Andrena (Ptilandrena) crocusella Pisanty & Scheuchl

Pisanty, Gideon, Scheuchl, Erwin & Dorchin, Netta, 2016, Eight new species of Andrena Fabricius (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Andrenidae) from Israel — a Mediterranean hotspot for wild bees, Zootaxa 4189 (3), pp. 485-515 : 510-514

Andrena (Ptilandrena) crocusella Pisanty & Scheuchl n. sp.

( Figs. 11 , 12 I, 13I)

Female ( Fig. 11 D). Body length: 8.5–9.5 mm.

Color. Head, mesosoma and metasoma black. Proboscis mostly brown; segments of labial and maxillary palps white near joints ( Fig. 11 A). Flagellum black. Legs mostly black; distal part of tarsi black to brown ( Fig. 11 D). Wings transparent; veins dark brown to black; stigma entirely black. Tergal marginal zones dark brown to black ( Fig. 11 C).

Pubescence. Head and mesosoma mostly with long, minutely plumose hairs ( Fig. 11 A, B, D). Clypeus and genal area with long black hairs ( Fig. 11 A, B). Paraocular and supraclypeal areas, frons and scape with long black hairs and few white hairs ( Fig. 11 A). Vertex with black hairs anteriorly, long golden-white hairs posteriorly ( Fig. 11 A). Mesonotum, scutellum and metanotum with both long golden-white hairs and somewhat shorter black hairs ( Fig. 11 B). Mesepisternum with very long black hairs and few golden-white hairs, the latter mostly on ventral part. Posterior side of propodeum with long black hairs. Propodeal corbicula incomplete, posterodorsal margin with long black plumose hairs. Surface of corbicula with few long plumose hairs. Coxae, trochanters, femora and tibiae with black hairs on foreleg and midleg, and both white and brown to black hairs on hindleg. Tarsi with brown hairs. Flocculus with both white and black, strongly plumose hairs. Scopa two-coloured, outer side with brown plumose hairs, inner side with very long, white plumose hairs. Tergum 1 with long black hairs basally and long white hairs apically ( Fig. 11 C). Terga 2–5 with short black hairs. Marginal zones of terga 2–3 with discontinuous white hair bands. All terga with long hairs laterally, black and white on 1–2, black on 3–5. Prepygidial fimbria black ( Fig. 11 C). Sterna with black hair on mid part and whitish hair laterally, hair gradually longer towards marginal zone.

Head ( Fig. 11 A–B). Slightly broader than long ( Fig. 11 A). Glossa 5–6 times as long as broad. Labial and maxillary palps 4- and 6-segmented, long, extending much beyond glossa ( Fig. 11 A). Galea shagreened. Labral process much broader than long, more or less rectangular. Clypeus convex, shiny, basal half transversely grooved, apical half more or less smooth and with impunctate midline; punctures of medium size, distance between punctures 1 puncture diameter ( Fig. 11 A). Facial foveae narrow and elongate, lower part slightly broadened, fovea occupying 1/5 of paraocular area, extending from level of middle ocellus to lower end of antennal socket or slightly below ( Fig. 11 A). Distance of fovea from lateral ocellus 2.5–3 ocellus diameters. Flagellomere 1 about 2.5 times as long as broad, nearly as long as 2+3+4; 2–3 slightly broader than long, 2 slightly shorter than or equal to 3; 4–5 almost square. Ocelloccipital distance about 2 ocellus diameters ( Fig. 11 B).

Mesosoma ( Fig. 11 B). Dorsolateral angle of pronotum elevated, with weak carina extending down laterally. Mesonotum fully shagreened, matt anteriorly and somewhat shiny on top, punctures of medium size, distance between punctures 0.5–1 puncture diameters. Scutellum similar. Mesepisternum finely rugose-areolate. Propodeal corbicula finely rugose, shiny, ventral part with long, strong vertical grooves. Propodeal triangle rugose-areolate, grooves much finer apically and laterally. Hind leg pretarsal claws distinctly bidentate. Nervulus more or less interstitial.

Metasoma ( Fig. 11 C). Tergum 1 shiny, smooth to very superficially shagreened, finely and very sparsely punctured. Terga 2–5 superficially shagreened, 2 sometimes almost smooth on disc; terga finely punctured, distance between punctures 2–3 puncture diameters; marginal zones of 2–4 weakly depressed. Central area of pygidial plate elevated.

Male ( Fig. 11 E). Body length: 9–10.5 mm.

Color. Similar to female. Clypeus and supraclypeal areas black ( Fig. 11 F).

Pubescence. Head and mesosoma similar to female ( Figs. 11 F–G). Coxae, trochanters and femora with long black hairs and few white hairs, the latter especially on hindleg. Tibiae with black, golden-brown and white hairs. Tarsi with golden-brown and black hairs. Hair on terga similar to female, but white apical hair bands often weaker or absent, especially on tergum 3 ( Fig. 11 H). Sterna with brown to white hair, brighter and longer laterally.

