Oxybelus tinklyi Guichard, 1990

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 : 1713

Oxybelus tinklyi Guichard, 1990

( Figure 7d, e ) Oxybelus tinklyi Guichard, 1990: 282 , ♀, ♂.

Diagnosis

It is the only species in the genus with yellow frons ( Figure 7 (e)); very small species (about 3.0 mm), legs mostly yellow ( Figure 7 (d)); S2 and S3 with yellow bands posteriorly, S4 with narrow interrupted band; squama simple, pointed ( Figure 7 (d)); mucro narrow, finger-like and dark ( Figure 7 (d)); mesoscutum and gastral T1 & T2 coarsely punctate, T3 finely punctate ( Figure 7 (d)); sterna impunctate.

Records from Saudi Arabia

Abu Arish, Ad’Diriyah (near Riyadh), Al Ha’ir (near Riyadh) ( Guichard 1990), Jazan (present study).

General distribution

Iran, Israel, Mali, Niger, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Yemen.

Comments

Our specimens of Oxybelus tinklyi closely resemble those recorded from the United Arab Emirates ( Schmid-Egger 2011, see figs 99, 100) in having T1-5 with postero-lateral yellow bands. They differ from those of Guichard (1990) which have T1-5 with entire bands posteriorly. They also differ from both those of Guichard (1990) and Schmid-Egger (2011) in having the scutellum mostly yellow (with two large, rounded spots in both sexes).

Material examined

3 ♀, 1 ♂, Jazan (Samba), 17º02 ʹ 44.8 ʺ N 42º39 ʹ 31.4 ʺ E, 18.xii.2020, on Citrus aurantiifolia (Christmas) [Malaise trap], leg. Usama Abu El-Ghiet; 2 ♀, Jazan (Haffadhiya), 17º02 ʹ 41.4 ʺ N 42º40 ʹ 01.2 ʺ E, 15.xii.2020, on Jasminum sambac (L.) ( Oleaceae ) [Malaise trap], leg. Usama Abu El-Ghiet.

Figures

Figure 7. Oxybelus spp.: (a) Oxybelus diphyllus A. Costa (male) Dorsal view of thorax and gaster; (b, c) Oxybelus phyllophorus Kohl (female): (b) Dorsal habitus; (c) Frontal view of head; (d, e) Oxybelus tinklyi Guichard (female): (d) Dorsal habitus; (e) Frontal view of head.