Andrena (Micrandrena) aspera Pisanty & Wood 2025, sp. nov.

3.1.2.5.Andrena(Micrandrena)asperaPisanty & Wood sp. nov. Figures 5, 16 D, J, 21 E Etymology. Nominative feminine singular form of the Latin adjective asper, meaning rough, uneven, coarse, in reference to the species’ integumental sculpturing. Diagnosis. The female of Andrena aspera stands out among Levantine Micrandrena species by the combination of a labral process which is often weakly emarginate apically, distinctly domed clypeus with transverse striations and / or oblique punctures (Fig. 16 D), dull, strongly roughened scutum with dense crater-like punctures (Figs 5 C, 16 J), and dull, shagreened terga which are subtly punctate apicolaterally (Fig. 5 D). It is closest to species such as A. simontornyella Noskiewicz, A. rugothorace Warncke and A. lunaris Pisanty & Wood, but in all these species the scutum is more finely sculptured, with denser, finer and smoother punctation. Similar differences apply to the clypeus, which is more finely rugose in A. simontornyella, very densely, finely rugose in A. rugothorace, and non-rugose in A. lunaris. Among Levantine Micrandrena, the male of Andrena aspera is characterized by the combination of a domed, very densely punctured clypeus covered by dense long white hair (Fig. 5 F), scutum with some crater-punctures centrally (Fig. 5 G), and penis valves which slightly broaden immediately above the visible base (Fig. 21 E). It is very similar to A. rugothorace, but in the latter species the clypeus is more strongly transversely striated, and the gonocoxites have distinct dorsal lobes (Fig. 20 R). Description. Female. Body length: 6.5–7.5 mm. — Integumental colour: Body and legs black. Distal flagellomeres brown to black (Fig. 5 A). Wings weakly infuscate, veins brown, stigma centrally light brown (Fig. 5 E). Tergal marginal zones black basally, more brownish apically (Fig. 5 D). — Pubescence: Head and mesosoma with distinctly plumose hair of varying brightness (Fig. 5 A – C). Lower half of face, up to level of antennal sockets, with dense, moderately long, semi-erect brownish-white hair (Fig. 5 B). Paraocular area usually with erect black hairs near facial fovea, elsewhere with brownish-white hairs (Fig. 5 A, B). Scape with brownish-white hairs (Fig. 5 B). Hair on upper half of facial fovea distinctly brown, on lower half brown to whitish, depending on angle of view. Frons and ocellar triangle with sparse golden hairs, often interspersed with black hairs (Fig. 5 B, C). Preoccipital ridge with long, erect golden hairs. Genal area behind upper margin of compound eye with few short black hairs, elsewhere with short to medium, golden to whitish hairs (Fig. 5 A – C). Scutum, scutellum and metanotum with moderately dense, erect, golden-brown hairs of varying length, their density increasing peripherally, underlying cuticle visible (Fig. 5 A, C). Mesepisternum with dense, long whitish hairs, becoming slightly golden dorsally. Propodeal corbicula incomplete, dorsoposterior fringe whitish, corbicular surface with sparse, long simple whitish hairs. Leg hair mostly whitish; flocculus incomplete, white; tibial scopal hairs simple, whitish (Fig. 5 A). Terga centrally with inconspicuous minute hair, laterally with sparse medium-lengthed whitish hair, creating weak, broadly interrupted hair bands on marginal zones 2–3, and a very weak and sparse continuous hair band on marginal zone 4. Terminal fringe golden to light brown, flanked by few long white hairs (Fig. 5 A, D). — Head: 1.2 times broader than long. Mandibles bidentate, moderately crossed. Galea finely shagreened (Fig. 5 B). Labral process rectangular, moderately broad, apical margin weakly concave. Clypeus distinctly domed, fully shagreened and matt, punctation oblique, distance between punctures 0.5–1 puncture diameter, without impunctate midline, punctures appearing connected by subtle transverse striation (Fig. 16 D). Lower part of paraocular area with strongly oblique punctures merging into striation. Supraclypeal area finely striated. Flagellomere 1 1.0–1.1 times as long as 2 + 3, 2 slightly shorter than 3 (Fig. 5 B). Frons and upper part of paraocular area rugose-areolate, sculpturing becoming coarser centrally. Facial foveae of moderate width, upper half slightly broader, here 0.5 times as broad as antennocular distance, fovea extending from level of lower end of lateral ocellus to base of clypeus or slightly below, separated from compound eye by very narrow cuticular strip which slightly broadens on the lower half. Frons with complete, shiny medial carina, lower side of frontal ocellus surrounded by polished cuticular area (Fig. 5 B, C). Lateral ocelli connected posteriorly by a transverse furrow. Distance of fovea from lateral ocellus about 2 ocellus diameters (Fig. 5 B, C). Ocelloccipital distance about 1 ocellus diameter. Vertex moderately carinate (Fig. 5 C). — Mesosoma: Dorsolateral angle of pronotum not elevated. Scutum entirely with strong granular shagreening, punctation fine, dense and strong, distance