Oodera similis Gadallah & Soliman sp. nov. Figs 2D, 3D, 4D, 5 (D, H), 6D, 7D, 8D, 9(D, H), 10D, 11(C, F)

Material examined.

Holotype ♀: SAUDI ARABIA, Riyadh (Wadi Al Hesiyah, 40 km NW Riyadh), 30.iv.2017, leg. D. Baiocchi, e.l. Acacia sp. [KSMA]; Paratypes: 1♀ & 1♂, OMAN Al-Dakhiliyah (Al-Hamra), 21.i.2018, leg. D. Baiocchi, e.l. Acacia sp. [KSMA].

Diagnosis.

Both sexes (N = 3). See Table 1.

Description.

Female (holotype): Body length 6.3 mm (excluding the ovipositor).

Colour. Head black with slight blue-green tint on corona, scrobal depression and occiput (Figs 5D, 6D), become coppery with green luster on face, and blue on gena (Figs 5D, H); scape red-brown, rest of antenna, maxillary and labial palpi dark brown to black (Figs 3D, 7D). Mesosomal dorsum black with green and purple luster on pronotum, anterior third of mesoscutal median lobe, anterior part of axilla and on propodeum (Figs 8D, 9D, H); mesoscutellum metallic green, with slight coppery luster anteriorly (Fig. 9H); mesosomal venter blue-green, with purple luster on mesopleuron (Fig. 4D); coxae black with strong green luster on ventral side, mesocoxa mostly black (Fig. 4D); trochanters, tibiae and tarsi red-brown, protrochanter darker (Figs 3D, 4D); profemur black with purple-green tint on outer side (Fig. 3D). Metasoma black, tergites with patches of blue laterally (Fig. 2D, 3D, 4D). Wings hyaline, veins brown (Fig. 10D).

Head. 1.7 × as wide as long, hea.w 4.2 × eye.d (Fig. 5D); face setiferous foveate-reticulate, setae lanceolate, white and short (Fig. 5D); msp.l 0.4 × head height (Fig. 5H); corona 0.5 × as long as eye.h (Fig. 5D); POL 1.7 × OOL (Fig. 6D); scape 3.5 × as long as pedicel; clava 0.13 × as long as funicle; flagellum 1.3 × as long as hea.w; F1 0.75 × as long as F2; F2 hardly longer than F3, 1.05 × .

Mesosoma. Pronotum pentagonal, 0.5 × as long as mesonotum (Fig. 8D); mesonotum 1.5 × as long as mesoscutum (Fig. 8D); mesoscutum 0.9 × as long as wide (Fig. 8D); mesoscutellum 0.5 × as long as mesoscutum (Fig. 8D); propodeum with costate ridge in front of the setose area (Fig. 9H); profemur 1.3 × as long as protibia.

Forewing (Fig. 10D). Forewing 2.75 × as long as wide; costal cell 0.4 × as long as forewing; marginal vein 0.2 × as long as forewing; marginal vein 3.5 × as long as stigmal vein; postmarginal vein 3.66 × as long as stigmal vein.

Metasoma (Fig. 2D, 3D, 4D). mts.l/mts.w = 2.12.

Male.

Similar to female except for second and third metasomal sternites with blue reflection. Genitalia (Fig. 11C, F). Narrowly rounded above; volsella with five sharp, outwardly curved teeth, of which the innermost is minute.

Host record.

Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) abdita Bílý, 1982, A. (H.) kneuckeri zabranskyi Bílý, 1995 ( Buprestidae).

Distribution.

Oman (Al-Dakhiliyah governorate); Saudi Arabia (Riyadh region).

Remarks.

This species resembles the Oriental species O. srilankiensis Werner & Peters 2018 (Sri Lanka) in having the body robust; antennal scape red-brown, rest of antenna black; flagellum about 1.3 × as long as head width; pronotum about 0.5 × as long as mesonotum; pronotum pentagonal, with broadest part before midlength; propodeum large; forewing hyaline; marginal vein medium; ovipositor distinctly shorter than metasoma (less than 0.25 × metasomal length). However, it differs from O. srilankiensis in the following combination of characters: body size larger, 6.30−6.5 mm in length (4.00−5.75 mm in srilankiensis); head and mesosoma black with metallic green, blue, purple and coppery in different parts (dark blue to blue-green in srilankiensis); head 1.70 × as wide as long (1.28−1.48 × in srilankiensis); head width 4.20 × eye distance (3.44−3.85 × in srilankiensis); corona 3.10−3.40 × as long as wide, with structure interrupted (3.70−4.75 × as long as wide, with structure continuous in srilankiensis); mesoscutellum almost entirely lineate, finely areolate slightly before frenal line (meoscutellum lineate in anterior third to half, rugulose in posterior half or two-thirds in srilankiensis); profemur robust, 1.95−2.00 × as long as wide (usually medium to elongated, 1.98 –2.33× as long as wide, in srilankiensis).

The new species resembles also the Palaearctic species, O. niehuisorum Werner & Peters, 2018 in having the small body size; wings hyaline; eye large; metasoma short; pronotum pentagonal, with broadest part before midlength. However, it differs from O. niehuisorum in the following combination of characters: head with some blue (never with blue in niehuisorum); antenna with scape red-brown, rest dark brown to black (scape and pedicel (except apex of pedicel) yellow, rest dark brown to black in niehuisorum); corona thick, 3.10−3.40 × as long as wide, with structure interrupted (medium, 3.80−6.00 × as long as wide, with structure continuous); mesoscutellum normal, sct.l/sct.w 0.60−0.72 (normal to slender in niehuisorum, 0.55−0.85); propodeum large, ppd. l/msc.l 0.17−0.21 (medium to large in niehuisorum, 0.12−2.15); mesoscutellum completely lineate, slightly finely areolate before frenal line (densely lineate in anterior half to anterior two-thirds, and areolate on posterior half or third in niehuisorum); profemur robust, fm1.l/fm1.w 1.95−2.00 (robust to medium in niehuisorum, 1.82−2.15); marginal vein medium, mav.l/pmv.l 1.95−1.00 (short in niehuisorum, 0.78−0.89); ovipositor short, ovp.l/mts.l 0.13−0.14 (short to rather long in niehuisorum, 0.14−0.18).

Etymology.

From the Latin, refers to the similarity of this species with O. srilankiensis Werner & Peters.