Pachyanthrax nomadorum ( Greathead, 1970 )

El-Hawagry, Magdi S., 2018, Review of the genus Pachyanthrax François (Diptera: Bombyliidae) from Egypt, with description of two new species, Zootaxa 4375 (4), pp. 502-510 : 506-509

Pachyanthrax nomadorum ( Greathead, 1970)

( Figs 15, 18 )

Villa nomadorum Greathead, 1970: 107 .

Villa albifacies ( Macquart, 1840) sensu Engel (1937: 578) . Pachyanthrax nomadorum ( Greathead, 1970) : Greathead (1988: 106). Type locality: Mauritania [H in BMNH].

Distribution. AF: Mauritania, Nigeria, Yemen. PA: Egypt, Morocco, United Arab Emirates. Egyptian localities. Eastern Desert: Suez Road; Lower Nile Valley & Delta: Berkash; Western Desert: Cairo- Fayoum Road, Siwa Oasis.

Dates of collection: June to August.

Diagnosis. This is a very distinct species characterized by the complete absence of black hairs and scales and by that all bristles are white or yellowish-white except the black bristles on legs ( Greathead 1970). Body length: 9– 10 mm, wing length: 7–8 mm. Vertex, frons and face with short uniform yellowish hairs; ocellar triangle small, scape and pedicel reddish yellow, flagellum dark brown; scutum black in the ground colour; majority of scutellumreddish brown; wings iridescent hyaline with basal comb with fine black hairs and yellowish scales; legs yellow with coxae and tarsi darker brownish; abdomen black with lateral and posterior margins of tergites reddish-brown to brown that is much prevailing on tergites 2, 3, 4 & 7.

Note: This is the first record of this species in Egypt. Its specimens were included in a series of Veribubo anus ( Wiedemann, 1828) amongst many other bee flies that were loaned to the British bee fly taxonomist late Dr. John Bowden (died in 2012) from the main Egyptian insect collections. Some specimens are labeled with hand written labels by Dr. Bowden as “ Villa albifiacies ”; he might have identified them using Engel (1937); however, the famed British bee fly taxonomist late Dr. David Greathead (died in 2006) checked these specimens and commented to me (personal communication) that they appear to be Pachyanthrax nomadorum . He agreed with me that specimens that were identified as Anthrax albifacies Macquart, 1840 and transferred to the genus Villa by Engel (1937) are conspecific with his species Pachyanthrax nomadorum (Greathead) .

Material examined. 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Fayoum Road (K. 55), 16.6.1947 ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 5th Tour . Suez Road, 16.7.1922, 1 ♂, same previous locality, 13.8.1922 ( Efflatoun ) ; 2 ♂, 1 ♀, Siwa Oasis, 5.8.1927 ( Efflatoun ); preserved in EFC.

Figures

FIGURES 12–18. Egyptian Pachyanthrax. 12–16. Habitus: 12. Holotype ♂, Pachyanthrax amri sp. nov.; 13. Pachyanthrax circe (Klug, 1832); 14. Holotype ♂, Pachyanthrax mogyi sp. nov.; 15. Pachyanthrax nomadorum (Greathead, 1970); 16. Pachyanthrax tabaninus (Bezzi, 1925).17–18. Male genitalia:17. Pachyanthrax circe (Klug, 1832), lateral; 18. Pachyanthrax nomadorum (Greathead, 1970), lateral.