Head ( Fig. 11 F–G). Slightly broader than long. Proboscis similar to female ( Fig. 11 F). Mandibles long, sickleshaped, significantly crossed ( Fig. 11 F). Clypeus weakly convex to almost flat, much broader than long, shiny, basal half transversely grooved, apical half more or less smooth and with very broad impunctate midline; punctures of medium size, distance between punctures 1–1.5 puncture diameters ( Fig. 11 F). Flagellomere 1 about 2.5 times as long as broad, much longer than 2+3; 2–3 slightly broader than long, 2 slightly shorter than or equal to 3; 4–5 almost square ( Fig. 11 F). Ocelloccipital distance about 2 ocellus diameters ( Fig. 11 G).

Mesosoma ( Fig. 11 G). Dorsolateral angle of pronotum strongly elevated, with strong carina extending down laterally. Mesonotum more shallowly punctured than in female. Rest of mesosoma similar to female.

Metasoma ( Fig. 11 H). Similar to female, but discs of terga 2–4 often smoother.

Genitalia and hidden sterna ( Figs. 12 I, 13I). Gonocoxites connected, with short, somewhat rounded dorsal lobes. Gonostyli spatulate, apical part suddenly broadened, flattened and hairy, apex curved. Penis valves broad, basal part not tapering and with short pointed lateral projections, apical part tapering ( Fig. 12 I). Sternum 8 columnar, of more or less uniform breadth, apex notched ( Fig. 13 I).

Differential diagnosis. A. crocusella resembles A. grossella Gründwaldt and another undescribed species of the subgenus Ptilandrena from Crete (E.S., unpublished; see also remarks section). The most important difference between the species is the number of maxillary and labial palps—9 and 9 in A. grossella , 7 and 7 in the undescribed species, and 6 and 4 in A. crocusella . The female of A. crocusella further differs from A. grossella by the shorter impunctate midline of the clypeus (in A. grossella the midline reaches clypeus base), longer ocelloccipital distance, shagreened scutellum (smooth on disc in A. grossella ), presence of white hair bands on terga 2–3, and more or less interstitial nervulus (postfurcal in A. grossella ). The male of A. crocusella further differs from A. grossella by the shagreenation of clypeus and discs of mesonotum and scutellum (very smooth and shiny in A. grossella ), and more or less interstitial nervulus (postfurcal in A. grossella ). There are no major differences in genitalia and hidden sterna between the two species.

Flight period: November–December.

Flower records: Iridaceae : Crocus hyemalis (16♀, 6Ƌ); Crocus sp. (1Ƌ).

Etymology. Named after the plant genus Crocus , which appears to be the species' main forage plant.

Holotype: ♀, ISRAEL: Horbat Raqqit (2 km SSE of Bet Oren ), 9.xii.2015, G. Pisanty [ SMNHTAU].

Paratypes: ISRAEL: Horbat Raqqit , 9.xii.2015, G. Pisanty (1♀, 15Ƌ) ; 21.xii.2015, G. Pisanty (14♀, 1Ƌ); Ya'ar Odem Nature Reserve, Jubat Al Kabira, 20.xi.2015, G. Pisanty (1Ƌ) [ES, OLML, SMNHTAU].

Remarks. A. crocusella belongs to a group of closely related species within the subgenus Ptilandrena, which are active during autumn to early winter (October–December), forage on large geophyte flowers typical of the season ( Crocus and Sternbergia spp.), and exhibit similar morphology, with extremely elongated labial palps. Currently, three such species are known, the others being A. grossella from mainland Greece and a yet undescribed species from Crete (Erwin Scheuchl, unpublished data). Bees are rarely collected during autumn and winter, and systematic surveys should be conducted throughout the Mediterranean region to potentially discover additional species with similar phenology.

Figures

FIGURE 11. Andrena crocusella n. sp., female (A – D) and male (E – H): A, F, head, anterior view; B, G, head and mesosoma, dorsal view; C, H, metasoma, dorsal view; D, E, habitus, lateral view.

FIGURE 12. Male genital capsules, dorsal view: A, Andrena israelica n. sp.; B, A. judaea n. sp.; C, A. palaestina n. sp.; D, A. hermonella n. sp.; E, A. menahemella n. sp.; F, A. wolfi; G, A. sphecodimorpha mediterranea n. ssp.; H, A. perahia n. sp.; I, A. crocusella n. sp.

FIGURE 13. Male eighth sterna, ventral view: A, Andrena israelica n. sp.; B, A. judaea n. sp.; C, A. palaestina n. sp.; D, A. hermonella n. sp.; E, A. menahemella n. sp.; F, A. wolfi; G, A. sphecodimorpha mediterranea n. ssp.; H, A. perahia n. sp.; I, A. crocusella n. sp.