Andrena (Micrandrena) atlantea Wood 2021, spec. nov.

Andrena (Micrandrena) atlantea spec. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 7CE72856-BAD4-4472-998F-0B2ADDB328A4

HOLOTYPE: MOROCCO: Oukaimeden, 50 km S Marrakech, 2700 m, 31.205212 oN, -7.858660 oW, 8.v.2015, 1♀, leg. Mucska (OÖLM).

PARATYPES: MOROCCO: Same as holotype, 6♀, (OÖLM), 1♀ (TJWC); Oukaimeden, 2800 m, 8.v.2015, 1♀, leg. K. Deneš (OÖLM); Ifrane env., 1700 m, 10.v.1997, 3♀, leg. P. Průdek (OÖLM).

Description: Female: Body length 7.5– 8 mm (Figure 77). Head: Black, as long as wide. Clypeus domed, elongate, regularly punctate with large punctures separated by 1 puncture diameter; impunctate central line present, underlying surface centrally and basally shagreened, weakly shining, apically without shagreen, smooth and shiny (Figure 78). Process of labrum triangular, wider than long, shiny. Gena moderately broad, slightly exceeding width of compound eye; ocelloccipital distance narrow, less than half width of lateral ocellus. Fovea long, extending below level of antennal insertions, narrow, as wide as width of flagellum, dorsally occupying 1/3 rd space between lateral ocellus and compound eye. Gena, vertex, face, and scape with whitish to light brownish hairs, longest not exceeding length of scape. Antenna dark, A5–12 slightly lightened grey below, A3 equals A4+5. Mesosoma: Scutum and scutellum clearly and irregularly punctate, punctures separated by 0.5–2 puncture diameters, underlying surface shagreened, weakly shining, scutellum centrally shiny (Figure 79). Pronotum rounded, without humeral angle. Episternum and propodeum microreticulate, weakly shining, propodeal triangle strongly rugose, external margin well-defined by lateral carinae (Figure 80). Episternum, propodeum, scutum, and scutellum with brownish hairs, not exceeding half of length of scape. Legs dark, apical tarsal segments lightened brown, pubescence brownish-golden, scopa brownish-golden. Hind tarsal claws with inner tooth. Wings hyaline, venation dark brown, stigma brown, nervulus interstitial. Metasoma: Terga dark, apical margins very narrowly lightened brown (Figure 81), tergal discs clearly and densely punctate, on T1 separated by 1–3 puncture diameters, on T2–4 by 1 puncture diameter; underlying surface shagreened and weakly shining, tergal margins impunctate (Figure 82). T2–4 with weak lateral hair fringes present laterally, apical fringe of T5 and hairs flanking pygidial plate golden; pygidial plate pointed, dorsal surface slightly domed, impunctate.

Male: Unknown.

Diagnosis: Andrena atlantea can easily be placed in the Micrandrena because of its small size, black integument, and strongly rugose propodeal triangle. It can be immediately recognised as different from other North African Micrandrena because the face is as long as broad, whereas in other species it is shorter than broad, and therefore by Micrandrena standards can be considered to be elongate. It is most similar to A. rugulosa Stoeckhert, 1935 that is found in Central and Eastern Europe east to Turkey and the Caucasus (Gusenleitner and Schwarz 2002) because they both share this relatively long face, combined with a clypeus that is basally shagreened and apically shiny, long narrow foveae, and punctate tergal discs. They can be separated as A. atlantea has a triangular process of the labrum (in A. rugulosa rectangular, longer than wide), shagreened and weakly shining scutum and scutellum (densely shagreened and dull scutum and scutellum), and weakly shagreened and densely punctate tergal discs (tergal discs shagreened and dull, punctures less dense, obscure).

Andrena atlantea is also similar to Andrena lineolata Warncke, 1968 which is restricted to Tenerife in the Canary Islands, as they share the same general profile and elongate face. However, A. lineolata has wider foveae (wider than the width of the flagellum), a more pronouncedly triangular process of the labrum, and essentially impunctate terga.

Etymology: The name is the feminine form of Atlas, the mythical titan condemned to hold up the heavens, and after whom the Atlas Mountains of North Africa are named. Both collecting localities are found high in the Moroccan Atlas.