Gastrosericus pulawskii 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 : 557

Gastrosericus pulawskii Schmid-Egger , sp. nov.

( Figs 47–52 )

Holotype. ♀ United Arab Emirates, 21.v.1984, Dubai, Al Awir (coll. CSE) . Paratype. ♁ United Arab Emirates, Wadi Wurayah (leg. AvH, coll. CSE) ; Oman 1 ♀ 15.vi.2019 Al Kamel, Sayq, 22,506N, 59,126E (leg. et coll. A. Al-Jahdhami) .

Discussion. It is difficult to determine the male/female relation amoung the new described species, because we found only two single males from locations different from these of the females, and both males cannot be assigned assuredly with the females by morphology. The male which is assigned here to G. pulawski comes from the Hajar mountains in eastern UAE (Wadi Wurayah), and the female paratype also from the same mountains, but in eastern Oman, whereas the holotype female originates from near to Dubai. Nevertheless, this male is assigned to the female of G. pulawskii .

Diagnosis. Gastroceriucus pulawskii is a member of the G. moricei species group (characterized by appressed setae on gena, and by bristle-like appressed setae on pygidial plate in female) and can be recognized by an all red mesosoma and by a sharp longitudinal keel on pronotum laterally. Remaining species have a black mesosoma, and pronotum is rounded laterally. The clypeus bears two shiny transverse swellings near apical margin, which is also unique in the species group.

The male differs by a larger body size, by evenly red legs (partly whitish in G. moricei ), by a red clypeus (yellow in G. moricei and by an apically emarginate sternum VII, which is rounded G. moricei .

Description of female, holotype. Body length 7.1 mm. Colour: whole body orange reddish, upper face, vertex and mesonotum dark reddish. Pronotal lobe white-yellowish. Apical third of mandible black. Wings transparent, wing venation red. Head, mesosoma and legs (apart from dorsal side of femora) covered with dense, silver pubescence, very dense on lower face. Terga I-V with apical bands of silver pubescence. Tergum VI covered with apressed silver bristles. Morphology: Ventral margin of mandible with large tooth in basal third, apex truncate. Disc of clypeus medially in lower third with yellow and shiny transverse lamalla, medially interrupted. Apical clypeal margin medially with two rounded teeth, distance between them as large as midocellar diameter. Inner eye margins divergent toward clypeus. Pronotum in whole width with deep sulcus (“sulcate”), and with sharp keel between sulcus and foremargin on transition between horizontal and lateral parts of pronotum. Body surface finely sculptured. Fore basitarsus with five long spines, apical spine reaching tarsal segment II. Remaining tibia and tarsi with distinct spinulation.

Variation in female: Body length in paratype 8.1 mm.

Description of male. Body length 7.5 mm. Black, mandible except black apex, scape, pronotal lobe, abdomen and legs except coxae red. Apical clypeal margin obtuse (close to 100 o). Tergum VII trunacte apically, apex somewhat emarginate. Sternum VIII deeply U-shaped. Sterna III–IV with large patch of appressed white and long setae, directed backwards, sternum V with weaker patch of similar setae. Fore basitarsus with four or five pale spines, apical spine as long as fore tarsomere II.

Distribution. United Arab Emirates and Oman.

Etymology. The species is dedicated to Wojciech J. Pulawski, a leading expert on Sphecid wasps, who supported the works of CSE over the years. He revised the genus Gastrosericus for the first time.

Figures

FIGURES 41–48. 41–46. Gastrosericus moricei; 41. ♀ lateral view. 42. ♀ face. 43. ♀ tergum VI. 44. ♁ lateral view. 45. ♁ sterna. 46. ♁ apex of abdomen. 47–48. Gastrosericus pulawskii ♀ holotype; 47. Lateral view. 48. Face.

FIGURES 49–56. 49–52. Gastrosericus pulawskii; 49. ♀ holotype, terga. 50. ♁ lateral view. 51. ♁ sterna. 52. ♁ apex of ab- domen. 53–56. Gastrosericus sabulosus ♀; 53. Lateral view. 54. Clypeus. 55. Head and tooth on gena (arrow). 56. Pronotum laterally.