Andrena (Euandrena) semota WOOD, 2024, spec. nov.
Creators: name: WOOD, T. J.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Andrenidae
Andrena
Andrena semota

description: Andrena (Euandrena) semota spec. nov.
Figures 64A–C; E; G.
HOLOTYPE: TURKEY: Hakkâri, Suvari Halil-Pass [37.4994 oN, 43.3381 oE], 2600 m, 15.vi.1981, ♀, leg. K. Warncke, OÖLM.
PARATYPES: IRAQ: Dahuk [Duhok], Mt. Gara [S of Sersink], 1912 m, 11.v.2023, 2♀. leg. D. Baiocchi, RMNH / TJWC; TURKEY: same information as holotype, 1♀, OÖLM.
Description: Female: Body length: 9–10 mm (Figure 64A). Head: Predominantly dark, with distinct metallic reflections on lower paraocular areas and clypeus, 1.2 times wider than long (Figure 64B). Clypeus medially dark, basolaterally dark metallic blue-green, intervening area with purple-blue rainbow-like metallic reflections (Figure 64C); clypeus evenly domed, irregularly punctate, punctures separated by 0.5 puncture diameters laterally, by 1–3 puncture diameters medially, underlying surface obscurely shagreened, predominantly smooth and shining. Process of labrum short, broadly triangular to trapezoidal, slightly wider than long. Gena slightly exceeding width of compound eye; ocelloccipital distance equalling diameter of lateral ocellus. Foveae dorsally narrow, occupying slightly less than ½ space between compound eye and lateral ocellus, slightly narrowed further ventrally at level of antennal insertions, filled with brown hairs. Face, gena, vertex, and scape covered with white hairs, none equalling length of scape. Antennae basally dark, A5–12 ventrally slightly lightened by presence of grey scales, A3 slightly exceeding A4+5.
Mesosoma: Scutum and scutellum strongly microreticulate, dull anteriorly and laterally, sculpture becoming weaker medially, here weakly shining; surface obscurely and irregularly punctate; punctures shallow, separated by 1–3 puncture diameters, anteriorly and laterally disappearing into underlying sculpture (Figure 64E). Pronotum rounded. Mesepisternum with fine and dense network of granular reticulation, surface with shallow scattered punctures, punctures separated by 1–2 puncture diameters. Dorsolateral parts of propodeum with fine and dense network of granular reticulation, this surface overlain with pattern of raised reticulation forming irregular ridges; propodeal triangle broad, delineated by change in surface sculpture, internal surface with fine granular reticulation, without raised ridges. Mesosoma with long whitish plumose hairs, none equalling length of scape. Propodeal corbicula incomplete, weak, dorsal fringe composed of whitish plumose hairs, internal surface with occasional long whitish simple hairs. Legs dark, apical tarsal segments and hind basitarsi lightened brownish, pubescence whitish to brownish. Flocculus complete but very sparse, composed of white plumose hairs; femoral and tibial scopae composed of white simple hairs. Hind tarsal claws with inner tooth. Wings hyaline, stigma and venation orange-brown, nervulus interstitial.
Metasoma: Terga predominantly dark but discs with distinct metallic green-bronze reflections, tergal margins with apical rims depressed and broadly lightened hyaline-yellow (Figure 64G). Tergal discs regularly and finely punctate, punctures separated by 1–2 puncture diameters, underlying surface shagreened basally, smooth and shining over majority of area. Tergal discs with very short hairs, margins of T1–4 with dense complete apical hairbands of moderately long whitish hairs, obscuring underlying surface. Apical fringe of T5 and hairs flanking pygidial plate dark brown. Pygidial plate large, rounded triangular, apical margin obscurely raised, internal surface covered with dense punctures, punctures separated by 0.5 puncture diameters, interspaces slightly raised, forming fine network.
Male: Unknown.
Diagnosis. Andrena semota can be placed in the subgenus Euandrena due to the narrow facial foveae, occupying slightly less than half the space between the compound eye and a lateral ocellus, the foveae narrowing further ventrally, pronotum without humeral angle, A3 relatively long (slightly exceeding A4+5), and the simple hairs of the tibial scopae (hairs not plumose). Within the Euandrena, it is unusual in presenting faint metallic green reflections on the tergal discs and clypeus (Figures 64C; G). Green metallic reflections are rare in this subgenus, and are more typically found in Central Asian species including A. ahenea Morawitz, 1876 (Uzbekistan), A. capillosa Morawitz, 1876 (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan), and A. capillosella Osytshnjuk, 1986 (Uzbekistan, Tajikistan) (Osytshnjuk et al. 2008; Astafurova et al. 2022b). Andrena semota can quickly be separated from all of the above species due to the strongly shagreened and obscurely punctate scutum (Figure 64E; scutum polished and shining with clear punctures in A. ahenea), facial foveae occupying slightly less than half of the space between the compound eye and a lateral ocellus (occupying more than half of this space in A. ahenea), tibial scopae white (tibial scopae at least partly brown, golden, or yellowish in comparison species), facial pubescence entirely white-pale (facial pubescence partly or entirely black in A. capillosa and A. capillosella), and integument of head with at least some metallic green reflections on the clypeus (head and clypeus entirely dark in A. capillosa and A. capillosella).
The more important comparison species is A. scrophulariae Wood, 2020 (Israel, Lebanon, Turkey, Armenia *, Iran) which can also be found in south-eastern Turkey (Pisanty et al. 2022a; additional specimens newly examined). Andrena scrophulariae has only the most obscure hints of metallic green reflections, but structurally is very similar, with a shagreened-microreticulate dull and obscurely punctate scutum, and terga with punctate discs and moderately broadly hyaline-lightened margins with clear and complete apical white hairbands. Andrena semota can be distinguished by the shape and colouration of the clypeus, which is more or less evenly domed, dark medially and metallic green laterally, with purple metallic reflections on the transition zone between these areas (in A. scrophulariae with the clypeus medially more flattened, with at most extremely obscure metallic green reflections basally), by the process of the labrum which is small, short, and triangular, slightly wider than long (Figure 64C; in A. scrophulariae with the process of the labrum trapezoidal, long, as long as wide or slightly longer, Figure 64D), by the scutum which is strongly shagreened with obscure and shallow punctures (Figure 64E; in A. scrophulariae with scutum shagreened-microreticulate, but punctures comparatively deeper and more distinct, Figure 64F), and the tergal discs with metallic green reflections and comparatively less densely punctate, punctures separated by 1–2 puncture diameters (Figure 64G; in A. scrophulariae with tergal discs dark, lacking metallic reflections, and comparatively more densely punctate, punctures separated by 0.5–1 puncture diameters, Figure 64H).
Other material examined (Andrena scrophulariae) ARMENIA: Gechard [Geghard Monastery], v.1978, 1♂, leg. M. Kocourek, OÖLM; TURKEY: Hakkâri, Tanin-Tanin-Pass, 2300 m, 19.v.1989, 2♂, leg. K. Warncke, OÖLM; Hakkâri, Tanin-Tanin-Pass, 2300 m, 25.v.1988, 2♂, leg. K. Warncke, OÖLM.
Etymology. Nominative feminine singular form of the Latin adjective semotus meaning remote or distant, in reference to the remote collecting locality in the mountains of south-eastern Turkey.
Distribution. South-eastern Turkey (province of Hakkâri) and northern Iraq (Kurdistan).
description: Published as part of WOOD, T. J., 2024, Further revisions to the Palaearctic Andrena fauna (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae), pp. 1-150 in Zootaxa 5483 (1) on pages 101-103, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5483.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/13209307