between punctures 0.5–1 puncture diameters, punctation often appearing oblique especially on anterior part, with some punctures displaying raised margins (crater-like punctures). Scutellum similar but with straight punctation, often somewhat shinier and more sparsely punctured (Figs 5 C, 16 J). Mesepisternum finely alveolate, overlayed by strongly oblique, dense punctation. Surface of propodeal corbicula finely alveolate, with a few large punctures around hair bases. Posterior part of propodeum strongly differentiated into horizontal vs. vertical regions. Posterolateral area of propodeum rugose-areolate. Propodeal triangle weakly demarcated, horizontal part rugose-areolate, often more radially rugose near base, vertical part finely alveolate (Fig. 5 C). Hind pretarsal claw with small inner tooth. Recurrent vein 1 meets submarginal cell 2 proximal to its middle. Nervulus antefurcal to interstitial (Fig. 5 E). — Metasoma: Tergal discs finely shagreened, basolaterally with raised oblique punctures, elsewhere more or less impunctate. Tergal marginal zones shagreened and impunctate, moderately arched, 2–3 centrally occupying about half the tergum length, 2 hardly depressed, the following gradually more so (Fig. 5 D). Pygidial plate normally developed. — Male. Body length: 5.5–6.5 mm. — Integumental colour: As in female (Fig. 5 E). — Pubescence: Clypeus and lower part of paraocular area with dense and long, semi-erect whitish plumose hairs. Supraclypeal area, scape and area around antennal sockets with medium to long erect whitish hairs. Dorsolateral part of paraocular area bordering compound eyes with erect black hairs (Fig. 5 E, F). Frons and ocellar triangle with sparse erect hairs of varying brightness. Preoccipital ridge with long, erect whitish to golden hairs (Fig. 5 F, G). Dorsal part of genal area with short black hair, central and ventral parts with white hair, becoming longer ventrally (Fig. 5 E, F). Scutum, scutellum and metanotum with medium to long erect whitish hair, denser peripherally, underlying cuticle visible (Fig. 5 E, G). Mesepisternum with very long, erect plumose white hair (Fig. 5 E). Propodeum with long, plumose white hair (Fig. 5 E, G). Leg hair mostly white, tarsal hair often with some weak golden reflections (Fig. 5 E). Tergal discs laterally with moderately dense, short to medium whitish hair, densest and longest on tergum 2, hair becoming short and inconspicuous towards centre of disc. Tergal marginal zones 2–3 with weak and sparse, broadly interrupted white hair bands; 4–5 with continuous, very weak and sparse whitish hair bands. Terminal fringe whitish (Fig. 5 H). — Head: 1.25 times broader than long. Labral process moderately broad, rectangular, apical margin usually concave. Clypeus domed, entire surface with almost confluent honeycomb-like punctation, distance between punctures less than 0.5 puncture diameter, clypeal sculpture hidden by dense pubescence. Flagellomere 1 longer than 3 but shorter than 2 + 3, 2 distinctly shorter than 3 (Fig. 5 F). Upper part of paraocular area longitudinally striated. Frons finely rugose-areolated. Ocelloccipital distance about 1.4 ocellus diameters. Preoccipital ridge carinate (Fig. 5 G). — Mesosoma: As in female, but scutum usually more sparsely punctured, distance between punctures 0.5–2 puncture diameters (Fig. 5 G). Hind pretarsal claw bifurcated. — Metasoma: Tergal discs with strong granular shagreening, centrally with only hint of minute punctures, laterally slightly more distinctly punctate, though here partly obscured by dense overlying pubescence. Tergal marginal zones moderately depressed, finely reticularly shagreened, impunctate (Fig. 5 H). — Genitalia and hidden sterna: Apical margin of gonocoxite very slightly protruding medially, weakly rounded to almost truncate. Gonostyli broad and elongate, blade flattened, inner margin slightly broadening and curving dorsally at about 0.4 gonostylus length. Penis valves narrow, slightly but distinctly broadening close to visible base (Fig. 21 E). Sternum 8 columnar, distinctly broadening apically, apical margin rounded. Distribution and habitat. Mediterranean shrublands in Israel, the West Bank and Lebanon. Previously reported from Lebanon as A. simontornyella ssp. corpana (Wood et al. 2020; Boustani et al. 2021). Flight period. Mid-February to early April, with rare records until mid-May. Flower records. Collected on Apiaceae (Daucus, Ferula, Scandix), Asteraceae (Anthemis, Leontodon) and Brassicaceae (Diplotaxis, Isatis, Sinapis). Type material. HOLOTYPE: ISRAEL ● 1 ♀; Har Ahino’am [Mount Gilboa, Har Ahino’am]; 32.502–6°N 35.408–14°E; 440 m a. s. l.; 3 Mar. 2025; G. Pisanty leg.; SMNHTAU 463986. – PARATYPES: ISRAEL ● 1 ♀; Agur; 28 Feb. 2021; A. Eliyahu leg.; SMNHTAU 380374 ● 1 ♀; Bar’am; 1 Apr. 2016; O. Winberger leg.; SMNHTAU 251858 ● 3 ♂; Ben Shemen Forest; 31.93°N 34.972°E; 18 Feb. 2017; G. Pisanty leg.; SMNHTAU 268571, 268573, 268574 ● 1 ♂; ibid.; RMNH ● 1 ♀; Bet Guvrin; 28 Mar. 2010; G. Pisa

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