Lyroda centralafricana Schmid-Egger & Al-Jahdhami, 2021

Schmid-Egger, Christian & Al-Jahdhami, Ali, 2021, The genus Lyroda Say, 1837 in Africa and Arabian Peninsula with description of two new species (Hymenoptera, Crabronidae), Zootaxa 4915 (2), pp. 273-281 : 275-276

Lyroda centralafricana Schmid-Egger & Al-Jahdhami sp. nov.

( Figs 3, 4 , 15–18 , 23, 25 )

Holotype: CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: 1 Ƌ, 24.iv. 2010 ,75 km N Sibut , 6022 ’ N 18059 ’E (leg. J. Halada, coll. OLL) . Paratypes: CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: 2 ƋƋ , 2 ♀ ♀, 8.iv. 2010, 70 km NNE Bangui, 4057 ’ N 18046 ’E; 1 ♀, 13.xii. 2008, 40 km S Nola , 3023 ’ N 16010 ’E; 1 Ƌ, 12.xii. 2008, 35 km NE Nola 3046 ’ N 16013 ’E; 1 Ƌ, 1.v. 2010, 10 km NNE Mbaiki , 3056 ’ N 18000 ’ E; 1 Ƌ, 40 km N Berberati , 4032 ’ N 15056 ’E; 1 Ƌ, 30.iii. 2010, 60 km SE Bouar, 5042 ’ N 16000 ’E; ZAMBIA: 2 ƋƋ, 2.i. 2003, 50 km W Chingola (all specimens leg. J. Halada, in coll. OLL) .

Diagnosis: Lyroda centralafricana is similar to L. aethiopica and L. salalah . It can be recognized by a laterally polished propodeum without punctuation, which is distinctly microsculptured in the other species. Also, propodeal dorsum is surrounded by a shiny and less sculptured margin, whereas the propodeal dorsum is evenly sculptured in L. aethiopica and L. salalah . However, this character is not easy visible especially in males, and in one female the shiny margin is restricted to the apex of propodeal dorsum. The best recognition character is the clypeal lamella of the male. It is distinctly larger than in L. aethiopica and L. salalah , with two distinct teeth in the middle. In both other specimens is only a single tooth or protuberance medially.Also, last three abdominal segments in females, and last four segments in males are orange red in all type specimens, whereas segment 6 is always black in remaining species, apart of one male of L. aethiopica from RSA.

Description of holotype male: Body length: 8.0 mm. Colour: black with the following parts orange red: Mandible except dark apex, apical foretarsomere, abdominal segments 4–7. Face up to midocellus, pronotum, mesonotum apically and laterally, scutellum and metanotum with golden pubescence, this of lower face very dense. Remaining mesosoma with silver pubescence. T 1–3 with apical silver bands of pilosity. T 6–7 with golden pubescence. S2–7 each with 2–3 long yellow bristles. Wings transparent, with bluish shimmer. Morphology: ACM with large lamella, as large as distance between antennal bases, measured on outer margin of antennal base. Lamella medially with two small teeth. Pronotum with lateral and medial tubercle, as in remaining species. Mesosoma above grainlike sculptured, mesosoma laterally and mainly propodeum laterally shiny. Propodeal dorsum with distinct medial carina, laterally with crosswise wrinkles, apex shiny.

Variation of male paratypes: Body length 6.2 – 9.0 mm. Red colour of abdomen variable. In some specimens T4 basally black, in other T3 apically red.

Description of female: Body length 7.0–9.8 mm. Agree in general aspects with the male, with the following differences: ACM: lateral set with three teeth, intermediate set without teeth, medial set with two large and rounded teeth. Clypeus below with some long bristles. Fore basitarsus with 6–8 yellow spines, and with a row of long (compared with L. aethiopica ) white setae in-between. Pubescence of face and mesosoma silver instead of golden. Abdominal segments 4–6 orange red. T6 with large pygidial area, surrounded by black carina and covered with short yellow setae.

Distribution: Central African Republic, Zambia.

Etymology: The species is named after the country of origin, the Central African Republic.

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Specimens in dorsal view. 1. Lyroda aethiopica ♀ from Burkina Faso. 2. Lyroda aethiopica Ƌ from Ethiopia. 3. Lyroda centralafricana ♀ from Central African Republic. 4. Lyroda centralafricana Ƌ holotype. 5. Lyroda formosa ♀ from Vietnam. 6. Lyroda formosa Ƌ from Bangladesh. 7. Lyroda salalah ♀ holotype. 8. Lyroda salalah Ƌ.

FIGURES 15–18. Lyroda centralafricana. 15. ♀ from Central African Republic, face. 16. ♀ Clypeus. 17. Holotype Ƌ, last tergites. 18. Holotype Ƌ clypeus.

FIGURES 23–28. Drawing of clypeal outline. 23. Lyroda centralafricana ♀. 24. Lyroda salalah Holotype ♀. 25. Lyroda centralafricana holotype Ƌ. 26. Lyroda salalah Ƌ. 27. Lyroda aethiopica Ƌ from Ethiopia. 28. Lyroda aethiopica Ƌ from RSA