Gonaporus israelicus (Wolf, 1990), comb. nov.

(Figs 2, 11, 12, 23, 26, 30, 31, 32, 92, 103, 114, 125, 135, 146, 157, 168, 179, 189, 199, 204, 212)

Micraporus israelicus Wolf, 1990: 638 (holotype, ♂: Israel, Bat Yam [OOML], examined).

Gonaporus gracilis (Klug, 1834): Wolf 1990: 633 (♀, misidentification); S. Zonstein 2001: 140.

Diagnosis. Gonaporus israelicus is most similar to G. setitarsus sp. nov. in that they have metapostnotum with dense pubescence (Figs 30–32); the females of both species have 2–3 long anteroventral spines on the protarsomere 1 (Figs 26, 135, 139); the males of both species have protarsomere 5 asymmetrical and widened (Figs 23, 146, 150); and subgenital plate with two longitudinal keels on ventral side (Figs 204, 206). The other congeners have 1–3 mostly short anteroventral spines on the female protarsomere 1, sometimes only one of them is long; metapostnotum without pubescence (most species) or with very sparse pubescence ( G. simulator sp. nov.) (Fig.

34); protarsomere 5 of male mostly symmetrical and not widened; and subgenital plate without two longitudinal keels. The female of G. israelicus differs from G. setitarsus sp. nov. by the presence of only 2 (not 3) long anteroventral spines on the protarsomere 1 (Fig. 26, 135). The male differs from G. setitarsus sp. nov. by the presence of only 3 (not 6) posterior spines on the protarsus and by the shorter protarsomere 1 (Table 2, Figs 23, 146).

Redescription. Female. Body length 6.0– 7.8 mm. Structure: see Table 1. Coloration as in Fig. 11: Head mostly black; clypeus mostly black, with orange apical 0.25–0.40; mandible mostly yellow, dark orange basally and apically; scape yellowish-orange ventrally, dark brown dorsally; pedicel mostly brown, orange apically; flagellum mostly dark brown, orange basoventrally. Mesosoma mostly black except of orange lateral and posterior edges of pronotum; tegula light yellowish-orange. Legs mostly orange; coxae mostly black, orange apically; trochanters black to orange; femora black basally, orange apically to entirely orange; protibia brown, orange basally and apically; meso- and metatibia orange; protarsomere 1mostly orange, narrowly blackish-brown apically; other tarsomeres blackish-brown; spurs whitish to whitish-orange basally, blackish apically; spines of tarsal comb and other leg spines hyaline to orange-brown. Metasoma: Segments 1–3 orange; segments 4–5 mostly black, orange apically; segment 6 dark orange; pygidium orange-black, shiny. Pubescence: Metapostnotum usually with very conspicuous dense pubescence; sometimes pubescence is sparser, but still conspicuous (Figs 30, 32). Setae: Vertex, head (posteriorly) and propleuron with numerous long fine whitish setae; clypeus with moderately long brownish setae. Protarsomere 1 with 3 long spines posteriorly and 2 long spines anteroventrally (Figs 26, 135).

Male. Body length 3.9–4.2 mm. Structure see Table 2. Subgenital plate (Fig. 204): Hirsute, reversetrapeziform, trapeziform in cross-section. Genitalia as in Fig. 212. Coloration like described for female, except a few points (Fig. 12). Head: Antenna yellowish-orange ventrally, blackish-brown dorsally; spurs of mid leg and hind leg blackish-orange to blackish-brown; leg spines orange to orange-brown. Posterior spines on protarsomere 1 hyaline to orange; other leg spines brown. Metasoma: Segment 1—1(3) orange, segments 2–6 mostly black, yellowish-orange apically; T7 with large white spot medially. Pubescence: Metapostnotum usually with conspicuous pubescence (Fig. 31). Setae: Frons, vertex, head (posteriorly) and propleuron with numerous long fine whitish setae.

