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

description: Andrena (Euandrena) coronula spec. nov.
Figures 57A–F.
HOLOTYPE: IRAN: Yazd, Yazd road to Sanij, 31.7086 oN, 54.0911 oE, 2621 m, 27.iii.2019, ♀, leg. S. San, OÖLM (BOLD accession number: WPATW1179-23).
Description: Female: Body length: 9 mm (Figure 57A). Head: Dark, 1.2 times wider than long (Figure 57B). Clypeus weakly domed, densely punctate, punctures separated by 0.5 puncture diameters, interspaces weakly shining. Process of labrum trapezoidal, 2 times wider than long, apical margin truncate, surface shining. Gena slightly exceeding width of compound eye; ocelloccipital distance slightly exceeding diameter of lateral ocellus. Foveae dorsally narrow, occupying ⅓ of space between compound eye and lateral ocellus, equalling width of flagellum, narrowing further ventrally at level of antennal insertions; foveae filled with dark brown hairs. Face predominantly with long white hairs, black hairs restricted to inner margins of compound eyes; gena, vertex, and scape with long white hairs, longest hairs exceeding length of scape. Antennae dark, A3 exceeding A4+5, slightly shorter than A4+5+6.
Mesosoma: Scutum shagreened, sculpture strongest anteriorly, becoming weaker medially, weakly shining, surface densely punctate, punctures separated by 0.5–1 puncture diameters except medially where punctures can be separated by up to 2 puncture diameters (Figure 57C). Scutellum more strongly shining, punctate, punctures separated by 0.5–2. puncture diameters. Pronotum rounded. Mesepisternum microreticulate, dull. Dorsolateral parts of propodeum with granular microreticulation, weakly shining, surface overlain by fine network of raised rugosity. Propodeal triangle laterally delineated by fine carinae, internal surface with coarse granular microreticulation, basally with weakly raised rugae, propodeal triangle thus defined by change in surface sculpture (Figure 57D). Mesepisternum predominantly with long white plumose hairs, longest equalling length of scape, ventro-laterally with short black hairs. Scutum and scutellum with slightly shorter whitish hairs, with occasional intermixed black hairs. Propodeal corbicula incomplete, dorsal fringe strong, composed of long white strongly plumose hairs, internal surface covered with abundant white simple hairs. Legs dark, pubescence white to light brownish. Flocculus moderately developed, composed of white plumose hairs; femoral and tibial scopae composed of white simple hairs, tibial scopae dorsally with some dark brown hairs adjacent to basitibial plate. Hind tarsal claws with short inner tooth. Wings hyaline, stigma and venation dark brown-orange, nervulus slightly antefurcal.
Metasoma: Terga dark, apical rims narrowly lightened hyaline-yellow (Figure 57E). Tergal discs finely shagreened, shining, finely punctate, punctures separated by 2 puncture diameters, tergal margins with smaller, obscurer, and sparser punctures. Tergal discs with erect abundant but sparse white hairs, T2–4 with narrow apical hairband of white hairs, not obscuring underlying surface. Apical fringe of T5 medially dark brown, laterally white; hairs flanking pygidial plate dark brown (Figure 57F). Pygidial plate narrowly triangular, apex rounded, surface medially densely punctate, with slightly raised longitudinal bump, surface dull.
Male: Unknown.
Diagnosis. Andrena coronula can be placed in the subgenus Euandrena Hedicke, 1933 due to the narrow facial foveae, occupying slightly less than one third of the space between the compound eye and a lateral ocellus, the foveae narrowing further ventrally, pronotum without humeral angle, A3 long (clearly exceeding A4+5), and the simple hairs of the tibial scopae (hairs not plumose). Due to the pale facial pubescence with black hairs along the inner margin of the compound eye (Figures 57A–B), white hairs comprising the majority of the tibial scopae, and white tergal hairbands (Figure 57E) as well as general black and white pubescence over the whole body, it is similar to A. boustaniae Wood, 2022 (Iran: Yazd). However, it is easily separated by the process of the labrum which is rounded trapezoidal, with the apical margin truncate (in A. boustaniae with the process of the labrum unusual, apically projecting, with deep median emargination, see illustrations in Wood & Monfared 2022) and by the narrow foveae which occupy ⅓ of the space between the compound eye and a lateral ocellus (in A. boustaniae with foveae relatively broad, occupying over ½ the distance between the compound eye and a lateral ocellus). Genetically, the two species are separated by 13.39% (Figure 58). It should be noted that A. boustaniae is morphologically unusual, and genetically is placed at the base of the other Euandrena species. This placement and strong genetic separation suggests that A. boustaniae may not actually be part of this subgenus. Based on the shape of the labrum and the male genitalia, it may actually belong to the subgenus Troandrena Warncke, 1975 which remains incompletely characterised. The male genitalia in particular are specifically similar to A. saettana Warncke, 1975. No action is taken at the present time.
Due to the tergal margins which are narrowly lightened hyaline-yellow (Figures 57E–F), the similar size, generally black and white pubescence, and presence in southern Iran, it is also superficially similar to A. lustrum spec. nov. (Iran: Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad). However, it can be easily separated by the facial pubescence which is white medially with black hairs along the inner margins of the compound eyes (Figures 57A–B; in A. lustrum with facial pubescence almost entirely black, with only a few white hairs around the antennal insertions, Figures 61A–B), by the predominantly white hairs of the tibial scopae (in A. lustrum with tibial scopae orange ventrally, dark brown dorsally), by the densely punctate clypeus, punctures separated by 0.5 puncture diameters (clypeus with punctures slightly sparser, interspaces more clearly shining), by its mesepisternum with predominantly white hairs (Figure 57A; in A. lustrum with the mesepisternum with predominantly black hairs, Figure 61A), and by the scutum which is weakly but distinctly punctate (Figure 57C; in A. lustrum with the scutum at most obscurely punctate, Figure 61C). Genetically, the two species are separated by 14.21% (range 14.13–14.29%).
Etymology. The nominative singular form of the Latin noun coronula meaning the border on the base of a basin, in reference to the narrow tergal margins with lightened apical rim. It is a noun in apposition.
Distribution. Central Iran (province of Yazd).
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 88-91, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5483.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/13209307