Facial foveae with dense minute hairs, dark in ventral view, whitish in dorsal view ( Figs. 164–165 ). Mesonotum, scutellum and metanotum with whitish to yellowish hairs, short on disc, medium-lengthed on periphery ( Fig. 165 ). Mesepisternum with long white hairs. Propodeal corbicula complete, corbicular fringe with long, strongly plumose white hairs, corbicular surface hairless. Femora and tibiae with white to whitish hair; tarsi with white to golden hair. Scopal hair white, simple ( Fig. 163 ). Flocculus incomplete, white. Tergal disc hair short, white, conspicuous mostly on lateral parts of terga and on more apical terga. Tergal marginal zones with strong, dense bands of white hair, limited to lateral patches on tergum 1, interrupted on 2, continuous on 3–4. Prepygidial fimbria white laterally, whitish-golden medially; pygidial fimbria whitish-golden ( Fig. 166 ).

Head ( Figs. 164–165 ). 1.3 times broader than long. Mandible bidentate. Galea shagreened, apex weakly pointed. Labral process weakly trapezoidal, much broader than long, basal 2/3 very finely transversely striated, apical margin weakly emarginate. Clypeus moderately convex, finely punctured, basal 3/4 shagreened to shiny, longitudinally striated, distance between punctures about 1 puncture diameter, a narrow, strongly shagreened, impunctate midline is indicated; apical 1/4 smooth, sparsely punctured ( Fig. 164 ). Frons longitudinally striated. Flagellomere 1 slightly longer than 2+3, 2 slightly shorter than 3. Facial foveae broad and shallow on upper part, gradually tapering downwards, extending from level of middle of lateral ocellus to slightly below antennal sockets, 0.6 times as broad as antennocular distance ( Figs. 164–165 ). Distance of fovea from lateral ocellus about 1 ocellus diameter. Ocelloccipital distance 1.2 ocellus diameters. Vertex weakly carinate ( Fig. 165 ).

Mesosoma ( Fig. 165 ). Pronotum with weakly elevated dorsolateral angle, without lateral carina. Mesonotum finely shagreened, weakly shiny, moderately punctured, distance between punctures about 1 puncture diameter. Scutellum similar, somewhat shinier ( Fig. 165 ). Mesepisternum and propodeal corbicula finely reticulate, mesepisternum finely obliquely punctured anteriodorsally. Posterolateral part of propodeum very finely rugose-areolate. Propodeal triangle delineated by weak carina, basal half finely rugose-areolate (somewhat coarser than flanking areas), apical half very finely alveolate. Inner side of hind femur with weak ventral carina. Hind pretarsal claw bidentate. Recurrent vein 1 meets submarginal cell 2 at about 2/3 of its length. Nervulus antefurcal.

Metasoma ( Fig. 166 ). Tergal discs finely shagreened, weakly shiny, very finely punctured, distance between punctures 1 puncture diameter, punctures becoming obscure towards apical terga. Tergal marginal zones similar, shagreenation and punctation finer, becoming smooth near apex. Pygidial plate without elevated medial area.

Male. Unknown.

Diagnosis. Andrena ardentia is distinguished from most members of Simandrena by the largely reddish colouration of the metasoma ( Fig. 166 ). It differs from A. selena Gusenleitner by its smaller size, broader and more distinct impunctate midline of clypeus, shagreened scutellum (more or less smooth centrally in A. selena ), and most importantly, the imperceptible, very fine tergal punctation (coarser and much more distinct in A. selena ).

Distribution: Israel (northern Negev), West Bank.

Flight period: March–April.

Flower records: Brassicaceae : Erucaria microcarpa .

Holotype: ISRAEL: Gilat Research Center , 500 m NNE, 31.341ºN 34.6693ºE, 2.iii.2022, G. Pisanty, pan trap, ♀ ( SMNHTAU:386281).

Paratypes: ISRAEL: Beersheba , 15.iv.1970, H. Bytinski-Salz (1♀) ; Nevatim , 8.iv.1953 (1♀) ; Tel Qeriyyot , 31.342ºN 35.125ºE, 27.iii.2015, G. Pisanty (1♀) ; WEST BANK: Za’atara , 6.iii.2015, T. Jumah, on Erucaria microcarpa (3♀) ( OLML, RMNH, SMNHTAU) .

Stylopised material: ISRAEL: Beersheba , 15.iv.1970, H. Bytinski-Salz (1♀) ( OLML) .

Etymology. ardentia = Latin for “burning, on fire”, referring to the bright red integument of this species. The species epithet is an adjective.

Other material examined ( A. selena ): EGYPT: Sinai, Mitla , 13.iv.1973, M. Kaplan (1♀) ; ISRAEL: Nahal Ramon , 14.iv.2015, A. Gotlieb (4♀) ( SMNHTAU) .

Figures

FIGURES 157–166. Andrena (Poecilandrena) veronicae sp. nov. 157. male vertex and mesosoma, 158. male metasoma, 159. male genitalia, dorsal view, 161. male genitalia, lateral view. Andrena (Poecilandrena) semirubra Morawitz. 160. male genitalia, dorsal view, 162. male genitalia, lateral view. Andrena (Simandrena) ardentia sp. nov. 163. female habitus, 164. female head, 165. female vertex and mesosoma, 166. female metasoma.