Parapiagetia huwrobertsi Schmid-Egger, 2022

Schmid-Egger, Christian & Harten, Antonius Van, 2022, Additions to the digger wasps (Hymenoptera, Spheciformes) of the United Arab Emirates with description of ten new species, Zootaxa 5219 (6), pp. 543-575 : 572-574

Parapiagetia huwrobertsi Schmid-Egger , sp. nov.

( Figs 111–116 )

Holotype. ♀, United Arab Emirates, Al Ajban , 26.vi.2006, leg. AvH, in Malaise traps ( CSE) . Paratypes: 30 km SEE of Ruwais, Houbara Protected Area, 1 ♁, 30.iv.2016. 1 ♁, 13.vi.2016. 1 ♁, 31.v.2017. 11 ♁, 31.v.2016. 26 ♁, 2 ♀, 30.vi.2016. Abu Dhabi, Al Wathba Wetland Reserve 1 ♀, 15.v.2015. Al Ajban 1 ♁, 07.viii.2006. 60 ♁, 15.vii.2006. 1 ♀, 11.ix.2006. 2 ♀, 21.viii.2006. 2 ♀, 12.ix.2006. 3 ♀, 07.viii.2006. 6 ♀, 08.iv.2006. 7 ♀, 22.v.2006. 17 ♀, 19.vi.2006. 20 ♀, 26.vi.2006. 20 ♀, 25.vii.2006. 25 ♀, 02.v.2006. Al Bida’a Protected Area , 1 ♁, 29.x.1971. 5 ♁, 06.ix.2018. 4 ♁, 1 ♀, 16.viii.2018. Barqa al-Saqoor, 1 ♀, 29.x.2018; 9 ♁ 5 ♀, 17.06.2019, Al Bida’a Protected Area ; 1 ♀ 19.05.2020, Jebel Hafeet National Park , all collected by A.S & AvH, in Malaise traps (coll. CSE and Berlin museum), specimens from A. Wathba already mentioned as P. erythropoda in Schmid-Egger (2011). Oman, Dhofar, Wadi Darbat near Highway 17,065N 54,431E, 1 ♁, 29.viii.2019, leg. et coll. CSE .

Remarks. Schmid-Egger (2011) published Parapiagetia species from the UAE as P. erythropoda . More detailed examination and comparisation with other specimens of the P. erythropoda lineage from different localities in Africa, Iran and India show that the UAE specimens belong to an undescribed species. P. erythropoda sensu Pulawski (1977) comprises some different and clearly distinghuishable species, which are already described and are currently synonymised with P. erythropoda . In our opinion, P. erythropoda s.str. is restricted to Iran, India and adjacent countries, whereas the African taxa belong to different species. The topic will be treated in a separate contribution.

Diagnosis. Parapiagetia huwrobertsi is a member of the P. erythropoda lineage. The females of this lineage are characterized by a shiny surface of forecoxal venter, which is separate from the fore margin by a carina. The forecoxa is evenly rounded in other species groups. Parapiagetia huwrobertsi has an all red abdomen (apically black in remaining species of the P. erythropoda lineage) and two teeth on clypeal lobe near apical margin, which are directed downwards. In the remaining species these teeth are located near the middle of clypeal disc and directed forewards, and therefore prominent in lateral view. The male differs from males of P. erythropoda s.str and from P. saharica de Beaumont mainly by colour. Abdomen and femora are uniformily greyish in P. huwrobertsi and black with first terga and some or all femora red in the other species. The species is the largest of the genus in the Arabian Peninsula.

Description of female holotype. Body length 10.5 mm. Colour. Black, with the following bright red: mandible except apex, pronotal lobe, legs including mid- and hindcoxa (forecoxa mostly black, with some red), gaster. Tegula and wing venation yellowish, wings transparent. Head and mesosoma laterally covered with long, silver pubescence, sparse on mesosoma dorsally, and on anterior part of propodeum laterally. Scape yellow apicoventrally. Morphology: Mandible slender, with corner in basal third of ventral margin. ACM with a row of small teeth, clypeal lobe with two teeth near middle, directed downwards, prodtruding ACM. Mesonotum and scutellum finely and densely punctate. Propodeal dorsum finely, transversely striate. Mesopleuron with fine granulate microsculpture, hidden under pubescence. Terga impunctate. Pygidal area punctate, punctures 1–2 diameters apart, apically with some large yellow bristles. Fore basitarsus with six spines, apical spine somewhat shorter than foretarsomere II. AR = 2.5× AT.

Variation in female paratypes: Body length 8.5–10.5 mm. Some specimens with partly reddish mesosoma.

Description of male paratypes: Body length 6.0– 7.2 mm. Colour: All black with the following yellowish: mandible medially, scape apicoventrally, tegula (largely tranlucent), wing venation, apex of femora, tibiae, tarsi (tibiae with large brow band on front side). Wings transparent. Face towards ocelli and most parts of mesosoma covered with long, silvery pilosity, hiding integument. Morphology: Mandible ventral margin with deep, U-shaped emargination, apical clypeal margin pointed, insert spacewith acute angle. Mesonotum punctured, interspaces about 2× diameters apart. Propodeal dorsum finely striate. Tergum VII narrow, apically truncate. Pygidial plate finely microsculptured, dull, with long appressed setae and bristles. Sternum VIII apically obtusely pointed. Wing venation as in female. AS 3 shorter than AS 4, the latter 1.2× as long as apical width.

Distribution. United Arab Emirates and Oman.

Etymology. The species is named in honour of the entomologist Huw Roberts from Al Ain, United Arab Emiares, who supported the project by collecting specimens and sending photographs.

Figures

FIGURES 105–112. 105. Parapiagetia arabica ♁ mesosoma and tergum I, dorsal view. 106–110. Parapiagetia haladai ♁ holotype; 106. Lateral view. 107. Face. 108.Antenna. 109. Forwing.110. Genitalia, lateral view. 111–112. Parapiagetia huwrobertsi ♀ holotype; 111. Lateral view. 112. Face.

FIGURES 113–116. Parapiagetia huwrobertsi; 113. ♀ holotype, clypeus. 114. ♀ holotype, tergum VI. 115. ♁ lateral view. 116. ♁ face.