Hoplitis (Micreriades) andalusiae Müller & Wood, 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Müller, Andreas
name: Wood, Thomas J.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Megachilidae
Hoplitis
Hoplitis andalusiae

description: Hoplitis (Micreriades) andalusiae sp. nov.
Holotype. SPAIN: Almería: Nijar, 36°59'08"N / 2°14'06”W, 23.5.2018, ♂ (leg. J. Smit). Holotype deposited in the Entomological Collection of ETH Zurich.
Paratypes. SPAIN: Almería: Berja, 50 km W Almería, 21.– 28.6.2003, 1♂ (leg. J. Halada); Cabo de Gata, Frente al Ctr., Visit. Amoladeras, 10.5.2004, 1♂ (leg. A. Aguirre); Los Muertos, 36.950°N / 1.898°W, 30.4.2014, 1♂ (leg. M. Aubert). Paratypes deposited in the Entomological Collection of ETH Zurich.
Diagnosis. Hoplitis andalusiae is morphologically very close to H. hispaniae sp. nov. in the female sex and no morphological characters are currently known to separate the females of the two species. Among the European and North African Hoplitis species of the subgenus Micreriades, the females of H. andalusiae and H. hispaniae (Fig. 25) can be recognised by the following combination of characters: i) head 1.05–1.15× as long as wide; ii) inner margins of compound eyes slightly converging towards clypeus; iii) clypeus basally moderately bulged: in lateral view, transitional zone between bulging part and marginal zone of clypeus straight to very slightly convex; iv) frons between anterior ocellus and antennal sockets with numerous apically wavy to corkscrew-like pollen-collecting hairs (Fig. 28), which may be worn off in old individuals; v) punctation of scutum between parapsidal line and median longitudinal furrow rather scattered with interspaces often reaching the diameter of two, rarely more punctures (Fig. 27); vi) toothlike projection at apex of tibia of fore leg yellowish-brown; and vii) tibial spurs of middle and hind leg yellowish. The males of H. andalusiae (Fig. 26) are characterised by the following combination of characters: i) head very slightly shorter than wide; ii) antennal segment 3 as long as maximally wide; iii) antennal segment 13 cylindrical and apically not curved downwards; iv) punctation of scutum between parapsidal line and median longitudinal furrow rather scattered with interspaces reaching the diameter of up to two or more punctures; v) apical margin of sternum 3 with dense median patch of long whitish to yellowish hairs distinctly surpassing tergal margin and covering almost half of horizontal sternal width; vi) sternum 6 lateropreapically roundishly sloping towards sternal centre, but without distinct and well-stepped lateral callosity (Fig. 29); vii) sternum 6 medioapically with distinct impression and without keel-like longitudinal elevation, its apical margin evenly rounded (Fig. 29); and viii) gonoforceps apically not evenly tapering but with slightly stepped tip (Fig. 30).
Description. FEMALE (Fig. 25): Body length 5–6.5 mm. Head: Head 1.05–1.15× as long as wide. Inner margins of compound eyes slightly converging towards clypeus. Distance between posterior margin of lateral ocellus and preoccipital margin 1.7–1.8× as long as ocellar diameter. Maximum width of genal area 0.65–0.75× as long as maximum width of compound eye. Second segment of labial palpus 1.8–2.0× as long as first segment and 0.65– 0.75× as long as compound eye. Mandible three-toothed and blackish except for preapical reddish zone. Clypeus medially moderately bulged with foremost point in a distance of about one third of clypeal length from lower margin of supraclypeal area. In lateral view, transitional zone between bulging part and marginal zone of clypeus straight to very slightly convex. Punctation of clypeus dense with interspaces reaching diameter of half a puncture to one, rarely one and a half punctures except for narrow apical zone, which is unpunctured and polished. Clypeus usually crossed medially by weak longitudinal carina. Apical margin of clypeus medially sharp and almost straight. Upper half of paraocular area with rather dense and predominantly appressed white pilosity. Clypeus densely covered with rather long and apically wavy to corkscrew-like pollen-collecting hairs. Punctation of supraclypeal area dense with interspaces hardly exceeding diameter of half a puncture on lateral parts and reaching up to one, rarely one and a half punctures on median part; punctures slightly smaller than those on clypeus. Punctation of frons dense with interspaces reaching diameter of half a puncture to one puncture; punctures of about same size as those on supraclypeal area. Frons between anterior ocellus and antennal sockets densely covered with rather long and apically wavy to corkscrew-like pollen-collecting hairs (Fig. 28). Antenna blackish except sometimes for anterior side of flagellum, which may be more or less brownish. Antennal segment 3–9 distinctly wider than long, segments 10–11 almost as long as wide and segment 12 1.6–1.8× as long as wide. Mesosoma: Parapsidal line long-linear. Punctation of scutum between parapsidal line and median longitudinal furrow rather scattered with interspaces often reaching diameter of two, rarely more punctures (Fig. 27), punctures smaller than those on frons. Punctation of scutellum dense with interspaces rarely reaching diameter of one puncture. Punctation of mesepisternum moderately dense with interspaces reaching diameter of up to one to one and a half punctures on upper part and of two or more punctures on lower part. Basal area of propodeum predominantly polished except for narrow transverse zone at its base, which is weakly carinate and shagreened. Posterior surface of propodeum adjacent to basal area polished with scattered and fine punctation. Tegula predominantly yellowish-brown to brown. Tibial spur of fore leg yellowish, its apex extended into well stepped tip, which is as long as to slightly longer than basally wide. Toothlike projection at apex of tibia of fore leg yellowish-brown. Tibial spurs of middle and hind leg yellowish, long, slender and almost straight. Pilosity on inner side of basitarsus of hind leg yellowish. Veins of fore and hind wing brown to dark brown. Stigma of fore wing brown in centre and dark brown along margins. Metasoma: Punctation of tergal discs dense with interspaces varying in size between diameter of less than half a puncture on lateral tergal sides and diameter of up to one or two punctures on median tergal parts, punctures of about same size as those on scutum. Marginal zones of terga 1–5 dark reddish. Marginal zones of terga 1–3(4) with short white hair bands, which are medially interrupted on terga 1–2 and decrease in length and density from tergum 1 to tergum 4 (Fig. 25). Scopa white (Fig. 25).
