Andrena floridula SMITH 1878
Creators: name: Wood, Thomas
name: Jacobs, Maarten
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Andrenidae
Andrena
Andrena floridula

description: Andrena (incertae sedis) floridula SMITH, 1878 (Figs 20-21, 36-43)
M a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: India: Ladakh, Leh Tehsil, city gardens, 3500 m, 30.viii.2015, 1♀, leg. M. Jacobs, coll. Biologiezentrum Linz.
D i a g n o s i s: Andrena floridula was described from Drás [= Dras], Kárgil [Kargil], and Leh in Ladakh (SMITH 1878: 2). It was described only in the male sex, with the flight period given as August-September. GUSENLEITNER & SCHWARZ (2002) gave the type depository as the NHMUK, but no specimens or record of A. floridula could be found there. Donald Baker (unpublished Phd thesis) suggested that type material could be in the Zoological Survey of India collection in Kolkata which is currently unavailable for study. In any case, although the female was not previously known, the contemporary specimen from Leh is unmistakably A. floridula based on the description, illustration (SMITH 1878: figure 4, as A. floricula sic), collecting locality, and flight period.
Although Smith writes that the specimens he described were males ("Mas.-"), the specimen pictured in his figure 4 actually appears to be a female, as there appear to be scopal hairs present on the hind tibiae. In any case, the specimen matches the description with regards to the key criteria which are that the hind legs are covered with silvery pubescence (Fig. 42) and the ovate metasoma has the apical margins testaceous with a thin fringe of whitish pubescence (Fig. 43). Indeed, the terga have not only their margins lightened white-hyaline, but the transitional area between the margin and the tergal discs is lightened dark orange-red.
Examination of this contemporary specimen shows that it presents an unusual combination of characters that defies classification within the existing subgeneric system. The facial foveae are relatively narrow and impressed (Figs 37; 39), slightly narrowing ventrally (but not as clearly as in members of the subgenus Euandrena HEDICKE, 1933), the head is almost round in frontal view (only 1.1 times wider than long, Fig. 37), the ocelloccipital distance exceeds two times the diameter of a lateral ocellus (Fig. 39), with the vertex itself being clearly depressed at the meeting point with the two lateral ocelli (similar to the condition in the subgenus Oreomelissa HIRASHIMA & TADAUCHI, 1975 and allied subgenera), the head and mesosoma show weak metallic green reflections (Figs 37; 39- 40), the propodeal triangle is poorly delineated but weak lateral carinae and some raised rugae are present laterally and basally (Fig. 41), the scopal hairs are weakly plumose on the hind femorae and less so on the hind tibiae (Fig. 42), and there are no other distinctive characters. Without available male specimens (as the genital capsule is unknown) or any genetic data, it is not possible to confidently place the species within a subgenus.
D e s c r i p t i o n. Female. Body length: 9 mm (Fig. 36). Head: Dark, 1.1 times wider than long (Fig. 37), integument with weak metallic green reflections most visible on gena and vertex. Clypeus weakly domed, irregularly punctate, punctures basally and laterally separated by 0.5 puncture diameters, medially becoming scattered, separated by 1-3 puncture dimeters, underlying surface polished and shining. Process of labrum broadly trapezoidal, 2 times wider than long, apical margin with extremely deep rounded emargination, emargination reaching ½ of visible length (Fig. 38). Gena slightly exceeding width of compound eye; ocelloccipital distance 2 times diameter of lateral ocellus (Fig. 39); vertex slightly but distinctly depressed at level of posterior margin of lateral ocelli. Foveae dorsally occupying slightly less than ½ space between lateral ocellus and compound eye, narrowly slightly ventrally, ventrally extending to slightly below lower margin of antennal insertions; foveae filled with light brown hairs. Face, gena, vertex, and scape covered with pale whitish pubescence. Antennae basally dark, A4-12 ventrally lightened by presence of brownish scales; A3 slightly exceeding A4+5, shorter than A4+5+6.
Mesosoma: Scutum predominantly polished and shining, weakly shagreened anteriorly, surface irregularly punctate, punctures separated by 0.5-2 puncture diameters; surface with subtle metallic reflections laterally; scutellum more strongly polished and shining and more sparsely punctate, punctures separated by 0.5-4 puncture diameters (Fig. 40). Pronotum with weak but distinct humeral angle, humeral angle with longitudinal carina. Mesepisternum and dorsolateral parts of propodeum microreticulate, dull, microreticulation overlain by raised network of rugosity; propodeal triangle laterally delineated by fine carina, internal surface slightly depressed, covered with fine network of raised carinae over majority of surface (Fig. 41). Mesosoma covered with pale hairs, not exceeding length of scape. Propodeal corbicula incomplete, dorsal fringe composed of long plumose pale hairs, internal surface with abundant plumose pale hairs. Legs dark, pubescence light brown. Flocculus complete, strongly produced, composed of white plumose hairs; femoral and tibial scopae composed of bright white-silvery hairs, hairs of femoral scopae somewhat plumose, hairs of tibial scopae obscurely plumose (Fig. 42). Hind tarsal claws with small inner tooth. Wings hyaline, stigma and venation dark brown, nervulus weakly antefurcal.
Metasoma: Tergal discs dark, marginal areas broadly lightened hyaline orange-brown, apical rims lightened hyaline whitish (Fig. 43). Tergal discs polished and shining, irregularly punctate, punctures separated by 0.5-3 puncture diameters, most dense basally, becoming weaker apically onto tergal margins. Tergal discs with scattered pale pubescence, tergal margins with pubescence longer and forming distinct hairbands on T2- 4, weakly interrupted on T2, complete on T3-4, obscuring underlying surface laterally. Apical fringe of T5 and hairs flanking pygidial plate orange-brown. Pygidial plate rounded triangular, lateral margins slightly raised, internal surface flat and dull, featureless.
D i s t r i b u t i o n: India (Ladakh) (SMITH 1878).
description: Published as part of Wood, Thomas & Jacobs, Maarten, 2024, Unusual Andrena species from the high mountains of Ladakh (Hymenoptera, Andrenidae), pp. 347-363 in Linzer biologische Beiträge 56 (1) on pages 359-360, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.14681691