Epitranus hamoni complex Figures 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24

Spilochalcis hamoni Risbec, 1957: 240.

Diagnosis.

Female (Figs 17 - 20). Body length ca. 3.15 mm; fore wing length ca. 2.0 mm. Body blackish brown, with the following parts are red to reddish brown (Figs 17A, B, 18A): head (except a black, broad lower band on occiput), pronotum, scapula, propodeum postero-laterally, metepimeron, gastral petiole, antenna and legs (dorsal face of metacoxa and outer face of metafemur with black tint). This species is diagnosed by the following combination of characters: Occiput densely reticulate, nearly bare (Fig. 18D); frontal lobe reduced to a faint transverse carina, thus exposing clypeus (Fig. 18B); interantennal projection represented by a low, but sharp lamina; flagellum somewhat clavate (Fig. 18C), ca. 0.93 × as long as head width; anellus transverse, ca. 0.3 × as long as wide; F1 as long as its width, ca. 0.9 × as long as F2; F3 as long as wide; clava ca. 2.45 × as long as wide. Interspaces between foveolae as well as their bottoms on mesosomal dorsum and pleura are densely reticulate (Fig. 18D); propodeum fairly dull, with areolae vague and finely punctate on their bottoms; median areola opened posteriorly, with lateral ridges short (not extending to meet transverse carina of adpetiolar areola) (Fig. 18D). Fore wing (Fig. 19A) with distinctly reduced pilosity, with scattered setae and microtrichiae on apical half of underside; STV reduced, gently sloping, forming with the anterior margin an angle of ca. 35°. Metafemur with a broad triangular tooth basoventrally followed by eight spaced teeth (Fig. 19B); tarsal scrobe on metatibia 0.6 × as long as metatibial length, polished and reaching sub-basal extremely low hump that represents the sub-basal prominence (Fig. 19C). Metasomal petiole relatively long (5.7 × as long as wide, 1.1 × as long as dorsal length of Gt1, and 0.8 × as long as gaster), dorsally with two longitudinal (sublateral and lateral) ridges, of which sublateral one ends slightly before apex of petiole, area between them flat and finely punctate (Fig. 19D); Gaster relatively short, 1.43 × as long as high in profile (Fig. 17A).

Male (Figs 21 - 24). Similar to female except for: head and mesosoma generally dark brown to black, with inner margins of eye, lower half of face and pronotal lateral panel red, rest of the pronotum reddish brown (Figs 21A, B, 22A); interantennal projection absent (Fig. 22A); OOD short, ca. 1.43 × as long as OD (Fig. 22B); scape of antenna with deep excavation nearly along its dorsal mesal third (Fig. 22B); flagellomeres slenderer than in female (Fig. 22C); foveolae on mesosomal dorsum sparser; propodeal median areola narrow, 4.0 × as long as wide, reaching transverse carina of adpetiolar areola (Fig. 22D); petiole longer, ca. 8.0 × as long as wide (Fig. 23C, 24B).

Remarks.

This species shows variation in color, some body sculpturing, and measurements among females and males as well. One of the three examined females, the body (including antennae and legs) is generally bright red, only darkened along the anterior and lateral sides of mesoscutellum, inner surface of metafemur, and gaster (Fig. 20A, B); in the other female specimens, body blackish brown, with the following parts are red to reddish brown (Figs 17A, B, 18A): head (except a black, broad lower band on occiput), pronotum, scapula, propodeum postero-laterally, metepimeron, gastral petiole, antenna and legs (dorsal face of metacoxa and outer face of metafemur with black tint). In the reddish specimen, the middle lobe of mesoscutum with denser and smaller setiferous punctures (Fig. 20B), mesoscutellum foveolate, with spaces less than a foveola diameter (ca. 0.5 × diameter apart), bottom of foveolae smooth (Fig. 20B) (in the dark specimens, punctures on mesoscutum sparser and a little larger (Fig. 18D); mesoscutellum densely and deeply foveolate, without considerable interspaces between foveolae (Fig. 17B)); in the red specimen, petiole 6.3 × as long as wide, 0.9 × as long as gaster in dorsal view (Fig. 20B) (in the dark specimens, petiole ca. 5.7 × as long as wide, 0.77 × as long as gaster in dorsal view (Fig. 17B)); in the reddish specimen, posterior margin of Gt1 straight (Fig. 20B) (in the dark ones, posterior margin of Gt1 deeply concave (Fig. 17B)); in the reddish specimen, F1 ca. 2. 15 × as long as wide, and distinctly longer than F7 (1.2 ×) (ca. 1.27 × as long as wide, and slight shorter to as long as F7 in the dark specimens); STV obviously separated from anterior margin of the wing, making an angle of 45° in the light specimen (while in the darker specimens STV adheres to anterior margin of the wing making an angle of ca. 35°).

In the two examined males, one with the red color predominates, being seen in the head (except dark occiput) including antennae, pronotal collar, propodeum, legs (hind legs darker), and petiole (Fig. 24A, B); the other male specimen is nearly entirely dark brown to black, with inner margins of eye, lower half of face and pronotal lateral panel red (Fig. 21A, B). In the reddish specimen, mesoscutum sparsely setiferous punctate anteriorly, and sparsely foveolate posteriorly (Fig. 24B) (in the dark specimen superficially, sparsely foveolate throughout (Fig. 21B); in the reddish specimen, head asetose postero-laterally (Fig. 24B) (in the dark one, head densely setose postero-laterally (Fig. 21B)); in the reddish specimen metacoxa 2.6 × as long as wide (Fig. 24B) (in the dark specimen, metacoxa 2.77 × as long as wide (Fig. 21A); in the reddish specimen, petiole 9.3 × as long as wide, and approximately as long as gaster middle length in dorsal view (Fig. 24B), 1.6 × as long as gaster height in lateral view (Fig. 24A) (in the dark specimen, petiole 8.0 × as long as wide, 1.12 × as long as gaster in dorsal view (Fig. 23C), 2.4 × as long as gaster height in lateral view (Fig. 21A)); in the reddish specimen, posterior margin of Gt1 deeply concave (Fig. 24B) (in the dark specimen, posterior margin of Gt1 straight (Fig. 23C)).

Hosts.

Unknown.

Material examined.

1♂, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Al-Baha, Al Mikhwa, Shada Al-Ala Natural Reserve [19°50'34.48"N, 41°18'39.44"E, Alt. 1681 m], sweeping net, 27.VII.2015, leg. Ahmed M. Soliman [KSMA]; 1♀, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Asir, Abha, Garf Raydah Natural Reserve [18°11'36.93"N, 42°23'25.17"E, Alt. 1772 m], sweeping net, 16.IV.2016, leg. Ahmed M. Soliman [KSMA]; 1♂, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Al-Baha, Al Mikhwa, Shada Al-Ala Natural Reserve [19°50'34.95"N, 41°18'40.04"E, Alt. 1679 m], sweeping net, 7.IV.2019, leg. Ahmed M. Soliman [KSMA]; 1♀, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Al-Baha, Al Mikhwa, Shada Al-Ala Natural Reserve [19°50'34.89"N, 41°18'39.43"E, Alt. 1689 m], sweeping net, 9.IV.2019, leg. Ahmed M. Soliman [KSMA]; 1♀, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Dirab Station of Research, [24°25'22.91"N, 46°39'15.02"E, Alt. 1689 m], Malaise trap, 19.VII-9.VIII.2020, leg. Ahmed M. Soliman [KSMA].

Distribution.

Burkina Faso (Risbec 1957; Noyes 2019), UAE (Delvare 2017), Saudi Arabia (Al-Baha and Riyadh regions) (new record).