Bembix arabica Edmardash & Gadallah, 2021

Gadallah, Neveen S., Abu El-Ghiet, Usama M. & Edmardash, Yusuf A., 2021, New data on the crabronid fauna of Saudi Arabia (Hymenoptera: Apoidea (Spheciformes): Crabronidae) from Jazan Province, with the description of three new species and the hitherto unknown male of Miscophus chrysis Kohl, 1894, Journal of Natural History 55 (27 - 28), pp. 1697-1748 : 1727-1733

Bembix arabica Edmardash & Gadallah , sp. nov.

( Figures 16 (a-d), 17(a-c), 18(a-c))

Type material

Holotype male: Saudi Arabia, Jazan (Damad), 17º08 ʹ 05.1 ʺ N 42º45 ʺ 58.8 ʺ E, 20–25.xii.2020, on Moringa oleifera Lam. (Moringaceae) [Malaise trap], leg. Usama Abu El-Ghiet.

Diagnosis

The male holotype is characterised by the black and yellow colour ( Figure 16 (a)); antennal F8-10 with conspicuous excavations beneath ( Figure 16 (b)); the presence of a row of very small teeth on midfemoral venter ( Figure 16 (d)); fore basitarsus with six long, flattened yellowish spines ( Figure 17 (b)); S2 with longitudinal median carina ( Figure 17 (c)), S6 with pointed elevation postero-medially ( Figure 18 (c)); genitalia as in Figure 18 (a–c).

Description of male holotype

Body length 16 mm; fore wing length: 10 mm.

Colouration ( Figure 16 (a–d) and 17(b,c))). Head and thorax black except the following: posterior margin of eyes with thin yellow streak, small rounded yellow spot on upper third of inner eye orbit, interantennal distance yellowish, flagellomeres excavations yellow, thin yellow streak on antennal scape beneath that doesn’t extend to apex, F11 yellow beneath and apically; clypeus broadly creamy white along its free margin, widened laterally, black basally; labrum whitish (except dark basally and at tip); mandible yellow, with black tip; pronotal lobe pale; tegula yellow, with large median black spot. Gaster with T1 black, with triangular yellow marking laterally; T2 with broad yellow band occupying most of tergum, with black lateral slit inside yellow band; T3 and T4 with two broad cup-shaped yellow markings attached to each other medially; T5 & T6 with broad, medially constricted yellow bands, narrower on T6; T7 entirely black. Gastral sterna shiny black, S2-5 with small, postero-lateral triangular yellow spots. All legs (except black coxae and trochanters) partly yellow; first four foretarsomeres with large rounded black spots beneath (smaller on basitasus); claws yellow at base, remainder dark reddish brown. Wings ( Figure 17 (a)) hyaline with ochreous veins, costa and subcosta (as far as its junction with the basal vein) black. Genitalia dark brown, with penis valve reddish brown, and black at tip. Pilosity golden, suberect on head and lateral sides and anteriorly on mesoscutum, very dense on propodeum, concealing integument beneath. Thoracic sterna with dense pilosity. Pronotal lobe surrounded with dense, short, stiff setae.

Head ( Figure 16 (b,c)). Vertex slightly impressed on each side of ocellar area; inner margins of eyes more or less parallel; face with pointed carina between antennal bases. Clypeus moderately convex, free margin straight to slightly concave, with fine whitish short, appressed setae. Antenna long and slender, scape relatively long, about as long as or slightly longer than F1; F1 about 1.5 × F2; F5-7 slightly but distinctly spined beneath; F8-10 distinctly excavated beneath, less deep on F8; F11 slightly concave ventrally, and broadly rounded at tip (sausage-like). Labrum conical shaped, with pointed apex. Mandible long and thin, with inner subapical tooth, well-crossed over labrum.

Thorax ( Figure 16 (a,d)). Pronotum depressed below level of mesoscutum, hardly visible in dorsal view; mesoscutum, scutellum, propodeum (hardly visible under dense pilosity), and mesopleuron shiny, densely, finely punctate. Legs ( Figures 16 (d) and 17(b)). Middle tibia with 2–3 longitudinal rows of short, pale spines; forebasitarsus about as long as following tarsomeres combined, with six, long flattened spines; middle femur with short, separated regular spines ventrally, well seen on apical half.

Gaster ( Figures 16 (a), 17(c) and 18(a–c)). Terga densely, very finely punctate; T7 not incised laterally, broadly rounded apically, T 8 in form of two, finger-like narrow processes. Sterna shiny, S2 with longitudinal carina medially (with no keel), sparsely punctate posteriorly, with dense punctures at base; remaining of sterna sparsely punctate laterally, S6 with pointed elevation medio-posteriorly; S7 with longitudinal carina medially; S8 with postero-median, relatively long and sharply pointed prolongation. Genitalia with parameres bulged preapically, and slightly notched at apex, penis valve slightly shorter than gonocoxite ( Figure 18 (a–c)).

Distribution

So far from Jazan ( Saudi Arabia).

Etymology

The new species is named in reference to Saudi Arabia,where the type specimen was collected .

Remarks

The new species resembles both Bembix lusca Spinola and Bembix oculata Latreille in having nearly the same colour pattern on the gaster; fore metatarsal rake with six long spines; F8, F9 excavated beneath. The following table shows the similarities and differences between the three species

Figures

Figure 16. Bembix arabica Edmardash & Gadallah, sp.nov. (male holotype): (a) Dorsal habitus; (b) Frontal view of head; (c) Frontal view of head (showing labrum); (d) Lateral view of head, thorax and basal part of gaster.

Figure 17. Bembix arabica Edmardash & Gadallah, sp.nov. (male holotype): (A) Fore and hind wings;(B) Ventral side of fore tibia and tarsus; (C) Ventral view of gaster.

Figure 18. Bembix arabica Edmardash & Gadallah, sp.nov. (male holotype): (a) Last gastral terga including genitalia; (b) Last gastral sterna including genitalia; (c) Last gastral sterna including genitalia.