Encopognathus bellulus ( Dalla Torre, 1897 )

Gadallah, Neveen S. & Abu El-Ghiet, Usama M., 2024, Sphecidae sensu lato (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) of the Jazan Province, south-west of Saudi Arabia, with the description of two new species, Zootaxa 5492 (1), pp. 71-95 : 81-83

Encopognathus bellulus ( Dalla Torre, 1897)

Oxybelus bellus Cameron, 1890: 280 , ♂ (Junior homonym of O. bellus Dahlbom, 1844 ).

Oxybelus bellulus Dalla Torre, 1897: 638 , substitute name for Oxybelus bellus Cameron, 1890 .

Fig. 7 (A–G)

Diagnosis. Characters of our male specimen agree with Leclercq’s key (1986: 508, couplet 2) in the following combination of characters: gena without postocular sulcus; thorax and gaster with extensive yellow; antenna 13- segmented, scape concave on outer side in apical half, F1 distinctly expanded ventrally, F2 concave ventrally; pronotal collar angulate laterally; metanotum normal, smooth; pygidial plate densely punctate, punctures greatly hidden behind dense silvery mixed with golden setae. However, it differs from E. bellulus by its smaller size (5.0 mm) (8.0 mm in E. bellulus ). Identification of this male was confirmed by Dr. W. Pulawski, who compared its photographs with males from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Pakistan, and Senegal in California Academy of Sciences collection (pers. comm.)

Material examined: 1♂, Abu Arish (Jazan Province) [16º58'N 42º49'E], 16–23.iii.2023, Malaise trap on Mangifera indica, Usama M. Abu El-Ghiet collector .

Comments. This is the first record of E. bellulus for Jazan and second record for Saudi Arabia, as it was recorded from El Riyadh about fifty years ago (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) ( Leclercq, 1977).

Figures

FIGURE 7. Encopognathus bellulus (Dalla Torre, 1897) (♂): A, habitus dorsally; B, frontal view of head; C, lateral view of head and thorax; D, dorsal view of head (partly) and thorax; E, forewing; F, last gastral terga and pygidial plate; G, ventral view of gaster.