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

description: Andrena (incertae sedis) contraria spec. nov.
Figures 78A–G.
HOLOTYPE: MONGOLIA: SE, 70 km S Saynshand [Sainshand, inferred 44.3066 oN, 110.1267 oE], 1100 m, 6.viii.2007, ♀, leg. M. Kadlecová, OÖLM.
PARATYPES: MONGOLIA: same information as holotype, 1♀, TJWC; SE, Dornogov reg. [Dornogovi] stepp, 28 km SE Chatan-Bulag [Khatanbulag], 3.viii.2007, 2♀, leg. M. Kadlecová, OÖLM.
Description: Female: Body length: 7–9 mm (Figure 78A). Head: Dark, 1.3 times wider than long (Figure 78B). Clypeus domed, polished and shining, irregularly punctate, punctures separated by 0.5–1 puncture diameters over majority of disc, slightly sparser medially where irregular almost impunctate longitudinal mid-line present. Process of labrum trapezoidal, 2 times wider than long, apical margin truncate to very weakly emarginate (Figure 78C). Gena subequal to width of compound eye; ocelloccipital distance 1.5 times diameter of lateral ocellus. Frons with weak longitudinal striations, punctate between striations, punctures separated by 1 puncture diameter, surface dull. Vertex posterolateral to lateral ocelli with shining, impunctate, roughly triangular spaces. Foveae dorsally broad, occupying ¾ space between compound eye and lateral ocellus, narrowing ventrally, slightly exceeding lower level of antennal insertions; foveae filled with light brown hairs (Figure 78D). Face, gena, scape with short white hairs, becoming light golden-brown on vertex. Antennae basally dark, A3 apically, A4–12 ventrally lightened by presence of orange scales; A3 exceeding A4, shorter than A4+5.
Mesosoma: Scutum and scutellum smooth and shining, irregularly punctate, scutum with punctures typically separated by 0.5–2 puncture diameters, scutellum with punctures sparse medially, separated by up to 4 puncture diameters (Figure 78E). Pronotum with weak humeral angle. Mesepisternum smooth and shining, punctate, punctures separated by 0.5 puncture diameters. Dorsolateral parts of propodeum microreticulate, sculpture overlain by weak network of raised rugosity, surface dull. Propodeal triangle laterally unclearly delineated by weak carinae, surface covered with network of raised rugosity, barely differentiated from dorsolateral parts of propodeum (Figure 78F). Mesepisternum with moderately long plumose whitish to light brownish hairs, not equalling length of scape. Scutum and scutellum with shorter, slightly more strongly plumose light brown hairs, hairs sub-squamous, not obscuring underlying surface. Propodeal corbicula incomplete, dorsal fringe composed of white weakly plumose hairs, internal surface with regular long white simple hairs. Legs brown, apical tarsal segments lightened orange, pubescence whitish to light brownish. Flocculus complete, composed of whitish plumose hairs; femoral and tibial scopae composed of simple white hairs. Hind tarsal claws with inner tooth. Wings hyaline, stigma and venation light yellow-orange, nervulus interstitial.
Metasoma: Tergal discs dark, marginal areas lightened reddish hyaline-yellow (Figure 78G). Tergal discs punctate, disc of T1 medially with punctures separated by 1–2 puncture diameters, laterally and on declivity with punctures separated by 0.5–1 puncture diameters, discs of T2–4 with punctures separated by 0.5 puncture diameters; interspaces polished and shining. Marginal areas of T2–4 depressed, T1–4 with strong and dense apical whitish to yellowish hairbands, covering entire marginal area and extending onto following tergal discs, hairbands complete, obscuring underlying surface. Apical fringe and hairs flanking pygidial plate whitish to golden. Pygidial plate rounded triangular, surface medially slightly humped, dull (Figure 78F).
Male. Unknown.
Diagnosis. Andrena contraria is also challenging to place in a subgenus; it is very similar to A. concisura as it presents a domed shining clypeus, impunctate and shining triangular areas adjacent to the lateral ocelli (Figure 78D), the pronotum with a weak humeral angle, the mesepisternum shiny and punctate, tergal discs T2–4 very densely punctate (Figure 78G; T 1 with sparse punctures), marginal areas strongly depressed and entirely covered with dense complete hairbands, and the lack of other distinctive characters (such as a broadened hind tibial spur, plumose hairs, or spines on the posterior face of the hind femorae). There are no other similar known Central Asian Andrena species. Andrena contraria can be separated from A. concisura due to the broader head that is 1.3 times wider than long (in A. concisura with the head 1.1 times wider than long), the trapezoidal process of the labrum (Figure 78C; in A. concisura with the process of the labrum triangular, Figure 78C), the weakly longitudinally striate and dull frons (in A. concisura with the frons lacking striations, smooth and shining), the moderately short plumose hairs of the scutum and scutellum (Figure 78E, in A. concisura with the scutal hairs extremely short and squamous, Figure 77E), and the apically rounded pygidial plate (Figure 78H; in A. concisura with the pygidial plate deeply and broadly emarginate, Figure 77H).
Etymology. Feminine singular nominative form of the Latin adjective contrarius meaning opposed or contrary, or more broadly contrasting, in reference to the very dense tergal hairbands that strongly contrast the hairless tergal discs.
Distribution. South-eastern Mongolia.
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 127-129, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5483.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/13209307