Micatagla similis Gadallah & Soliman, 2019

Gadallah, Neveen Samy, Soliman, Ahmed Mostafa, Aldryhim, Yousif Nasser & Al Dhafer, Hathal Mohammed, 2019, First contribution to the study of the genus Micatagla Argaman, 1994 (Hymenoptera, Bradynobaenidae, Apterogyninae) in the fauna of Saudi Arabia, with the description of four new species, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 70, pp. 17-40 : 17

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/jhr.70.33381
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:8B7FD9B0-6A7B-4069-9E35-945E1174EB04
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/775A0C91-00DA-A61B-C19C-0D158AE08AFE
treatment provided by	Journal of Hymenoptera Research by Pensoft
scientific name	Micatagla similis Gadallah & Soliman
status

Treatment

Micatagla similis Gadallah & Soliman

Figures 4D View Figure 4 , 5D View Figure 5 , 6D View Figure 6 , 7D View Figure 7 , 8D View Figure 8 , 9D View Figure 9 , 10D View Figure 10 , 11D View Figure 11 , 12D View Figure 12 , 13D View Figure 13 , 14D View Figure 14

Material examined.

Holotype ♀: Saudi Arabia, Al-Baha, (Al-Mukhwah, Shada Al-Ala Natural Reserve ), 31.vii.2015, PT4 (Acacia 2), leg. Al Dhafer et al. [ZMB] . Paratypes: 1♀ Saudi Arabia: Al-Baha ( Amadan Madaq ), 19.v.2010, leg. M.R. Sharaf [ZMB] ; 1♀ Saudi Arabia: Al-Baha, (Al-Mukhwah, Shada Al-Ala Natural Reserve ), 23.iv.2014, PT2 (Cactus 2), leg. Al Dhafer et al. [ZMB] ; 1♀ Saudi Arabia: Al-Baha, (Al-Mukhwah, Shada Al-Ala Natural Reserve ), 23.iv.2014, PT4 (Acacia 1), leg. Al Dhafer et al. [ZMB] ; 5♀ Saudi Arabia: Al-Baha, (Al-Mukhwah, Shada Al-Ala Natural Reserve ), 23.viii.2014, PT4 (Acacia 1), leg. Al Dhafer et al. [ZMB] ; 1♀ Saudi Arabia: Al-Baha, (Al-Mukhwah, Shada Al-Ala Natural Reserve ), 2.iii.2015, PT2 (Cactus 2), leg. Al Dhafer et al. [ZMB] ; 1♀ Saudi Arabia: Al-Baha, (Al-Mukhwah, Shada Al-Ala Natural Reserve ), 2.iii.2015, PT5 (Acacia 2), leg. Al Dhafer et al. [ZMB] ; 2♀ Saudi Arabia, Al-Baha, (Al-Mukhwah, Shada Al-Ala Natural Reserve ), 3.v.2015, PT2 (Cactus 2), leg. Al Dhafer et al. [ZMB] ; 4♀ Saudi Arabia: Al-Baha, (Al-Mukhwah, Shada Al-Ala Natural Reserve ), 3.v.2015, PT3 (Cactus 3), leg. Al Dhafer et al. [ZMB] ; 2♀ Saudi Arabi: Al-Baha, (Al-Mukhwah, Shada Al-Ala Natural Reserve ), 31.vii.2015, PT2 (Cactus 2), leg. Al Dhafer et al. [ZMB] ; 3♀ Saudi Arabia: Al-Baha, (Al-Mukhwah, Shada Al-Ala Natural Reserve ), 31.vii.2015, PT4 (Acacia 1), leg. Al Dhafer et al. [ZMB] ; 4♀ Saudi Arabia: Al-Baha, (Al-Mukhwah, Shada Al-Ala Natural Reserve ), 31.vii.2015, PT5 (Acacia 2), leg. Al Dhafer et al. [ZMB] ; 1♀ Saudi Arabia: Al-Baha, (Al-Mukhwah, Shada Al-Ala Natural Reserve ), 15.xi.2015, PT4 (Acacia 2), leg. Al Dhafer et al. [ZMB] .

Diagnosis.

Body relatively slender; face with bright red setae (Fig. 6D View Figure 6 ); mesosomal dorsum slightly longer than wide; propodeum with posterior face gently declivous, oblique (Fig. 10D View Figure 10 ); T2 and T3 with relatively broad yellow bands along their posterior margins (Fig. 12D View Figure 12 ); T1 globular, as long as wide (Fig. 11D View Figure 11 ); T2 and T3 with closed ellipsoid punctures bordered with coarse ridges, with broad yellow band, maximal thickness of yellow band on T2 about 1.3 × as long as eye height (Fig. 12D View Figure 12 ); T6 with broad triangular lateral teeth, becoming minute to meaningless posteriorly (Fig. 14D View Figure 14 ).

