Andrena (Micrandrena) kugleri Pisanty 2025, sp. nov.

3.1.1.4.Andrena(Micrandrena)kugleriPisanty sp. nov. Figures 2, 13 F, 19 L Etymology. Named after the Israeli entomologist Jehoshua Kugler (1916–2007). Diagnosis. Within the Andrena longibarbis species group, A. kugleri belongs to the species around A. mariana Warncke, which are characterized by a largely non-rugose clypeus. Among these species, A. kugleri can be diagnosed by the combination of the relatively narrow female labral process (Fig. 13 F; broader in A. abjecta Pérez, A. leptura Warncke stat. nov. and A. mica Warncke), the flat, apically smooth, non-rugose clypeus (Figs 2 B, F, 13 F; weakly domed in A. abjecta, A. mariana and A. tenostra Warncke, more extensively shagreened in A. obsoleta Pérez and male A. mica, less so in A. rubecula Warncke, basally rugose in A. leptura and A. mica), reddish-brown flagellum (Fig. 2; more orange-lightened in A. govinda Warncke, A. mariana and female A. rubecula, dark in male A. alma Warncke), male flagellomere proportions (Fig. 2 F; flagellomere 1 longer in A. obsoleta), normally developed male gena (broadened in A. alma and A. rubecula), weak pronotal angle (stronger in A. rubecula and male A. alma), dull scutellum (Fig. 2 C, G; shinier in A. govinda, A. rubecula and A. tenostra), impunctate tergal discs (punctate in female A. alma), reddish-brown tergal marginal zones (Fig. 2 D, H; distinctly orange in A. mariana, somewhat more orange-lightened in female A. rubecula), relatively narrow tergal hair bands (Fig. 2 D, H; broader in A. govinda), and relatively narrow penis valves (Fig. 19 L; broader in A. alma and A. leptura). Description. FEMALE. Body length: 6–7 mm. — Integumental colour: Body black. Flagellum brown anteriorly, occasionally with weak reddish hue. Legs black to brown. Wings hyaline, veins and stigma golden (Fig. 2 A). Tergal marginal zones reddish-yellow basally, yellow to whitish apically (Fig. 2 D). — Pubescence: Body hair relatively sparse, mostly minutely plumose, white (Fig. 2 A). Face and genal area with short to medium white hair, densest on paraocular area and scape. Facial fovea with dense, minute whitish hair. Vertex with long erect white hair (Fig. 2 B, C). Dorsal mesosomal surfaces with sparse erect white hair, short on scutum, longer on scutellum and metanotum (Fig. 2 C). Mesepisternum with moderately dense, long white hair (Fig. 2 A). Propodeal corbicula incomplete, dorsoposterior fringe composed of long, plumose white hairs. Corbicular surface with sparse, simple long white hairs. Leg hair white (Fig. 2 A). Flocculus incomplete. Femoral and tibial scopae well-developed, femoral scopa composed of moderately long, curved plumose hairs dorsally and straight long hairs ventrally, tibial scopa composed of simple hairs (Fig. 2 A). Tergal discs 1–2 hairless centrally, with sparse inconspicuous short white hair laterally. Tergal discs 3–4 entirely with sparse, inconspicuous minute white hair, slightly longer laterally. Tergal marginal zones 2–4 with distinct narrow bands of dense white hair, strongly interrupted on tergum 2, almost continuous on 3, continuous on 4. Terminal fringe whitish-golden (Fig. 2 D). — Head: 1.2 times broader than long. Mandibles bidentate, moderately crossed (Fig. 2 B). Galea finely shagreened. Labral process small, subquadrate, as long as broad or longer. Clypeus entirely flat to minutely domed, smooth apically and finely shagreened basally, lacking striations, punctation distinct, distance between punctures 1–2 puncture diameters, an impunctate midline is absent or very weakly indicated (Figs 2 B, 13 F). Paraocular and supraclypeal areas and frons finely longitudinally striated, punctation absent except on lower paraocular area (Fig. 2 B). Facial fovea extremely narrow and linear in lower half, broader in upper ⅓ – ½, here about ⅓ as broad as antennocular distance, fovea extending from level of middle – lower end of lateral ocellus to lower end of antennal socket, separated from compound eye by very narrow strip of smooth cuticle. Flagellomere 1 as long as 2 + 3, 2 slightly shorter than 3 (Fig. 2 B). Distance of fovea from lateral ocellus 1.8 ocellus diameters. Vertex distinctly carinate. Ocelloccipital distance equals 0.7 ocellus diameter (Fig. 2 C). — Mesosoma: Dorsolateral angle of pronotum weakly developed. Scutum and scutellum entirely shagreened and dull, scutum with extremely shallow, hardly discernible punctation, distance between punctures 1–2 puncture diameters (Fig. 2 C). Mesepisternum and propodeum finely reticulated. Base of propodeal triangle more coarsely reticulated than apical part and flanking propodeal regions, occasionally slightly rugose-areolate at basal margin (Fig. 2 C). Hind pretarsal claw with small inner tooth. Recurrent vein 1 meeting submarginal cell 2 near its middle. Nervulus usually strongly antefurcal, rarely weakly antefurcal to interstitial (Fig. 2 A). — Metasoma: Tergal discs strongly, finely shagreened, impunctate. Tergal marginal zones weakly depressed, weakly broadening