Microcurgus samedensis Al-Jahdhami & Schmid-Egger, 2020

Al-Jahdhami, Ali & Schmid-Egger, Christian, 2020, A new species of Microcurgus Haupt, 1950 (Hymenoptera, Pompilidae) from Oman, Zootaxa 4728 (4), pp. 498-500 : 499-500

Microcurgus samedensis Al-Jahdhami & Schmid-Egger , sp.nov. ( Figs. 1–4 )

Holotype: Oman, 1 female 19.vi.2019 Samed Ashan, Al Mudhaibi, 22.822N 58.150E, leg. Ali Al-Jahdhami, coll. ZSM.

Diagnosis: M. samedensis is well characterized by the uniformly black body color, the shiny body surface and by the yellowish transparent forewing lacking dark patches.

Description: Body length: 5.0 mm. Coloration: Black, upper face and apical half of pronotum dark red. Mandible red brown with black apex. Apical clypeal margin and outer eye margin white. Antennal segments bi- and tricolored (fig. 3). Forewing yellowish transparent, apical part clearly transparent, wing venation yellow with some darker parts. Pterostigma transparent with yellow margin. Apex of abdominal segment V and segment VI white. Legs black, tarsi yellowish-brown. Morphology: Head, mesosoma and abdomen distinctly shiny, propodeum dull and finely granulose. Mesosoma with scattered black bristles, longest bristles as long as POL. Clypeus medially widely emarginated. Mandibular base with brush of long brown bristles, as long as mandible. Malar space as long as diameter of antennal segment III. Eye (measured frontally, in medial face) 0.25x as large as remaining face. Vertex with sharp edge, vertically sloping down directly behind hindocelli. Abdomen with very fine and scattered silver apressed pubescence. Foretarsus without tarsal rake, basitarsus with two short spines, shorter than tarsal diameter. Mid and hindtibia with 5–6 long white spines, as long as apical width of hind tibia or somewhat longer than tibial diameter. Pulvillus small and thin (less than half as large as claw), claw medially with small tooth. Wing venation see fig. 4, similar to remaining species of the genus.

Distribution: Northern Oman.

Habitat: The holotype was collected by hand netting on a small shrub ( Senna italica , Fabaceae ). The location is a wadi in the mountains near date palm gardens.

Etymology: The name is derived from the first part of the city name, Samed Ashan, where the holotype was collected. Samed Ashan is a historical city in Oman.

Figures

FIGURES 1–4. Microcurgus samedensis sp.n. holotype, female. 1. Habitus, lateral view, 2. Mesosoma dorsal view. 3. Head, frontal view. 4. Right forewing.