Andrena (Longandrena) longiceps F. Morawitz 1895

Andrena (Longandrena) longiceps Morawitz, 1895

Andrena longiceps F. Morawitz, 1895: 65, ♀; Turkmenistan [Ahal Region], Germab (ZISP). Lectotype designated by A. Z. Osytshnjuk (Osytshnjuk et al. 2008) (Fig. 3).

Male first description: Popov 1960: 247.

Female. Body black, its length (vertex to T6) 7.5–8.5 mm (Figs 8, 9). Head: viewed frontally length approximately equal to width (L = 2.3–2.4 mm, W = 2.3–2.4 mm) (Fig. 10) or weakly longer or wider; lectotype body length 8.5 mm, its head L = 2.4 mm, W = 2.4 mm. Paraocular and supraclypeal areas above antennal socket level densely striate-wrinkled and sparsely punctate with dense long erect silver-white hairs; frons and vertex strongly shagreened, weakly punctate with short thin hairs; facial fovea shallow, moderately broad, dorsally occupying more than half ocellocular distance, narrowed below to level of antennal socket, covered with short dense very dark desaturated yellow pubescence. Compound eyes weakly convex, moderately narrow, 2.7 times longer than their maximum width; inner margin of compound eye curved only in upper third. Vertex widely concave; distance between middle and lateral ocelli equalling 2/3 of ocellus diameter (Fig. 11). Clypeus elongate and domed, black, polished, shiny, smoothed except basal part, with very sparse scattered rough hair-bearing punctures, hair long, plumose semi-adjacent, and along epistomal suture more densely and shallowly punctate with very short hairs, punctures separated by 0.5–2 puncture diameters; clypeus with basal half laterally weakly shagreened; apical part impunctate, extreme apex of clypeus impressed, laterally with elongate angles (Fig. 10). Genae as wide as compound eye, in upper part with dense adjacent long silvery-white hairs shorter near compound eyes; occiput covered with dense long flexed pubescence. Hypostomal carina clearly developed in lower part of hypostomal area and very weakly developed in upper part; lateral extremity of hypostomal carina with strongly developed subgenal coronet. Subantennal sutures only faintly discernible (Fig. 12). Malar area translucent, centrally 5 times shorter than width (Fig. 13). Antennae dark above, 3 rd –10 th flagellomeres light brown (in lectotype) or lighter yellow-brown (in Iranian specimens) beneath; first flagellomere slightly longer than 2 nd and 3 rd segments together (Fig. 14). Mandibles moderately short, their apical half brownish-red, lower margin with long yellow-white hairs, inner tooth small. Process of labrum widely trapezoidal, 2 times wider than long, shiny, densely transversely wrinkled basally and centrally, and strongly wrinkled laterally, with deeply emarginated apex bearing tuft of golden-yellow thick setae and with similar tufts on laterally lower parts; labrum apical margin ventrally with dense fringe of golden-yellow thick setae (Fig. 15). Galea shiny, strongly shagreened, impunctate, its apical half covered with tubercles; galeal fringe with short setae (Fig. 16); maxillary palpus equal 2/3 length of galea (Fig. 18). Glossa strongly pointed and very long, more than 16 times longer than its widest part, and more than 2 times longer than labial palpus (Fig. 17); paraglossae well developed (Fig. 19). Mesosoma: W (between tegulae) = 1.6 mm, scutum smooth and shining, without shagreen, sparsely, coarsely and irregularly punctate, centrally polished, strongly shiny with single hair-bearing punctures with moderately short erect silver-white plumose hairs; laterally near tegulae and posteriorly with shorter, denser pale gray pubescence (Fig. 20). Mesepisternum and metanotum with strongly granular shagreenation and with long erect silver-white plumose pubescence. Propodeal triangle very shiny, impunctate, weakly shagreened with larger mesh than on propodeum laterally, centrally weakly concave, basally wrinkled; posterior and lateral surfaces of propodeum strongly shagreened, finely reticulate, in upper part with very short dirty gray pubescence, in lower half with very dense long propodeal corbicula of silvery-white hairs (Fig. 21). Tegulae light yellow, translucent, dark brown at base; wings hyaline, venation and stigma yellow-brown, nervulus interstitial (in lectotype and one of Iranian specimens) or weakly antefurcal. Legs dark-brown, with dense, short silvery-white hairs, flocculus well developed; scopa with unbranched hairs. Inner metatibial spurs weakly curved along entire length, not widened, apical part straight (Fig. 22), 2 nd –5 th tarsal segments strongly narrowed basally, tarsal claws with pronounced inner teeth (Fig. 25). Metasoma black (L = 3.9 mm; W = 2.4 mm), terga shining, weakly shagreened, irregularly shallowly punctate, marginal parts of T1–T4 weakly depressed, yellow-white translucent with wide bands of dense silver-white hairs, moderately narrowed medially and on T1 weakly interrupted, terga basal part with short sparse gray-yellow setae, laterally with long, curved semi-erect silvery-white hairs; prepygidial and pygidial fimbriae long goldish-yellow and light brownish, covered with longer white-gray hairs dorsally (Fig. 29). Pygidial plate strongly convex and wrinkled centrally with flat margins (Fig. 30). Sterna dark brown, strongly shagreened, superficially, densely and finely punctate, apical margins transparent with very sparse bands of plumose white hairs, basal parts with short gray-yellow setae (Fig. 31).

