Andrena (Melandrena) kedarnatha Wood & Gautam 2024, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Gautam, R. K.
name: Uniyal, V. P.
name: Wood, Thomas J.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Andrenidae
Andrena
Andrena kedarnatha

description: Andrena (Melandrena) kedarnatha Wood & Gautam sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 19CF4125-2926-4B48-B6DA-327D82095F3C
Figs 5, 6A, C, E, G
Diagnosis
Andrena kedarnatha Wood & Gautam sp. nov. can be recognised as a Melandrena Pérez, 1890 due to its large body size and robust shape (15–16 mm), dark integument and predominantly dark pubescence with partially infuscate wings (Fig. 5A), long ocelloccipital distance (3 × diameter of lateral ocellus, Fig. 6A), large propodeal triangle with roughly raised internal carinae (Fig. 5C), and lack of other diagnostic characters. Due to the dark integument without metallic reflections, the almost entirely dark pubescence (without white bands or spots of pubescence), the broad facial foveae that occupy almost the entire distance between the compound eye and lateral ocellus (Fig. 6A), and the clearly and densely punctate terga (Figs 5D, 6E, 6G), it can be placed close to A. cussariensis Morawitz, 1886. This species was described from what is now Azerbaijan (type material illustrated by Astafurova et al. 2021) and is found from Crimea and European Russia through Turkey, Iran, the Caucasus to Central Asia, Siberia, and Mongolia (Osytshnjuk et al. 2008; Astafurova et al. 2021; Wood & Monfared 2022). Andrena cussariensis is currently not confidently recorded from India specifically or the Himalayan region more generally, and is not considered to be present (see Remarks).
Morphologically, A. kedarnatha Wood & Gautam sp. nov. can be separated due to its larger body length of 15–16 mm (slightly but noticeably larger than the body length of A. cussariensis which averages 13– 14 mm in length), its longer ocelloccipital distance of 3–3.5 × diameter of lateral ocellus with the vertex most strongly and coarsely punctate (Fig. 6A; in A. cussariensis with shorter ocelloccipital distance of 2–2.5 × diameter of lateral ocellus, with the vertex more weakly and finely punctate, Fig. 6B), by a more consistently dense punctation of the scutum with punctures separated by <0.5–0.5 puncture diameters, not becoming slightly but noticeably sparser posteromedially (Fig. 6C; in A. cussariensis with the scutal punctures typically separated by 0.5 puncture diameters but in some specimens with punctures separated by 1–2 puncture diameters posteromedially, forming a small but distinct shining space, Fig. 6D), terga with slightly but comparatively larger and coarser punctures, most visible on the discs of T1–2 (Fig. 6E; in A. cussariensis with comparatively smaller and finer punctures, Fig. 6F), and T2 laterally with the shallow foveae broadened and filled with reddish-bristles, surface densely punctate with punctures separated by 0.5 puncture diameters (Fig. 6G; in A. cussariensis without a noticeable foveae present laterally on T2, surrounding surface comparatively sparsely and weakly punctate, Fig. 6H). To best appreciate the final characters, comparative material is required. There is some variation in colouration between the older museum specimens which have the wing venation orange-brown, the tergal margins slightly lightened brownish, the tibial scopa with off-white to light brownish hairs whereas recently collected specimens are uniformly darker (dark venation, dark terga, and dark scopal hairs). This is considered to represent variation, as sculptural characters do not differ between these specimens.
Etymology
Taken from the name of the Kedarnath temple (Uttarakhand) which is found close to the modern sampling localities of this new species (Fig. 7). It is a noun in apposition.
Type material
Holotype
INDIA • ♀; Uttarakhand, Chaumasi Village; 30.6146° N, 79.0695° E; 2250 m a.s.l.; 8 May 2022; R.K. Gautam leg.; WII.
Paratypes
INDIA • 1 ♀; Uttarakhand, Chaumasi Village; 30.6146° N, 79.0695° E; 2250 m a.s.l.; 8 May 2022; R.K. Gautam leg.; WII • 1 ♀; Gulmarg [Jammu and Kashmir]; summer 1913; Lt-Col. F.W. Thomson leg.; NHMUK.
NEPAL • 1 ♀; W-Nepal, Jumla, Jumla; 2850 m a.s.l.; 4 Oct. 1993; E. Hüttinger leg.; OÖLM.
Description
Female
BODY. Length 15–16 mm (Fig. 5A).
