Micrapion clavaforme Steffan, 1948

Ahmad, Syed Kamran, Usman, Syeda Uzma, Khan, Farmanur Rahman, Lotfalizadeh, Hossein, Dawah, Hassan A., Rizvi, Parvez Qamar & Anwar, Prince Tarique, 2024, An overview of the Leucospidae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) of the Arabian Peninsula with description of a new species, ZooKeys 1189, pp. 185-202 : 185

Micrapion clavaforme Steffan, 1948

Fig. 9

Micrapion clavaforme Steffan, 1948: 85, female. Lectotype, female (MNHN), designated by Bouček 1974: 220, Gabon (Ogowe), not examined.

Material examined.

3♀, 2♂. Saudi Arabia • Asir, Abha, Hay Al-Menhel ; 18°12'N, 42°29'E; 2214 m alt .; 2♀ (one on card; one on card with one pair of fore wing on slide under 1 coverslip, slide No. HYM.01), 20.xii.2014; H.A. Dawah leg.; Najran • Al-Shurfa, Saleh Maqbol Farm, 17°31'N, 44°15'E; 1342 m alt .; 1♀ (on card, one pair of fore wing on slide under 1 coverslip, slide No. HYM.09), 17.ix.2014; H.A. Dawah leg.; Asir, Abha, Hay Al-Nusub, 18°13'N, 42°30'E; 2226 m alt .; 2♂ (one on card; one on card with one pair of fore wing on slide under 1 coverslip, slide No. HYM.07), 3.vi.2015; H.A. Dawah leg.; ZDAMU.

Remarks.

Females and males were collected in the present study from two sites in Saudi Arabia. They agree fairly well with the original description of M. clavaforme and the diagnoses by Bouček (1974) and Gadallah et al. (2018). In both sexes there are two colour morphs, one brown with ivory stripes and another reddish brown with yellow stripes. All specimens, however, exhibit almost no variation in stripe patterns and wing infuscation.

Schmid-Egger (2010) tentatively identified two Leucospis specimens from Yemen as L. aff. namibica . On close examination of his figure ( Schmid-Egger 2010: 321, pl. 3) there is no doubt that these specimens are not a Leucospis species but Micrapion Kriechbaumer instead. Here, these specimens are re-identified as M. clavaforme .

Host.

Solitary bees: Ceratina Latreille ( Bouček 1974).

Distribution.

Afrotropical: ( Steffan 1948; Bouček 1974). Saudi Arabia (Al Bahah, Asir, Najran) ( Gadallah et al. 2018); Yemen ( Schmid-Egger 2010 as Leucospis aff. namibica ).

Figures

Figure 9. Micrapion clavaforme Steffan, habitus, lateral view A, B dark brown-pale yellow morph A female B male C, D reddish brown-yellow morph C female D male.