Tachysphex consocius Kohl, 1892

Abu El-Ghiet, Usama M., Gadallah, Neveen S., Gasib, Abdulmajeed M., Al-Fifi, Zarrag I. A. & Edmardash, Yusuf A., 2023, Further addition to the crabronid fauna of Saudi Arabia (Hymenoptera: Apoidea (Spheciformes): Crabronidae), with new genera and species records, and the description of two new species, Zootaxa 5319 (2), pp. 151-177 : 170

Tachysphex consocius Kohl, 1892

Fig. 13A–G

Tachysphex consocius Kohl, 1892: 217 , ♀.

Diagnosis. Body length: 7.0 mm.

Body, including legs and antennae, black ( Fig. 13A ); pygidial plate reddish apically in some females; mandible reddish medially, black at base and apex ( Fig. 13B ); labrum flat, concealed under clypeus; middle clypeal section of female convex ( Fig. 13B ), with one lateral incision, free margin sinuate; postocellar area with erect setae; mid tarsomere II more than twice as long as apically wide ( Fig. 13A ); mesopleuron distinctly punctate, punctures minute; propodeal dorsum irregularly rugose or irregularly ridged ( Fig. 13C ); gastral T 1–4 silvery fasciate apically ( Fig. 13A ); dorsal length of female flagellomere I about 2.3 × apical width; outer apical spine of male foretarsomere II longer than foretarsomere III.

Material examined: 2♀, Farasan, Abdulmajeed farm [16 Q 42.07970’N; 42 Q 08.5781’E], 23–30.ix.2022.

Previous Saudi Arabian records: Fayfa ( Pulawski, 2007).

Distribution: Widely distributed in Africa, southern Europe to Central Asia and India and Sri Lanka.

Comments. Characters of this species agree with Pulawski’s key (2007: 49, couplet 103), as well as the diagnosis recognizing the species in Pulawski (2007: 208).

Figures

FIGURE 13. Tachysphex consocius Kohl, 1892 (♀): A, dorsal habitus; B, frontal view of head (arrows shaw lateral incisions); C, dorsal view of head and thorax; D, lateral view of thorax; E, ventral view of thorax and gaster (part); F, pygidial plate; G, fore and hind wings.