Cerceris albopectoris Empey, 1973

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 : 1702

Cerceris albopectoris Empey, 1973

( Figure 3 a-d) Cerceris albopectoris Empey, 1973: 16 , ♂.

Diagnosis

Female black with extensively whitish area on all body parts ( Figure 3 (a–d)); clypeus with median lobe sharply protruded apico-medially, protrusion shiny dark brown ( Figure 3 (a)), lateral parts very narrow and arched, all apex of the three parts with dense pale setae; mandible stout, with inner subbasal lobe or tooth ( Figure 3 (a)); propodeum with dorsal enclose obliquely striate, with a middle longitudinal sulcus, densely coarsely punctate on lateral sides ( Figure 3 (b)); hind coxa with apico-inferior sharp spine ( Figure 3 (c)); fore wing hyaline, distinctly infuscate apically; pygidium coarsely rugose, sharply edged laterally, with upwardly curved setae along lateral edges ( Figure 3 (d)); S2 without noticeable platform; S6 with two finger-like processes surrounded with tufts of pale brownish setae, enclosing deep emargination ( Figure 3 (c)).

Records from Saudi Arabia

Bahra (near Jeddah) ( Guichard 1993), Jazan (present study).

General distribution

Oman, Saudi Arabia, Yemen.

Comments

Empey (1973) described this species from a male specimen collected from southern Arabia (no specific locality). The female was later discovered and described by Guichard (1993). Our female completely resembles that of the male described by Empey (1973) especially in its colour pattern; it also completely resembles Guichard’s females in all characters.

Material examined

3 ♀, Jazan (Damad), 17º08 ʹ 05.1 ʺ N 42º45 ʺ 58.8 ʺ E, 24.xii.2020, on Moringa oleifera Lam. (Moringaceae) [Malaise trap], leg. Usama Abu El-Ghiet.

Figures

Figure 3. (a–d) Cerceris albopectoris Empey (male); (e–h) Cerceris vagula Kohl (male): (a) Frontal view of head (clypeal protrution indicated); (b) Dorsal view of thorax; (c) Ventral view of gaster; (d) Last gastral terga (showing epipygium); (e) Frontal view of head; (f) Dorsal view of head and thorax; (g) Dorsal view of gaster; (h) Last gastral terga.