Anthrax moursyi El-Hawagry, 1998

El-Hawagry, Magdi S., 2021, Taxonomy of the genus Anthrax Scopoli (Diptera: Bombyliidae) in Egypt, Journal of Natural History 55 (9 - 10), pp. 597-624 : 615-616

Anthrax moursyi El-Hawagry, 1998 ( Figures 11 , 16 (b))

Anthrax moursyi El-Hawagry, 1998: 109 . Type locality: Egypt (Sinai: Wadi El-Arbaein ) .

Diagnosis

Male: Body dull black, about 10.4 mm ( Figure 16 (b)). Frons dusted grey especially at sides, with black hairs intermixed with yellow-white scaly hairs and scales being more extensive and dense above antennae. Face with numerous black hairs at lower part above oral margin, intermixed with yellow-white scales at sides. Occiput with cavity margin fringed with brownish hairs. Scutum with yellow-white hairs intermixed with black ones being more extensive and dense at sides; sides of scutum and scutellum with short white scaly hairs; Pleura with long grey-white hairs at upper part and black hairs at lower part. Wings hyaline, tinged brown-yellow at cell bc, at base before anterior branch of media (MA or arculus), at upper half of alula and at middle of cell br, in addition to very faint indication of brownyellow spots on cross-vein r-m and origin of vein R2+3 ( Figure 16 (b)). Plumula brown-white or completely white. Haltere dark brown with yellowish tip. Legs black, with brown-black scales being more extensive and dense on femora. Abdomen black, with the posterior borders of tergites slightly brownish. 1st tergite with tufts of white hairs at corners, and row of long white hairs at posterior margin except a small hairless part at middle; 2nd tergite with black hairs at sides; 3rd and 4th tergite with black hairs intermixed with whitish ones; 5th, 6th and 7th tergites with long white-yellow hairs on sides and sometimes on posterior margins; tergites 2–7 with slightly yellow-white scales being more extensive and dense on posterior half of 2nd and sides of 3rd–7th tergites, becoming more yellowish on last three tergites. Broad, silvery white scales present on posterior margin of 2nd tergite forming narrow transverse band; these silvery white scales may be present also on sides of 3rd and 5th tergites. Gonocoxites ( Figure 11 (a)) black, slightly swollen and broad at base, their posterior processes long, narrow and dark at tip; gonostyli with dark tips; aedeagus completely covered by epiphallus and only its spine-like tip appears immediately below a small spinelike process at epiphallus tip; moreover, epiphallus with five processes, two small and dark at each side and one large and faint at middle ( Figure 11 (b,c)). Female: Smaller than male and sides of abdominal tergites 2–7 with black hairs intermixed with a few whitish ones. Only silvery white scales present on sides of posterior margins of 2nd and 3rd tergites. Spermathe ca ( Figure 11 (d)) with aballoon-shaped, strongly sclerotised bulb.

Material examined

Holotype male, Egypt, South Sinai, Wadi El-Arbaein (28.5469°N, 33.9530°E), 22 May 1997 (Magdi El-Hawagry, leg.); paratype: 1 female, South Sinai, Serbal, W. Abu-Hbeig (28.6411° N, 33.6525°E), 28 May 1997 (Magdi El-Hawagry, leg.)[ EFC].

Figures

Figure 11. Anthrax moursyi: (a) gonocoxites, ventral view; (b) hypopygium, lateral view; (c) tip of epiphallus, dorsal view; (d) spermatheca.

Figure 16. Anthrax spp., habitus: (a) A. galali; (b) A. moursyi; (c) A. pharaonis, neotype; (d) A. sticticus; (e) A. trifasciatus; (f) A. zohrayensis.