Male. Body black, its length (vertex to T7) = 7–8 mm. Similar to female in body shape, sculpturing, and coloration of pubescence (Figs 32–33). Head: slightly longer than its width (L = 2.0–2.1; W = 1.9–2.0 mm), shiny and wrinkled except smoothed clypeus, malar and lower part of paraocular areas, with silvery-white long sparse hair (Fig. 34). Compound eyes weakly convex, wider than in females, 2.3 times longer than their maximum width; inner margin of compound eye curved only in upper third. Vertex widely concave. Distance between middle and lateral ocelli equaling 4/5 of ocellus diameter. Clypeus elongate, polished, shiny with very weakly depressed apical margin, much weaker than in female, colored yellow with exception of two small lateral dark triangular marks, and black narrow strips along epistomal suture, with very sparse hair-bearing punctures, and laterally on apical part with short, dense silvery-white pubescence. Lower part of paraocular area also yellow, polished, shiny. Malar area longer than in females, 4 times as wide as long, basally near compound eyes with sparse short silvery-white hairs (Fig. 35). Process of labrum wide trapezoidal, 2 times wider than its length, shiny, polished, smooth except for narrow, wrinkled basal part (Fig. 36). Mandibles moderately short, not pointed, not reaching process of labrum, with long sparse hairs on lower margin, preapical tooth very weakly developed (Fig. 37). Both subantennal sutures inconspicuous. Scapus slightly curved, with sparse erect silvery-white hairs. Antennae moderately short, 1 st flagellomere twice as long as wide at apex, equal to 2 nd and 3 rd taken together, 2 nd 0.75 times shorter than its width and 1.5 times shorter than 3 rd, 3 rd –10 th – 1.25 times longer than their width, and 11 th – twice as long as wide; 2 nd –11 th flagellomeres light yellowbrown beneath (Fig. 38). Galea shining and wavy shagreened with individual superficial punctures, almost impunctate (Fig. 39). Glossa very long, 20 times longer than its greatest width (Fig. 40); paraglossae well developed. Mesosoma: W (between tegulae) = 1.5 mm, black; pronotum weakly shagreened, shiny; scutum smoothed, polished, very shiny, coarsely punctate, punctures separated by several puncture diameters, with sparse long plumose white pubescence, except for almost impunctate and hairless central part; laterally near tegulae pubescence shorter, denser, and with darker dirty gray hairs; anterior part of scutum very weakly shagreened, shining; central dorsal part of scutellum polished, strongly shining, almost impunctate, hairless, lateral and posterior parts sparsely punctate and covered with long erect silver-white pubescence (Fig. 41). Mesepisternum coarsely shagreened, finely punctate by hair-bearing punctures with long dense silvery-white hairs (Fig. 42). Propodeal triangle marked by more polished shiny and coarse mesh, basally with long rugosity extended to medial part (Fig. 43); propodeum lateral parts slightly duller with sparse, long, erect plumose white hairs. Tegulae translucent white-yellow, darker brown basally; wings hyaline, venation with light amber coloration, stigma darker, nervulus interstitial (in two of Iranian specimens) or weakly antefurcal. Legs dark brown, hind trochanter and femur with sparse long white hairs, tibia and basitarsus with dense short light hairs. Inner hind tibial spur not broadened, light yellow. Hairs of last tarsal segments white with faint light golden tints. Metasoma: L = 3.8 mm; W = 2.3 mm (Figs 44, 45). Terga black, polished, shiny, weakly punctured; T1–T4 marginal parts slightly depressed, lightened yellow-white with long dense white hair bands, widely interrupted on Т1, its basal part with long, sparse, erect white hairs; T2–T4 basal parts with sparse fine white-yellow setae. Sterna dark brown, medial part of S2–S5 strongly shagreened, sparsely punctate, punctures more distinct than on terga, with short thin yellow-brown setae on basal part; marginal parts lightened yellow-white with sparse complete white hair bands. S7 moderately narrow, its margin part centrally with almost rectangular ventrally flat projection with strongly bent edges and two dense tufts of long white plumose hair apically (Figs 46, 47). S8 of irregular rhombic shape with broadly rounded base, marginal parts around densely covered by long, plumose yellow-white hairs (Figs 48, 49). Genitalia elongate, almost twice as long as wide (Figs 50–56). Gonocoxites with very long dorsal lobes, gonostyli narrowed in apical half and very curved, their apices strongly diverging laterally, penis valves very dilated and flattened in basal half, and strongly narrowed and pointed apically; volsella rounded, moderately large.

Distribution. Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Central Kazakhstan (Popov 1960; Pisanty et al. 2021), Iran (first record) (Figs 1, 2).

Floral visitation. This species has been recorded on the flowers of Astragalus sp. (Fabaceae), Lycium sp. (Solanaceae), Tamarix sp. (Tamaricaceae), and Cirsium sp. (Asteraceae) (Popov 1960, and this study).

Flight period. The representatives of the species start flying from mid-April in the southern parts of its distribution range, and from mid-May in the northern areas, where females have been observed until mid-July (Popov 1960).