Material examined. Holotype: ♂, ISRAEL: Bat Yam, 5–21.v.1951, PMF Verhoeff. Other material. MOROCCO: W Qued Massa, Tiznit, 8.v.2003, M. Halada, 2♀ (OLML). TUNISIA: Nefta, 14.iv.1981, Max. Schwarz, 1♀; 15.iv.1981, 1♀ (both in OLML); S. of Kebili, near Douz, 31.vii.1978, K.M. Guichard & A.C. Else,1978, 1♀ (BMNH). LIBYA: Fezzan, Brock, 10.vi.1982, 1♀; Tripolitania, Bir-el-Hamera [modern Bi'r al Hamra'] (50 km S. W. of Mizda), 20.v.1951, K.M. Guichard, 1♀; Cyrenaica: El Aden [south from Tobruk], 8.viii.1957, K.M. Guichard, 1957, 2♀ (BMNH). EGYPT: Sinai, Haluzza, 13.iv.1973, D. Furth, 1♀ (TAU); 85 km N Qena on Safaga road, 21.iv.1993, W.J. Pulawski, 1♂ (CRW); Nr. Cairo, Gebel Asfar [Al Gabal Al Asfar], 13.v.1981, K.M. Guichard, 1♀; Jebel Asfar [Al Gabal Al Asfar], (Cairo), 15.iv.1983, K.M. Guichard, 1♂ (BMNH); Giza Prov. Manshet Radwan, 28.iv.1965, K.V. Krombein, 2♀ (NMNH); 6 km on the desert road to Faiyum, 26.viii.1934, 1♀ (NMNH); Faiyum 20.v.1942, A. Mochi, 1♀ (CRW); Sinai, W Mitla, 11.v.1992, A. Mochi (CRW); Abu Rawish [Abu Ruwaysh], 23.iv.1990, A. Mochi, 1♀ (CRW); Faiyum, Kerania 21.v.1992, A. Mochi, 1♂ (CRW); Sinai, Nuweiba, 29°03'N 34°33'E, 21.iv.2000, 1♀ (CSE); 85 km NEE Qena on Safaga road, 21.iv.1993, W.J. Pulawski, 1♂ (“ Xenaporus aegyptamoenus Wolf, dt. Wolf, 1985”, CRW). ISRAEL: Nahal Alexander, 32°24'N 34°52'E, 17.v.2005, I. & S. Zonstein, 8♀, 11♂; 18.v.2005, I. Zonstein, 2♀, 12♂; I 5.v.2005, I. Zonstein, 1♀, 18♂; 18.v.2005, A. Freidberg, 2♂; Or Akiva, 17.viii.2005, I. & S. Zonstein, 1♂, 8.ix.2005, I. & S. Zonstein, 1♀, 1♂; Or Akiva, 17.viii.2006, I. &S. Zonstein, 6♀, 17♂; Or Akiva, 9.ix.2006, I. &S. Zonstein, 20♀, 28♂; Ramat Aviv, dunes, 7.vi.2005, I. Zonstein, 1♀, 1♂; Ramat Aviv, dunes near sea coast, 7.vi.2005, I. Zonstein, 1♀, 1♂; Acre, dunes, 18.ix.1954, O. Theodor, 1♀; Nizzanim, 26.vii.05, C. Grach, 3♀; 18♂; Nahal Shezaf, 6 km SW Hazeva, 30°43'N 35°16'E, - 120 m, 9.iv.2005, S. Zonstein, 1♀ (all in TAU); Palmachim, 30.v.1975, K.M. Guichard, 2♂ (MNHN); Arava Valley, Kibbutz Ketura, 29°58'18''N 35°07'17''E, 440 ft, 13.iv.1996, M.E. Irwin, 1♀ (CRW). JORDAN: S Wadi Rum, 4–5.v.1996, M. Halada, 1♀ (OLML); Aqaba (s. l.), 6–10.iii.1986, K.M. Guichard, 1♀ (MNHN). MAURITANIA: Nouakchott, iii.1991, F. Borgato, 1♀ (CRW); the same, iv.1991, F. Borgato, 1♀ 1♂ (CRW); the same, viii.1990, F. Borgato, 1♀ (CRW); the same, ix.1990, F. Borgato, 1♀ (CRW); Nouakchott 4.v.1990, 1♀; xi.1990, 7 ♀ 7♂; iii.1991, 2 ♀ 4♂; iv.1991, 9 ♀ 6♂ (Borgato, CRW), 2.xi.1989, ♀♂; 11.xi.1989, 1♂ (A. Mochi, CRW). CHAD: Tibesti: Wadi Wour, 7.iii.1953, K.M. Guichard, 1♀ (BMNH). SUDAN: Jebel Uweinat, Wadi Ain el Brins, 9–12.iv.1967, K.V. Krombein, 1♀ (NMNH). EQUATORIAL GUINEA: Bioko, 5.v.1894, coll. Saunders, 1910 (266), 1♀ (BMNH). SAUDI ARABIA: Bahra (Jedda), 10.ii.1983, sea level, K.M. Guichard, 1♀(BMNH). OMAN: Jauwarrah [=Ja‘ārah (23°29'N 57°55'E)?], 24.iii.2000, Gillet, 2♂ (OLML). UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Marichamyah, nr. Al Ain, 19.ii.1982, F.N.B. Brown, 1♀; Abu Dhabi, 6.iii.1987, I.L. Hamer, 1♂ (BMNH); North of Ajman, 25°43'N 55°48'E, 30.iv.2008, A. van Harten, 2♀ (CSE, CRW).

Distribution. Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Chad, Sudan, Equatorial Guinea, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, United Arab Emirates (Fig. 217).

Habitat. In Israel this species is frequent in the open sandy biotopes of the Central Coastal Plain (Fig. 1).

Biology. The females dig multi-cell burrows in the sandy ground (Fig. 2). They prey on spiders of the families Salticidae, Thomisidae, Agelenidae, Miturgidae and Philodromidae, and they feed on flowers of Daucus carota (Apiacea) (I. Zonstein, unpublished data).

Notes. Some problems arise in the identification of this species. Wolf determined most of this species material as Gonaporus gracilis (Klug, 1834) and noted that he examined the type (Wolf 1990). This is surprising because the females, that were identified as G. gracilis (Klug, 1834) by Wolf (1990), have a double-row tarsal comb and three posterior spines of the tarsal comb on the protarsomere 1, whereas the female holotype of Pompilus gracilis Klug, 1834 has a single tarsal comb and four posterior spines on the protarsomere 1. A conspecific male with only one discal cell in the left fore wing (but with two well-developed discal cells in the right fore wing) was described by Wolf as Micraporus israelicus (Wolf 1990: 638) .