Laphyragogus gessi, Schmid, 2022

Schmid, Christian, 2022, A revision of Laphyragogus KOHL, 1889, with description of a new species (Hymenoptera, Spheciformes), Linzer biologische Beiträge 54 (1), pp. 303-318 : 308-310

Laphyragogus gessi SCHMID- EGGER nov. sp. (figs 3-10)

Holotype: Oman: ♁ 14.iii.2022 20 km W Barka, Wadi Far 57.719N 23.760E (leg. et coll CSE) . Paratypes: United Arab Emirates: 8♁♁ 20-30.iv.2015 Dubai Desert conservation Reserve 24.821N 55.615E (leg. Gess, coll. AM and CSE) ; 1 ♀ 1.iv.2015 UAE ; Um al-Quwain prov, Biatah, 25°25'N 57°47‘'E (leg. J. Halada, coll. J. Straka) ; Oman 1♁ 3.iii.2019 Bidljah, near industrial zone, 22.446N 58.861E (leg. et coll. Ali Al Jahdhami). 1♁ 14.iii.2022 20 km W Barka, Wadi Far 57.719N 23.760E (leg. et coll CSE) .

D i a g n o s i s L. gessi belongs to the L. ajjer species group. The male is unique by the combination of short spines at S 6 in combination with an all black mesonotum, mesopleuron and mesosternum. The female differs by a nearly all black face and mesosoma (only with a small spot each on clypeus, metanotum and on lateral backside of propodeum) from the markedly yellow spotted L. ajjer and L. orientalis . Body surface is in direct comparisation less shiny than in L. orientalis .

D e s c r i p t i o n o f m a l e h o l o t y p e: Body length 8, 1 mm. Color: Black, light yellow are: clypeus, large spots in lower inner eye margin, space between clypeus and antennal sockets, small median line from antennal socket to midocellus, mandible except reddish apex, AS 1-2, pronotum except black transverse medial band, pronotal lobe, narrow band on lateral margin of mesoscutum, scutellum except large medial black spot, metapleural flange, metanotum, propodeum laterally (with some red below white spot), large bands on underside of fore- and midfemora (remaining part of femora reddish), tibiae and tarsi (tibiae with some red above). T1-6 reddish with whitish apical band, half as wide as tergal length. T7 whitish, apex and triangular basal platform reddish. Coxa and sternites light reddish. Clypeus, face, mesopleuron and propodeum covered with dense and long silver semiappressed pilosity, mesonotum and frons above with sparser, but also long pilosity. Morphology: Mandibel medially below with small tooth. Mesoscutum basally finely microsculptured, basally smooth with very fine microsculpture and indistinct scattered punctation. Mesopleuron and propodeal dorsum grainlike microsculptured. Scutellum more shiny as mesoscutum, punctured. Tergites finely grainlike microsculptured. Midtarsomeres II and III strongly lobed apically. T7 with large triangular platform basally, apically truncate-rounded. Apical margin of S2-6 widely V-like emarginate. S6 laterally each with spine, as long as median diameter of hindbasitarsus, directed downwards. S7 laterally each with a small rounded impression. Genitalia strongly modified, see fig. 10.

V a r i a t i o n i n p a r a t y p e s: Male paratypes agree with holotype apart from minor variation in extension of yellow colour of mesosoma.

D e s c r i p t i o n o f f e m a l e: Body length 7.9 mm. Colour: All black with the following parts whitish-yellow: small median spot in clypeus, apical two third of mandible (apex dark reddish), small band each on pronotum apcially and basally, small band on mesonotum in front of tegula, tegula, wing venation (wing venation in apical half of wing darker), metapleural flange, metanotum, small spot on propodeum laterally in hind corner, band on outer side of forefemur (half as long as femur), apex of mid- and hindfemora, upper side of tibiae, tarsi. Abdomen reddish, with large apical whitish band on T1 and T5, and some indistinct pale spots on following tergites. T6 reddish-yellowish. Face and propodeum covered with long, silver pubescence, at face appressed, at propodeum semi-erect. Tegula, wing base and wing venation yellow, wings transparent. Morphologically similar to L. ajer.

L i f e H i s t o r y: The holotype was collected on a flowering kapok bush ( Aerva javanica , family Amaranthaceae ) in a sandy habitat, belonging to coastal dunes.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: United Arab Emirates, Oman.

E t y m o l o g y: The species is named in honour to Sarah Gess from Grahamstown, South Africa, who collected the first specimens of the species.