Oxybelus coffeae Edmardash & Gadallah, 2024

Gadallah, Neveen S., Edmardash, Yusuf A., Abu El-Ghiet, Usama M. & Al-Fifi, Zarrag I. A., 2024, New additions to the crabronid fauna of the Arabian Peninsula and Saudi Arabia (Hymenoptera: Apoidea (Spheciformes): Crabronidae), new distribution records and new species, Zootaxa 5403 (5), pp. 549-570 : 561

Oxybelus coffeae Edmardash & Gadallah sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:5C1E7057-AB8F-42BE-B129-0D3EDDBF4773

Figs 8 (A–D), 9(A–C), 10(A, B)

Type material: Saudi Arabia, Holotype (♂), Fifa Mountain (Development Authority Farm-almukhafih), 1260 m [17º16’07ʺN 43º07’32.3ʺE], May, 2023, Malaise trap in coffee orchard, Usama Abu El-Ghiet collector.

Description of male holotype.

Body length: 5.0 mm

Colouration ( Figs 8A, C , 9A–C , 10A, B ): Body mainly black, with the following yellow areas: pronotal collar, pronotal lobe, two large lateral spots on scutellum, inner area of squama, lateral bands on T 1–4 posteriorly that are gradually reduced to narrow stripes towards gastral apex, tip of T 7 (hardly noticeable), ventral margin of fore femur, dorsal margin of fore tibia, basal half of middle tibia dorsally, narrow stripe along dorsal side of hindtibia; hindtibial spurs. Scape dark brown, with thin yellow streak ventrally, pedicel dark brown, yellow ventrally, F1–3 dark brown, remaining flagellomeres reddish brown to ferruginous. Mandible dark ferruginous, black at tip. Tegula golden yellow; mucro dark ferruginous; posterior margin of T 1–3 translucent. Wings hyaline, with dark brown veins.

Head ( Figs 8A, B , 9A ). Narrower than thorax, more or less rounded, not transverse; frons densely punctate, upper frons with radiating, directed upward pale yellow to golden setae, lower frons with dense whitish setae directed downward, hiding underlying integument; occipital carina sharp, concave; posterior margin of head transversely puncto-rugose, with dense, directed upward fine pale setae; malar space indistinct; scape relatively long, about as long as F1–3 combined, F4–7 transverse, about as long as wide; ocelli placed in wide triangle with base distinctly longer than side; distance between hind ocellus and eye margin less than ocellar diameter; a sharp, directed downward, densely setose, curved beak-like process present between antennal bases; clypeus deeply roundly emarginate apically, with brush of long whitish setae along emargination.

Thorax ( Figs 8C, D , 9A ). Pronotum indistinctly emarginate medially, sharply edged; scutum densely punctate, densely covered with adpressed golden setae (setae not concealing underlying integument), punctures sparser and coarser on yellow area of scutellum, scutellum with less pale pubescence; squama bifid, ridged; scutellum and metanotum sharply carinate; mucro in form of narrow process, widening posteriorly, emarginate apically, longitudinally crenulate along upper thin part; propodeum conspicuously carinate, shiny between carinae, middle carina V-shaped, extending to apex of propodeum posterior surface; mesosternum shiny, densely punctate, with middle longitudinal groove. Legs with distinctly enlarged last tarsomeres; fore and middle femora flattened ventrally, forefemur smooth and shiny, mid and hind femora with short whitish setae; hindtibia with two rows of sharp, transparent spines along its dorsal surface.

Gaster ( Figs 8A , 9B, C , 10A, B ). Densely punctate, punctures coarse on T 1, gradually reduced on remaining terga; T 3–6 with sharp lateral processes, T 7 small and quadrate, almost as long as wide, slightly truncate at apex, densely punctate; S 2 densely punctate, smooth apically, remaining sterna smooth and shiny, sparsely punctate near base. Genitalia pale yellowish, gonocoxite narrow, rounded apically, with four unequal sharp spines ( Fig. 10B ).

Distribution: Saudi Arabia (Jazan Province).

Etymology. The name of the new species is based on its collection around Coffea arabica Linnaeus.

Comments. Characters of our male holotype do not agree with any of the Arabian species in Guichard’s key (1990: 279). They also do not agree with any of the African species of Arnold’s key (1927: 78) nor with Móczár’s key to Western Palearctic Oxybelus (1957: 281).

Figures

FIGURE 8. Oxybelus coffeae Edmardash & Gadallah, sp. nov. (holotype ♂): A, habitus dorsally; B, frontal view of head; C, D, dorsal view of thorax.

FIGURE 9. Oxybelus coffeae Edmardash & Gadallah, sp. nov. (holotype ♂): A, lateral view of head and thorax; B, dorsal view of thorax (part) and gaster; C, lateral view of gaster.

FIGURE 10. Oxybelus coffeae Edmardash & Gadallah, sp. nov. (holotype ♂): A, dorsal view of gaster (last terga showing lateral spines); B, ventral view of gaster and male genitalia.