Andrena (Euandrena) obscuricrus sp. nov.

Fig. 69

Type material.

Holotype. GREECE • 1 ♀; Creta, Lassithi Ebene [Plateau]; 24 Apr. 1973; H. Teunissen leg.; RMNH, RMNH. INS. 1716258.

Paratypes. GREECE • 3 ♀; Lasithi Vlakte [Plateau]; 17 Apr. 1982; H. Teunissen leg.; RMNH, RMNH. INS. 1716259 • 1 ♀; Creta, Omalos; 2 Jun. 1987; Kudrna leg.; OÖLM • 1 ♀; W. Kreta, Rhodhákinon [Ano Rodakino] nahe S. Küste; 20 Mar. 1925; A. Schulz leg.; OÖLM • 1 ♀; Kreta, Mesa Potami; 28 Apr. 2004; R. & W. Zarre leg.; OÖLM • 1 ♀; Kreta, Spili; 4 Jun. 1980; M. Kraus leg.; OÖLM.

Description.

Female. Body length: 8.5–10 mm (Fig. 69 A). Head: Dark, 1.2 times wider than long (Fig. 69 B). Clypeus weakly domed, surface covered with fine granular microreticulation, basally dull, becoming weakly shining apically; surface with large and distinctly separated punctures separated by 0.5–3 puncture diameters, typically by 1–2 puncture diameters. Process of labrum rounded trapezoidal, 2 times wider than long, apical margin straight. Gena slightly exceeding width of compound eye; ocelloccipital distance slightly exceeding diameter of lateral ocellus. Foveae dorsally occupying 1 / 3 space between compound eye and lateral ocellus, narrowing ventrally to just below lower margin of antennal insertions; facial foveae filled with brown hairs. Face with whitish hairs on clypeus and around antennal insertions, with black hairs along inner margins of compound eyes and frons. Gena ventrally with whitish hairs, becoming weakly golden on vertex; no hairs equalling length of scape. Antennae dark, A 5–12 ventrally slightly lightened by presence of greyish scales; A 3 slightly exceeding A 4 + 5, shorter than A 4 + 5 + 6.

Mesosoma: Scutum and scutellum finely microreticulate, dull, surface with irregular scattered shallow punctures separated by 0.5–3 puncture diameters (Fig. 69 C). Pronotum rounded. Mesepisternum with fine granular microreticulation, dull. Dorsolateral parts of propodeum with fine granular microreticulation, microreticulation slightly raised, forming network of weak pseudopunctures, surface dull. Propodeal triangle narrow, weakly indicated, internal surface with dense fine granular microreticulation, with raised rugae in basal 1 / 3–1 / 2 (Fig. 69 D). Mesepisternum with intermixed light brown and black hairs, scutum and scutellum with shorter light brown hairs intermixed with shorter dark hairs. Propodeal corbicula lacking anterior fringe, dorsal fringe composed of mixture of light brown and black plumose hairs, internal surface with weakly plumose light brown hairs. Legs dark, apical tarsal segments brownish, pubescence brown, hind tarsal claws with inner subapical tooth. Flocculus complete, composed of pale plumose hairs; femoral and tibial scopae composed of pale golden to orange hairs. Tibial scopae composed of mixture of simple and obscurely plumose hairs (Fig. 69 E). Wings hyaline, stigma and venation dark orange-brown, nervulus interstitial.

Metasoma: Terga dark, marginal areas obscurely lightened brownish, apical rims narrowly lightened hyaline-whitish (Fig. 69 F). Tergal discs with fine granular microreticulation, weakly shining; surface obscurely punctate, with small scattered very fine punctures, appearing broadly impunctate. Tergal discs with scattered short hairs, marginal areas of T 2–4 with weak apical hairbands laterally, widely interrupted, not obscuring underlying surface. T 5 and hairs flanking pygidial plate dark brown; pygidial plate rounded triangular, lateral margins impunctate, remaining surface densely punctate, punctures almost confluent; surface dull.

Male. Unknown.

Diagnosis.

Andrena obscuricrus can be recognised as a Euandrena due to the moderate body size, facial foveae which dorsally occupy 1 / 3 of the space between the compound eye and a lateral ocellus and which further narrow ventrally (comma or drop-shaped), A 3 slightly exceeding A 4 + 5, and lack of any other distinctive characters (simple propodeal triangle, posterior face of hind femur rounded, hind tibial spurs unmodified). It should be noted that, unusually for a West Palaearctic Euandrena, the tibial scopae of A. obscuricrus is composed of partially plumose hairs (Fig. 69 E). It is difficult to neatly categorise this as either simple or plumose.

Warncke (1965 a: 50) listed Andrena (Euandrena) ruficrus Nylander, 1848 from “ Westkreta ” based on a specimen collected by Schulz on 20 Mar. 1925. It has been possible to examine a specimen with this collecting information, which now forms part of the type series. The two are genuinely morphologically similar due to the largely impunctate terga, dull and shallowly punctate scutum, and predominantly pale facial vestiture with the exception of black hairs along the inner margins of the compound eyes. However, apart from the strong geographic separation (the nearest confirmed records of A. ruficrus come from around Croatia and Hungary, with two additional specimens from Mount Olympus in Greece; Gusenleitner and Schwarz 2002, see below), A. obscuricrus can be separated due to its clypeus which has large and distinctly separated punctures which are separated by 0.5–3 puncture diameters but typically by 1–2 puncture diameters (Fig. 69 B; in A. ruficrus with the clypeus covered in small regular punctures separated by 0.5–1 puncture diameters), the dark legs (Fig. 69 E; hind tibiae and tarsi lightened orange in A. ruficrus), and the partially plumose tibial scopae (tibial scopae with simple hairs in A. ruficrus).

Andrena obscuricrus is more likely to be confused with A. glidia which occurs on Crete (Fig. 15). However, A. obscuricrus can be rapidly recognised due to the rounded pronotum (A. glidia with the pronotum laterally displaying a subtle but distinct humeral angle), entirely dull scutum (Fig. 69 C; A. glidia with the scutum extensively polished and shining, at least medially), sparsely punctate clypeus (A. glidia with the clypeus covered with dense punctures separated by 0.5–1 puncture diameters), pale facial vestiture with black hairs along the inner margins of the compound eyes (A. glidia with uniformly light brown facial vestiture), and tergal discs almost impunctate (Fig. 69 F; tergal discs of A. glidia with weak but distinct punctures separated by around 1–2 puncture diameters, most visible laterally).

Etymology.

Since ruficrus (rufus + crus) means red-legged in Latin, and the Cretan specimens have dark legs, they are named obscuricrus from obscurus + crus. It is a compound noun.

Distribution.

Greece (Crete) (Warncke 1965 a, as A. ruficrus misidentification).