Parapiagetia arabica Schmid-Egger, 2014

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 : 570

Parapiagetia arabica Schmid-Egger, 2014

( Fig. 104–105 )

New records: Abu Dhabi, Al Wathba Wetland Reserve ,1 ♁, 18.viii.2015; 1 ♀, 15.x.2015; 2 ♀, 17.05.2019 Barqa al-Saqoor, leg. A.S & AvH, in Malaise traps ( CSE) .

Remark: Parapiagetia arabica was described from a single female from Al Ajban ( Schmid-Egger, 2014). Another female collected in Al Wathba agrees with the type specimen, and a male from the same location represents the hitherto undescribed male of P. arabica .

Diagnosis of male: The male keys out with P. odontostoma (Kohl) in the key of Pulawski (1977), couplet 6 (p. 610) and differs by the characters given in Tab. 3 . The species is compared with P. odontostoma males from Algeria, Morocco and Israel. It can be differentiated from other Parapiagetia species in the UAE of the P. odontostoma - group by the long marginal cell (AT shorter than AR).

Parapiagetia arabica male Parapiagetia odontostoma male Body length 3.8 mm. Body length 6.3 mm.

Anterior third of mesonotum with fine and dense punctation, somewhat shagreened.

Anterior third of meso mesonotum with coarse and irregular microstriation.

Propodeal dorsum with fine, transverse striation, interspaces somewhat shiny, with some pubesence.

Propodeal dorsum with distinct, transverse rugae, interspaces clearly shiny, asetose All tibiae more or less brownish, with some yellow apically and basally.

All tibiae yellow, with brown band below.

Description of male. Body length 3.8 mm. Colour: Black, yellow are: mandible except black base and red apex, tibiae except brown band on underside, tarsi, tegula (outer margin translucent), wing venation. Face and mesosoma laterally covered with dense, silver pubescence, mesosoma dorsally with sparse pubescence, mesonotum medially and scutellum asetose. Morphology: Ventral margin of mandible medially with large corner, basally narrow. Apical clypeal margin medially triangular, with rouded apex. AS 3 1.5× as long as AS 4 (in lateral view), AS 6–7 as long as wide, AS 8 1.5× as long as wide. Frontal third of mesonotum with coarse and irregular microstriation, median part of mesonotum, scutellum and metanotum finely puntate, interspaces as large as 1–2 puncture diameters, shiny. Propodeal dorsum with distinct, transverse rugae, interspaces clearly shiny, asetose. Tergum I approximately 2.0× as long as apical width. Terga I–VI with fine microstructure, tergum VII shiny, with some punctures laterally. Fore basitarsus with four spines.

Distribution. United Arab Emirates.

Figures

FIGURES 97–104. 97. Oxybelus sajae ♀ holotype, metanotum and mucron. 98–103. Parapiagetia alwathbaensis; 98. ♀ lateral view. 99. ♀ face. 100. ♀ forewing. 101. ♁ holotype, lateral view. 102. ♁ holotype, face. 103. ♁ holotype, genitalia, lateral view. 104. Parapiagetia arabica ♁ lateral view.

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.

Tables

TABLE 3. Comparison of Parapiagetia arabica and P. odontostoma, males.

Parapiagetia arabica male	Parapiagetia odontostoma male
Body length 3.8 mm.	Body length 6.3 mm.
Anterior third of mesonotum with fine and dense punctation, somewhat shagreened.	Anterior third of meso mesonotum with coarse and irregular microstriation.
Propodeal dorsum with fine, transverse striation, interspaces somewhat shiny, with some pubesence.	All tibiae more or less brownish, with some yellow apically and basally.	Propodeal dorsum with distinct, transverse rugae, interspaces clearly shiny, asetose	All tibiae yellow, with brown band below.
All tibiae more or less brownish, with some yellow apically and basally.	All tibiae yellow, with brown band below.