Thyridanthrax elegansoides El-Hawagry, 2019

El-Hawagry, Magdi S., Abdel-Dayem, Mahmoud S. & Al Dhafer, Hathal M., 2019, On the taxonomy of the genus Thyridanthrax Osten Sacken in Egypt and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with description of a new species (Diptera: Bombyliidae), Zootaxa 4701 (6), pp. 501-519 : 508-510

Thyridanthrax elegansoides El-Hawagry sp. nov.

( Figs 16 – 24 )

Specimens of this species were identified by E.O. Engel as T. elegans and deposited amongst other specimens of T. elegans in EFC. However, they were found to clearly differ from other specimens of T. elegans in some external morphological features such as the color of antennae, which are entirely dark brown, the ground color of the scutellum, which is dark brown to black, the color of legs, which are dark brown with apical halves of tibiae and tarsi black, and the contrasting banding pattern of the abdomen. To confirm these specific differences, the male genitalia were dissected; it was then found that these specimens undoubtedly represent a completely different species.

Distribution: PA: Egypt.

Egyptian localities: Eastern Desert: Wadies, southeast of Cairo. Lower Nile Valley: Helwan.

Material examined: EGY: Holotype male, Helwan, 17.IV.1934 ( Farag ) ; Paratypes: 1 female, same data as holotype ; 1 female, Helwan , 16.IV.1930 (Tewfik) ; 1 male, dissected, Wadi Hetaim , 16.IV.1930 (Tewfik) ; 1 male and 1 female, Wadi Rigam El-Sheikh Salama , 14.IV.1930 (Tewfik) [EFC] .

Description. Holotype, male. Relatively medium-sized species, body length: 8 mm, wing length: 6.5 mm. Head ( Fig. 18 ) dark brown to black in ground color, face yellowish; frons with numerous black hairs and sparse yellowishwhite long scales, being denser on lower part; face densely covered with yellowish-white scales and hairs becoming more whitish on sides, with few black hairs on apex of facial cone; gena with white hairs; occiput densely covered with pure white scales, but yellowish on middle behind vertex; antennae ( Fig. 17 ) entirely dark brown with black hairs on scape and pedicel; flagellum conical, tapering at apical half; upper part of frons in male less than three times as wide as ocellar tubercle. Thorax including scutellum dark brown to black in ground color; scutum covered with yellowish-white vestiture, mixed with whitish scales on posterior part, few short black hairs on postalar calli; white transverse band of scales and scaly-hairs present on scutum in front of wing bases; scutellum covered with white longitudinal scales, becoming slightly yellowish at middle; thoracic setae reddish-yellow, being glossy golden-yellow at posterior margin of scutum and on all scutellum; tufts of pure white long scales present above hind coxae; episternum densely covered with white vestiture. All legs dark brown, with tarsi and apical halves of tibiae black; legs covered with white scales mixed with yellowish ones; all legs except fore tibiae with black setae. Wings with faint brown or yellowish-brown basicostal infuscation extending over basal half of surface, becoming paler at base and costal margin, with hyaline spots on crossveins (window panes); basal medial cell (bm) faintly infuscated brownish with slightly darker spot on apex not joined to brownish large spot on basal half of discal medial cell (dm); posterior cubital cell (cup) slightly infuscated but without a distinct spot; brownish spot on base of discal medial cell always reaching beyond base of r–m crossvein; third posterior cell (m2) and anterior cubital cell (cua1) narrowly infuscated at base; calypter yellowish, fringed with pure white longitudinal scales; base of costa covered with yellowish-brown scales; halter yellowish-brown with whitish-yellow tip. Abdomen dark brown in ground color; sides of 1 st tergite and anterior corners of 2 nd tergite with pure white hairs, mixed with dark brown to black hairs on posterior corners of latter; sides of 4 th and 5 th tergites and posterior margins of latter with numerous long black hairs; rest of abdominal hairs white to whitish-yellow; 2 nd tergite broadly covered with white to yellowish-white scales on anterior quarter, and dark brown to black scales on posterior three-quarters forming broad transverse dark band; transverse bands of yellowish-white scales present on anterior two-thirds of 3 rd and 4 th tergites, only narrow dark brown bands present on posterior margins; almost entire 5 th tergite and anterior half of 6 th tergite covered with dark brown to black scales, only few brownish-yellow scales present on posterior margin of 5 th tergite, rest of 6 th tergite and entire 7 th tergite with whitish scales. Male genitalia ( Figs. 19 – 24 ) with epiphallus long, broad, straight, bluntly rounded at apex, not spinulate.

Female (paratype). Similar to male holotype but with upper part of frons more than three times as wide as ocellar tubercle. Female genitalia not dissected.

Figures

FIGURES 16–24. Thyridanthrax elegansoides sp. nov. 16. habitus; 17. antenna; 18. Head, lateral; 19, 20. hypopygium, lateral; 21. tip of epiphallus, lateral; 22. tip of epiphallus, dorsal; 23. epandriun, lateral; 24. gonocoxites, ventral.