MALE (Fig. 26): Body length 5.5–6.5 mm. Head: Head 0.97–0.99× as long as wide. Distance between posterior margin of lateral ocellus and preoccipital margin 1.5–1.7× as long as ocellar diameter. Maximum width of genal area 0.45–0.55× as long as maximum width of compound eye. Second segment of labial palpus 2.15–2.3× as long as first segment and about 0.75× as long as compound eye. Mandible two-toothed and black except for reddish preapical zone. Clypeus very finely and densely punctured with only linear interspaces except for narrow marginal zone, which is polished and unpunctured. Apical margin of clypeus medially very shallowly emarginate and inconspicuously crenulate. Lower half of frons, paraocular area, supraclypeal area and lateral sides of clypeus covered with dense yellowish-white pilosity, which is (semi)erect on frons and supraclypeal area and predominantly appressed on paraocular area and lateral sides of clypeus; pilosity of clypeus medially sparser than laterally. Hypostomal area with moderately dense whitish pilosity. Punctation of frons moderately dense with interspaces reaching diameter of up to one or one and a half punctures. Antenna predominantly (dark) brown. Antennal segment 3 as long as wide and slightly longer than segment 4, which is slightly shorter than wide, segments 5–11 roughly as long as wide to slightly shorter, segment 12 slightly longer than wide and segment 13 about 1.75× as long as wide.Antennal segment 13 cylindrical and apically not curved downwards. Posterior side of antennal segments 9–13 almost straight in top view. Mesosoma: Parapsidal line long-linear. Punctation of scutum between parapsidal line and median longitudinal furrow rather scattered with interspaces reaching diameter of up to two or more punctures, punctures smaller than those on frons. Punctation of scutellum rather dense with interspaces rarely reaching diameter of one puncture. Punctation of upper part of mesepisternum rather scattered with interspaces reaching diameter of one and a half to two punctures, of lower part strongly scattered with interspaces reaching diameter of several punctures. Basal area of propodeum polished except for narrow transverse zone at its base, which is weakly carinate and shagreened. Posterior surface of propodeum adjacent to basal area polished with strongly scattered and fine punctation. Tegula predominantly yellowish-brown. Tibial spur of fore leg yellowish, its apex extended into short tip, which is about as long as basally wide. Toothlike projection at apex of tibia of fore leg yellowish-brown. Tibial spurs of middle and hind leg yellowish, long, slender and almost straight. Veins of fore and hind wing brown to dark brown. Stigma of fore wing brown in centre and dark brown along margins. Metasoma: Punctation of tergal discs 1–5 dense with interspaces varying in size between diameter of less than half a puncture on lateral tergal sides and diameter of up to two punctures on median tergal parts, punctures of about same size as those on scutum. Marginal zones of terga 1–6 reddish. Marginal zones of terga 1–4 with short white hair bands, which are medially interrupted on terga 1–2 (Fig. 26). Tergum 6 with short lateral tooth, its marginal zone slightly raised. Tergum 7 with roundish median pit at its base and medioapically elongated into narrowly triangular tip. Sternum 1 convex. Sternum 2 mediobasally flat and with polished or indistinctly shagreened interspaces between punctures, its apical margin evenly rounded (sometimes with very shallow and narrow medioapical emargination) and surpassed by moderately long and sparse white pilosity, which is about as long as hair bands of terga 3–4. Apical margin of sternum 3 medially very shallowly emarginate and with dense patch of whitish to yellowish hairs distinctly surpassing tergal margin and covering almost half of horizontal sternal width. Sternum 4 medioapically more deeply and slightly more widely emarginate than sternum 3, emargination lined with yellowish-white hairs (Fig. 29), which are similarly long as hair patch of sternum 3. Sternum 5 on marginal zone with rather dense but short and (semi)erect pilosity, its apical margin almost straight to medially slightly emarginate (Fig. 29). Sternum 6 basally with pair of translucent membraneous flaps, medioapically with distinct, widely triangular, strongly polished and almost unpunctured impression, and lateropreapically roundishly sloping towards sternal centre, without distinct and well-stepped lateral callosity (Fig. 29). Apical margin of sternum 6 evenly rounded (Fig. 29). Gonoforceps apically with slightly stepped tip (Fig. 30).
Distribution. Southeasternmost Andalusia.
Etymology. The species epithet refers to the occurrence of the species in Andalusia.
description: Published as part of Müller, Andreas & Wood, Thomas J., 2025, Still undescribed bees in Europe-description of nine new European osmiine bee species (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae), pp. 83-102 in Zootaxa 5631 (1) on pages 93-94, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5631.1.3, http://zenodo.org/record/15326665