Laphyragogus orientalis DE BEAUMONT, 1970

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 : 312-313

Laphyragogus orientalis DE BEAUMONT, 1970 , stat. nov. (figs 17-21)

Laphyragogus ajjer orientalis DE BEAUMONT, 1970: 17 , ♁, ♀

Holotype: ♁, Iran: Baluchistan: SW Iranshar (NMS, ZMHU). Paratypes examined. Stat. nov.

As Laphyragogus spec. in SCHMID- EGGER (2011: 545).

M a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: Iran 1♁ 2.vi.1954 Baluchistan: SW Iranshar, Dunes Rig Ispakeh (leg. Richter u. Schäuffele, NMS). [label: " Paratype L. ajjer orientalis de Beaumont det."].

United Arab Emirates: 1♀ 30.xi.2008 Sharjah Desert Park 25.28N 55.70E, pitfall traps, (leg.

A.v. Harten, CSE).

D i s c u s s i o n: DE BEAUMONT (1970) described L. orientalis as a subspecies of his L. ajjer from central Sahara. The male of L. ajjer could not be examined and was therefore not compared directly with L. orientalis . From description ( DE BEAUMONT 1958, 1959), it differs from L. orientalis by longer lateral spines of S6 (spines are not on S5 as indicated by DE BEAUMONT (1959)) and by a more extended yellow body colour. The here described female of L. ajjer from southern Morocco also differs from L. orientalis in some colour characters (see description below) and by form of platform of T6. For these reasons and because of the long distance between both type locations (Tassili des Ajjer in southern Algeria versus eastern Iran) I treat L. orientalis as valid species and not as subspecies of L. ajjer : stat. nov.

A Laphyragogus female from United Arab Emirates agree morphologically with the paratype female of L. orientalis , but differ from the type female by a more extended yellow colour pattern (see figures and description). The specimen represents most probable a colour form of L. orientalis from UAE.

D i a g n o s i s L. orientalis belongs to the L. aijer species group. See commments about species group characters above. The male of L. orientalis can be distinguished from both other species, in this group, L. ajjer and L. gessi , by larger extend of yellow colour, by longer spines of S6 (twice as long as diameter of hindmetatarsus medially) and by each a lateral tubercle on S7 and a medial tubercle on S8. The female can be recognized by large extend of yellow colour on head and mesosoma (see description). The female is unique by having a pointed (or overhanging) apex of platform of T6, whereas the apex is more or less rectangular in L. gessi and L. ajjer females. Colour pattern is variable, see decription and figures.

D e s c r i p t i o n See DE BEAUMONT (1970), SCHMID- EGGER (2011) for female of United Arab Emirates and figures for colour pattern.

Morphology. Similar to L. ajjer and L. gessi with the following differences: Platform of S6 larger, tip overhanging (rectangular in other species). Mesosoma and head more shiny. S6 apically with triangular emargination (rounded in other species).

D i s t r i b u t i o n: Iran,UnitedArabEmirates.