This species may be confused with M. zavattarii (Invrea, 1950) (Fig. 16 View Figure 16 ) (examined material received from Guido Pagliano, labelled: Rosso Mauritanie, leg. Amiet, 26.i.1964, RO59) in having the same body colour and sculpture, but it differs by the following characters: body relatively slender, with mesosomal dorsum longer than wide, covered on head and mesosoma with bright red setae (Figs 5D View Figure 5 , 6D View Figure 6 , 9D View Figure 9 , 10D View Figure 10 ) (robust, with mesosomal dorsum as long as broad, covered with white setae in M. zavattarii (Fig. 16A, B View Figure 16 )); propodeal posterior face oblique (Fig. 10D View Figure 10 ) (vertical in M. zavattarii (Fig. 16B View Figure 16 )); T2 bell-shape, with lateral side broadly curved (Fig. 12D View Figure 12 ) (semi-circular, with lateral side sharply curved in M. zavattarii (Fig. 16D View Figure 16 )); T2 with coarse ridges (Fig. 12D View Figure 12 ) (fine in Micatagla zavattarii (Fig. 16D View Figure 16 )); T6 with broad triangular lateral teeth (Fig. 14D View Figure 14 ) (with minute (meaningless) teeth in Micatagla zavattarii (Fig. 16E View Figure 16 )).

Description.

Female (Holotype). Body length 6.0 mm.

Colour (Figs 4D View Figure 4 , 5D View Figure 5 , 14D View Figure 14 ): Head (including antenna), mesosoma, legs and first metasomal segment red, head distinctly dark red; second and third metasomal segments black, with well-developed yellow bands at posterior margins of T2 and T3 (that widened medially in T2); S2 reddish; T4 and T5 reddish brown, with faint yellow posterior margins; T6 dark ferruginous, with black longitudinal ridges. Eye black; mandible dark reddish brown, red basally; maxillary and labial palpi yellow; fore tibial spur red, mid and hind ones waxy white.

Pubescence (Figs 6D View Figure 6 , 10D View Figure 10 , 11D View Figure 11 , 12D View Figure 12 ): Face densely covered with radiated, bright red, long fine adpressed setae, such setae (but less bright) covering mesosoma, shorter and erect laterally as well as T1; remainder of metasoma clothed with whitish, erect to semi-erect fine setae especially laterally; posterior margin of metasomal tergites with rows of silvery setae; legs as well clothed with such fine setae. Posterior margin of metasomal S1 with dense fine, relatively long setae; S2-5 with a row of fine adpressed setae.

Head (Figs 6D View Figure 6 , 7D View Figure 7 , 8D View Figure 8 ): In dorsal view slightly wider than pronotum, setiferous punctate (except smooth malar space), with thin and sharp occipital carina; vertex broadly convex; eye relatively small, but distinctly bulged laterally when seen in front or dorsal view, located above mid line between clypeus and vertex when seen in front view; malar space relatively long, about 1.3 × as long as eye height; antennal tubercles away from each other by a distance shorter than tubercle length; antenna with scape about 2.5 × as long as F1, distinctly elbowed; F1 as long as F2 (that is slightly widened apically). Clypeus broad, setiferous punctate basally, with smooth and bent apical portion; mandibles somewhat thin, edentate.

Mesosoma (Figs 9D View Figure 9 , 10D View Figure 10 ): Mesosomal dorsum slightly longer than wide at mesopleuron; pronotum about 1.7 × as wide as long, with gently declivous anterior margin, rounded humeral angle and broadly concave posterior margin; pronotum with dense rounded setiferous foveolae dorsally, superficially foveolate laterally; rest of mesosoma setiferous foveate-reticulate; propodeal posterior face gently declivous, smooth. Mesopleuron superficially foveolate; metapleuron superficially foveolate above, and weakly transversely ridged below; mesosternum smooth basally, punctate laterally, leaving an oval smooth and shiny area medially. Hind outer tibial spur about 0.6 × as long as related basitarsus.

Metasoma (Figs 11D View Figure 11 , 12D View Figure 12 , 13D View Figure 13 , 14D View Figure 14 ): T1 globular, slightly wider than long, densely foveate; T2 bell-shape, with closed ellipsoid punctures; T3 longitudinally ridged, with ellipsoid punctures in between [as in T2 but punctures more elongate here]; T4 and T5 smooth to very finely sculptured, with dense close longitudinal sockets posteriorly; T6 densely ridged, ridges are interrupted, rounded apically, laterally with relatively short and dense, very close teeth at basal two thirds, becoming minute and meaningless posteriorly. S1 nearly smooth; S2 and S3 (except smooth and shiny posterior margin) with moderately scattered punctures that are irregularly separated.

Etymology.

The Latin name Micatagla similis (adjective) refers to the similarity of this species with Micatagla zavattarii (Invrea).