Thyridanthrax decipulus ( Austen, 1937 )

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 : 505

Thyridanthrax decipulus ( Austen, 1937) [New record from Egypt]

( Figs. 2 – 9 )

Villa decipulus Austen 1937: 143 . Type locality: Palestine ( West Bank).

Distribution: AF: Oman, United Arab Emirates. PA: Egypt, Palestine ( West Bank), Saudi Arabia.

Egyptian localities: Sinai: Wadi Gharba .

Saudi Arabian localities: Al-Baha: nr. Al-Mekhwa (Al-Mekhwa Governorate). Al-Qassim: Bureida City (Bureida Governorate).

Material examined: EGY: 2 males, Wadi Gharba, 14.IV.1927 (Efflatoun) [EFC]. KSA: 1 male, nr. Al-Mekhwa (Al-Baha-Al-Mekhwa Road), 5.V.2012 (El-Hawagry) [in personal collection of El-Hawagry].

Diagnosis: Body length: approximately 13 mm. Frons and occiput mainly dark gray in ground color; face brownish, with large grayish median spot; oral margin yellowish; upper part of frons in male very narrow, of same width as or slightly wider than ocellar tubercle; frons covered with short black hairs and white scales; face rounded, not projecting, covered with white scales and fine yellowish hairs; occiput clothed with white scales; scape and pedicel yellowish or yellowish-orange, with hairs black above and on sides, and yellowish below; flagellum blackish-brown to black, with apical half tapering ( Fig. 4 ). Scutum blackish in ground color; scutellum, except base and sides, brownish; collar fringed with thick golden yellow hairs, becoming whitish below; thoracic setae more or less golden yellow or reddish-yellow; pleura covered with white scales and fine yellowish hairs. Wings with brownish basicostal infuscation extending over basal half of surface, with basal costal, costal and subcostal cells dark brownish, and base paler brownish; hyaline spots (window panes) present on crossveins and origin of vein R 2+3; basal medial cell (bm) pale brownish, with dark brown spot on apical third, joined to brownish large spot on basal third of discal medial cell (dm); basal radial cell (br) mainly infuscated brownish; posterior cubital cell (cup) infuscated brownish at middle; brownish spot on base of discal medial cell not exceeding base of r–m crossvein; anterior cubital cells (cua 1) narrowly infuscated at base; calypter yellowish, fringed with long white scales. Legs with femora blackish-brown with yellowish-brown tips; tibiae dark brown; tarsi black; femora and tibiae clothed with whitish scales. Abdomen dark gray in ground color, with three white and four black transverse bands of scales; 1 st tergite with yellowish-white scales, becoming pure white on lateral sides; 2 nd tergite with yellowish-white scales on basal two-fifths, rest with black scales; 3 rd tergite with white scales on basal half, and black scales on apical half; 4 th tergite with white scales, becoming yellowish on hind border towards lateral sides; 5 th tergite with black scales on basal half, and yellowish scales on apical half; 6 th tergite with black scales on basal half, and white scales on apical half; 2 nd to 5 th tergites with short and fine black hairs among scales, these hairs become longer on apical half of 5 th tergite; 6 th tergite clothed with fairly long black hairs. Gonocoxites ( Figs. 8, 9 ) prominent at basal half; epiphallus bulging at tip, spinulate dorsally before the bulging tip ( Figs. 5 –7 ).

Figures

FIGURES 2–9. Thyridanthrax decipulus. 2. habitus; 3. Head, lateral; 4. antenna; 5. hypopygium, lateral; 6. tip of epiphallus, lateral; 7. tip of epiphallus, dorsal; 8. gonocoxites, ventral; gonocoxites, lateral.