Andrena (Micrandrena) abjecta Pérez, 1895

Dardón, María José, Torres, Félix & Ornosa, Concepción, 2014, The subgenus Andrena (Micrandrena) (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae) in the Iberian Peninsula, Zootaxa 3872 (5), pp. 467-497 : 473-476

Andrena (Micrandrena) abjecta Pérez, 1895

Andrena abjecta Pérez 1895:45 (Lectotype examined)

Diagnosis. Andrena abjecta is characterized by a body with shiny, fine and weak integument. The scutum and scutellum have shallow and sparse PPs. The propodeal triangle is clearly defined, with different ornamentation on each side, and the propodeum has a matte appearance that contrasts with the brightness of the metasoma. The surface of the terga has a fine and tenuous microsculpture with shallow PBHs. The marginal zones are 0.4 times the length of the terga.

Redescription based on lectotype. Female: Body length 6–8 mm. The body has dark brown integument with a reddish metasoma. The pubescence is sparse and usually whitish.

Head: The genal area has a weak wrinkled microsculpture on the upper area, with weak striations towards the bottom. The PBH is obvious but weak, and oblique over the entire surface. The frons and paraocular area are matte and ornamented with large grooves or stretch marks, and the PPs are obvious at the bottom of the paraocular area. The facial fovea is strongly depressed by about 0.6 of its lower length (3 times narrower than high), with a golden and iridescent, velvety pubescence. The flagellum increases towards the apex, with a darker base. A1=0.3 of the length of the flagellum, A2=A3, and A3=A4+A5. The clypeus is arched, with a bright center and obvious PPs. The top of the clypeus has a fine microsculpture and PPs until the middle, which is large, coarse and without defined edges. E=1–4, with PPs evident on the lower portion, although they are not deep. The entire clypeus has slender plumose hairs that are yellow and iridescent, although not longer than the length of A1. The process of labrum is small, black, and just under 0.3 of the lower margin of the clypeus at the base, it is also surrounded by long hair (longer than the length of the process of labrum). The pubescence is not dense, and is generally whitish, iridescent and shorter than the length of A1.

Mesosoma: The entire pronotum is impunctate with a microsculpture. The scutum and scutellum also have a delicate microsculpture over the entire surface, which is shiny, with isolated, shallow, and irregular PPs. The mesepisternum has a bright microsculpture with slightly elevated PPs, and a scarce, long, and white pubescence. The metanotum is similar, with a fine and dense microsculpture without evident PPs, and has large yellow hairs as on the sides of the scutellum and scutum (in the latter they are all over the surface). The basal area of propodeum is located in the middle with fine granular ornamentation that is coarser along the sides. The propodeal triangle is defined. The propodeal corbicula is whitish and paler than the rest of the hairs on the thorax. The wings are weakly smoked, and at rest reach the apex of the metasoma. The veins and stigma are slightly pale yellow; however, Gusenleitner and Schwarz (2002) indicate that they are brown. The hind legs are brown, including the basitarsus, mediotarsus, distitarsus, and tarsal claw.

Metasoma: The metasomal terga are bright with a delicate and weak microsculpture. On the sides of the discs of the terga there are a few slender PPs that are small and isolated, with smooth edges. The PBHs are shallow and are present starting at T3, although they are most abundant in T4 and T5, additionally, the latter ones have yellow hair, at least on the inferior part. The sides of the pygidial plate also have yellow hair. The discs of the terga are dark brown, with some short, slender, iridescent hair, which is abundant in T4. There are also scarce and plumose hairs present on the top of the marginal zone, although they are larger and do not form a complete band. The marginal zones are amber in color, evident in T2, irregular, and weakly marked, especially in the middle. They occupy 0.4 times the length of the terga. Metasomal bands of whitish hair are present from T2, where they are short and scarce, however they are longer in T3. The integument of the metasomal terga is brownish-red, and paler than the mesosoma and head, although brighter than the former.

Male: (This description corresponds to specimens from Morocco, as we were unable to locate specimens captured in the Iberian Peninsula). Body length 6 mm. The integument is black with a brown metasoma. The males are generally similar in morphology to the females.

Head: The genal area has short and striate ornamentation that is present on the top. The area bounded by the apical margin of compound eye has a lateral ocellus and top edge of the occiput with a fine, granular and matte microsculpture. A3 is clearly longer than A5, and nearly twice as long as A4, while the following As are longer than wide. The clypeus is as in the female, with a smooth apical half and strong and scattered PPs. E=1–4, and the basal half is matte with a microsculpture. The process of labrum occupies at least 0.3 of the lower margin of the clypeus at its base. The head has a fine and short pubescence, except on the vertex and in the lower portion of the genal area, where the hair is long and reaches the length of A1. The color is yellowish-white, except in the paraocular area and vertex, where it is brown.

Mesosoma: The scutum and scutellum are completely matte, without PPs, although in the latter it is more obvious. The mesepisternum has small, non-bulky PBHs, with E=3 or more; however, the pubescence is scarce and longer than the length of A1. The metanotum has a microsculpture that is a little coarser than that in the scutum and scutellum. The basal area of propodeum is as in the female. The rest of the propodeum also has a fine granular microsculpture and small PBHs with plumose hairs. The wings are weakly smoked with a yellowish tone, and at rest they do not reach the apex of the metasoma. The veins are orangish-brown. The legs are brown, and the mediotarsus, distitarsus, and tarsal claw are paler. The pubescence of the hind legs is whitish, but the inner side of the basitarsus is yellow.

Metasoma: The metasoma is as in the female, with a fine and tenuous microsculpture. The discs of the terga have small and weak PBHs with thin hairs. T2 and T4 have incomplete metasomal bands that are sparse. The male genitalia are simple, as in Andrena minutula ( Kirby, 1802) .

Comments. Individuals of this species can be confused with others belonging to the subgenus Andrena (Distandrena) Warncke, 1968 ; however, by their morphological characteristics, Andrena abjecta should remain in the subgenus Andrena (Micrandrena) . These characteristics are, in the case of females, a process of labrum with a rectangular shape, not triangular as in the species of Andrena (Distandrena) . Also, the clypeus is convex, vertical and elongated, without striations, and the propodeal corbicula is incomplete and scarce. In the case of the male, the genitalia of this species are morphologically similar to Andrena minutula ( Kirby, 1802) .

Specimens examined. Lectotype: Algeria: Constantina, 1 ♀, undated, Wildbienen cataster 0 61024 scwe479, MPARIS EY0000002007. Paralectotype: Algeria: Orán, 1 ♀, undated, OLINZ. Other material: Iberian Peninsula: Spain: Huelva: Niebla, 1 ♀, 22-IV-1987, Torres, F. leg., MJ. Dardón 2009, det., USAL. Zaragoza: Pina de Ebro, 1 ♀, 09-III-1991, Blasco, J. leg., MJ. Dardón 2009, det., USAL. Other localities: Algeria: Constantina: 1 ♀, undated, J. Pérez det., MPARIS. Morocco: Moulay Idriss, 1 ♂, 26-III-1923, Schulthess leg?, OLINZ; Meknès- Tafilalet: El Hajeb, 1 ♂, 29-III-1923, Schulthess leg?, OLINZ; Tiznit, Assaka, 1 ♀, 13-III-1974, Guichard, K. & Else, G., leg., OLINZ.