Parapiagetia haladai Schmid-Egger, 2022

Schmid-Egger, Christian & Harten, Antonius Van, 2022, Additions to the digger wasps (Hymenoptera, Spheciformes) of the United Arab Emirates with description of ten new species, Zootaxa 5219 (6), pp. 543-575 : 570-572

Parapiagetia haladai Schmid-Egger , sp. nov.

( Fig. 106–110 )

Holotype. ♁, United Arab Emirates, 19.iii.2015, Bithnah, Camel tract, Allabsa 25°26′N 55°44′E, leg. J. Halada (coll OLL).

Diagnosis. The male of P. haladai belongs to the P. erythropoda group sensu Pulawski (1977) and is unique among the Palearctic species by the length of the antennal segments. AS 3 is as long AS 4 and 1.6× as long as apical width, wheras it is shorter than AS 4 (and shorter in absolute length) in all remaining species (apart from P. subtilis Pulawski from Namibia). Also, body length is larger than in remaining males, and tergum I is broader (see description). Another unique character is large and apically sharply rectangular tergum VII.

Description of male: Body length 9.2 mm. Colour: Grey, with the following yellowish-brown: mandible except apex and base, legs from femoral apex to tarsi, tegula and wing venation (the latter bright yellow). Terga I–V apically, terga I–II laterally and sterna I–II brownish yellowish, not clearly separeated from greyish parts of terga. Wings transparent. Whole body covered with pubescence, this of head and mesosoma long and erect, on legs and abdomen short and appressed. Tergum VII apically red. Morphology: Mandible in basal third with triangular tooth. Clypeal lobe medially with sharp tooth. Mesonotum and mesopleuron finely punctured, propodeal dorsum finely transverse striate. AS 3 somewhat longer than AS 4, AS 3 1.5× as long as wide. Tergum VII large, apically sharply rectangular, with distinct lateral carinae, basally with some large scattered punctures, punctation apically denser. Sternum VIII apically rounded, with some long white setae. Genitalia: see Fig. 110 .

Female. Unknown

Distribution. United Arab Emirates.

Etymology. The species is named in honor of Jiři Halada, a biologist of Czech Republic, who collected the holotype and who gave a fundamental contribution to the knowledge of Crabronidae and other Hymenoptera families during several collecting trips to many parts of the World.

Figures

FIGURES 105–112. 105. Parapiagetia arabica ♁ mesosoma and tergum I, dorsal view. 106–110. Parapiagetia haladai ♁ holotype; 106. Lateral view. 107. Face. 108.Antenna. 109. Forwing.110. Genitalia, lateral view. 111–112. Parapiagetia huwrobertsi ♀ holotype; 111. Lateral view. 112. Face.