HEAD. Dark, 1.2 × as wide as long (Fig. 5B). Clypeus domed, densely punctate, punctures separated by 0.5 puncture diameters, underlying surface dull. Process of labrum broadly trapezoidal, 2.5 × as wide as long, lateral margins weakly emarginate, apical margin truncate. Gena broad, 1.2–1.5 × diameter of compound eye; ocelloccipital distance 3–3.5 × diameter of lateral ocellus. Vertex strongly and coarsely punctate, punctures behind ocellar triangle separated by 0.5 puncture diameters (Fig. 6A). Foveae dorsally broad, occupying almost entire space between compound eye and lateral ocellus, separated from lateral ocellus by distance subequal to its diameter; foveae ventrally strongly passing level of antennal insertions ventrally, filled with dark brown hairs. Head with black to dark brown hairs, none equalling length of scape. Antennae dark, A3 equalling A4+5, shorter than A4+5+6.
MESOSOMA. Scutum and scutellum densely and regularly punctate, punctures separated by <0.5 puncture diameters, almost confluent, interspaces weakly shining medially, dull anteriorly and laterally (Fig. 6C). Pronotum rounded. Mesepisternum densely but shallowly punctate, punctures separated by 0.5 puncture diameters, interspaces microreticulate, dull. Dorsolateral parts of propodeum densely and shallowly punctate, punctures separated by 0.5 puncture diameters, interspaces raised to form network of finely raised rugae; propodeal triangle large, laterally delineated by finely raised carinae, internal surface with dense network of raised carinae (Fig. 5C). Mesosoma with abundant but relatively short black pubescence, longest on mesepisternum, becoming shorter but not squamous on scutum and scutellum. Propodeal corbicula incomplete, dorsal fringe composed of abundant and strongly plumose black hairs, internal surface covered with latitudinal weakly raised rugae, with abundant simple black hairs. Legs dark, apical tarsal segments lightened reddish brown; pubescence black to dark brown. Flocculus incomplete, weakly produced, composed of plumose black hairs; femoral and tibial scopae composed of off-white to light brownish or predominantly black simple hairs. Hind tarsal claws with strong inner tooth. Wings infuscate over majority of surface, becoming marginally weaker away from venation; stigma and venation dark orange-brown to black, nervulus interstitial.
METASOMA. Tergal discs dark, apical margins narrowly lightened dark brown or almost entirely dark (Fig. 5D). Tergal discs densely but slightly irregularly punctate, punctures typically separated by 0.5–1 puncture diameters (Fig. 6E), up to 2 puncture diameters medially; punctures becoming progressively finer and weaker on marginal areas from T1–4, on T4 almost disappearing into underlying sculpture. Tergal discs obscurely shagreened, shining to weakly shining. T2 laterally with shallow but distinct broad foveae, foveae subtly impressed, covered with reddish-brown to black bristles (Fig. 6G). Tergal discs with scattered short dark hairs, not forming apical hairbands. Apical fringe of T5 and hairs flanking pygidial plate dark brown. Pygidial plate large, rounded triangular, surface finely and evenly shagreened, weakly shining.
Male
Unknown.
Remarks
Andrena cussariensis was listed for the Indian fauna by Meena & Dey (2019) who mentioned it from Kohtak [= Kohat, Pakistan], Musooree [= Mussoorie], Shimla, and Punjab. The listing of this species from India is complicated, and requires dissection. The listing from Kohat refers to the record of Cockerell (1917) who reported A. cussariensis from “Kohat, N.W. Provinces, India ”, and described the subspecies A. cussariensis kohatensis Cockerell, 1917. Kohat is today found in the state of Pakistan. Moreover, the material identified by Cockerell actually belongs to A. fuscosa, and A. cussariensis kohatensis has now been synonymised with A. fuscosa (Wood 2024a). Records from low-elevation areas of India therefore would therefore seem most likely to be A. fuscosa. It is impossible to say whether the records from Mussoorie refer to A. kedarnatha Wood & Gautam sp. nov. or not without examination of specimens (which are not precisely cited or referenced), and so the presence of A. cussariensis in India is considered to be unproven given its known global distribution and the risk of confusion with A. kedarnatha.
Distribution
Northern India (Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand) and Nepal.
description: Published as part of Gautam, R. K., Uniyal, V. P. & Wood, Thomas J., 2024, A critical revision of the Andrena Fabricius, 1775 of India, with the description of two new species (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae) from Uttarakhand, pp. 1-59 in European Journal of Taxonomy 948 on pages 11-14, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2024.948.2637, http://zenodo.org/record/13511901