medially, shagreened basally and smooth apically, impunctate (Fig. 2 D). Pygidial plate with distinctly elevated central zone. — MALE. Body length: 5.5–7 mm. — Integumental colour: As in female (Fig. 2 E). — Pubescence: Body hair longer and denser than in female, mostly minutely plumose, white (Fig. 2 E). Face, vertex and gena with moderately dense, long white hairs. A few short dark hairs occur near centre of inner margin of compound eye (Fig. 2 F). Dorsal mesosomal surfaces with long erect white hair, densest on metanotum and scutellum, sparse on scutal disc (Fig. 2 E, G). Mesepisternum with moderately dense, very long white hairs. Propodeum with long white hairs. Leg hair white to yellowish (Fig. 2 E). Tergal discs with short to minute inconspicuous bright hair, longer laterally and on base of tergum 1. Tergal marginal zones 2–4 with weak narrow bands of white hair, strongly interrupted on terga 2–3, more weakly so on 4. Terminal fringe whitish-golden (Fig. 2 H). — Head: Labral process quadrate, apical margin concave to blunt-ended. Clypeus entirely flat, apical ⅔ extremely smooth. Flagellomere 1 about 1.2 times as long as 3, 3 distinctly longer than 2 (Fig. 2 F). Ocelloccipital distance about 1 ocellus diameter (Fig. 2 G). Genal area 0.95–1.05 times as broad as compound eye. Rest of head as in female. — Mesosoma: As in female (Fig. 2 G). — Metasoma: As in female (Fig. 2 H). — Genitalia and hidden sterna: Dorsal gonocoxite lobes developed, converging apically, pointed. Gonostyli finger-shaped, elongate, weakly broadening apically, inner margin with very small concavity in mid-length. Penis valves moderately broad basally, basal ⅔ gradually tapering apically (Fig. 19 L). Sternum 8 simple, columnar, narrow, apical process broadened, apical margin often weakly emarginate. Distribution and habitat. In a broad sense, Andrena kugleri is endemic to Israel, the West Bank and southern Lebanon. The principal distribution is in desert areas of southern Israel and the West Bank, while the species is absent from most of the Mediterranean region of Israel. However, a disjunct population exists on both sides of the Israeli-Lebanese border, where annual precipitation exceeds 600 mm. This population is known only from females, and the single available barcode (from Lebanon) is 13 % different from the main population. Males should be located and examined to conclude whether this population represents a separate taxon. The species is also known from only two localities in the central coastal plain, one of these is the old botanical garden in southern Tel Aviv, where a great proportion of the type material has originated. A single specimen with a label from Turkey in Warncke’s handwriting is of dubious origin, as noted by Warncke himself. More DNA barcoding is needed to better assess the uniformity of this taxon across its range. Flight period. Mid-February to mid-April, up to early May in southern Lebanon. Flower records. Collected from Brassicaceae (Erucaria, Sisymbrium, etc.) and Asparagaceae (Scilla). Remarks. In his collection, Warncke labeled this taxon A. mariana progressa Warncke, an unpublished name which adds to his multiple subspecific concepts of A. mariana, all of which are now considered distinct species or junior synonyms of other distinct species (Wood 2023 a and the present work). See also A. leptura stat. nov. Andrena kugleri is very similar to A. rubecula known from nearby Egypt, and female specimens collected near the southernmost part of the Israeli-Egyptian border (previously classified as A. rubecula, Pisanty et al. 2022 b) appear to show intermediate characters between the two species and cannot be confidently assigned to either taxon at this stage. Differences from A. rubecula are most apparent in males, which have a shorter, less developed mandible, brighter facial hair (Fig. 2 F), clypeus which is shagreened near the base (almost completely smooth in A. rubecula), narrower genal area (broader than the compound eye in A. rubecula), weaker pronotal angle, scutellum which is fully shagreened and dull (Fig. 2 G; smooth and shiny in A. rubecula), and slightly larger genitalia (Fig. 19 L). Females are harder to differentiate, but they exhibit similar, albeit weaker differences in the pronotum and scutellum, as well as a smoother clypeus, and a generally darker integument, especially in the flagellum, legs and tergal marginal zones. Type material. HOLOTYPE: WEST BANK ● 1 ♀; “ ISRAEL, Jericho ” [Jericho]; [approx. 31.86°N 35.46°E]; [approx. – 250 m a. s. l.]; 13 Feb. 1975; F. Kaplan leg.; SMNHTAU 373036. – PARATYPES: ISRAEL ● 1 ♀; Avedat; 13 Apr. 1990; Kl. Warncke leg.; OLML ● 1 ♂; Holon; 27 Feb. 1973; H. Bytinski-Salz leg.; “ Andrena mariana ssp. progressa ” paratype label; SMNHTAU ● 1 ♂; Ramon – HaMeshar; 25 Mar. 1993; A. Freidberg leg.; SMNHTAU 367688 ● 3 ♀; Rekhes HaSullam; 33.091°N 35.112°E; 80 m a. s. l.; 18 Mar. 2025; G. Pisanty leg.; SMNHTAU 465065, 465066, 465068 ● 1 ♀; ibid.; RMNH ● 1 ♀; Sede Boqer; 21

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