Pseudophotopsis maura Bischoff, 1920

Soliman, Ahmed Mostafa, 2021, The velvet ant genus Pseudophotopsis Andre, 1896 (Hymenoptera, Mutillidae) in the Arabian Peninsula, with the description of two new species, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 82, pp. 361-415 : 361

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/jhr.82.65252
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C2CA4E54-C2FE-42DB-806A-6770DB6B5832
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/BDFD3959-FF03-5B95-8AAF-40B3163C43F6
treatment provided by	Journal of Hymenoptera Research by Pensoft
scientific name	Pseudophotopsis maura Bischoff, 1920
status

Treatment

Figures 23 View Figure 23 , 24 View Figure 24 , 25 View Figure 25 , 26 View Figure 26 , 27 View Figure 27 , 28 View Figure 28 ; 34C, D View Figure 34

Pseudophotopsis kokpetica subsp. maura Bischoff, 1920: 98, (♂), “Gabes” (Tunisia).

Ephutomma continua subsp. aegyptiaca Bischoff, 1920: 151, (♀), (Egypt). New synonymy.

Diagnosis.

Male (Figs 23 View Figure 23 - 25 View Figure 25 ; 34C, D View Figure 34 ). Body length 11-16.5 mm. Metasomal segments darkened, at most 7th segment yellowish-brown to red (Fig. 23A, B View Figure 23 ); antenna brown (Fig. 24B View Figure 24 ); fore wing hyaline, frequently with brownish tint around first cubital vein (Cu1) (Fig. 24D View Figure 24 ); POD 2.15-2.6 × OOD (Fig. 23D View Figure 23 ); head convergent behind eyes (Fig. 23D View Figure 23 ); distance between apex of lower mandibular tooth and upper mandibular ridge slightly longer than mandibular height at base (1.1-1.15 ×) (Fig. 24A View Figure 24 ); F1 as long as F2 (Fig. 24B View Figure 24 ); metanotal horns well developed, parallel to slightly diverging distally, distinctly longer than wide (about 1.5 ×) (Fig. 24C View Figure 24 ); T1 as long as maximal width or slightly shorter (Fig. 25A View Figure 25 ); lateral felt line on T2 nearly as long as distance between felt line and posterior tergal margin; S2 with small median basal tubercle (Fig. 25B View Figure 25 ); cuspis of volsella narrow apically, digitate, not reaching apex of paramere (Fig. 34D View Figure 34 ); parapenial lobe slightly oblique inward, with rounded apex (Fig. 34C View Figure 34 ); genital ventral lobe short, robust, oblique inward, with outer margin straight (Fig. 34D View Figure 34 ).

Female (Figs 26 View Figure 26 - 28 View Figure 28 ). Body length 13-18 mm. Head and mesosoma (including legs) dark red (Figs 26A, B View Figure 26 ; 27A, B, D View Figure 27 ); metasoma black, T6 with reddish tint (Figs 26A, B View Figure 26 ; 28A-D View Figure 28 ); flagellomeres bright red to orange, F9-F10 lighter (Fig. 27C View Figure 27 ). Propodeal disc, T2 and T3 with erect dark brown setae (Figs 27E View Figure 27 ; 28D View Figure 28 ); T1-T5 and S2-S5 with apical fringes of a belt of compact white setae (Fig. 28A-D View Figure 28 ). Distance between apex of mandibular lower tooth and upper mandibular ridge nearly as long as mandibular height at base; S2 with large median basal tubercle (Fig. 28D View Figure 28 ).

Material examined

(22 males, 8 females) from Saudi Arabia. 1♂ (JA), 28.v.1987, leg. M. D. Gallagher [NMB]; 1♀ (IR2), 16.vi.2007, PT, leg. Al-Dryhim et al. [KSMA]; 1♀ (IR1), 5.xi.2007, PT, leg. Al-Dryhim et al. [KSMA]; 1♀ ( Baljurashi ), 17.v.2010, SW, leg. Al-Dhafer H. & El-Torkey A. [KSMA] ; 1♀ (DS), 20.vi.2010, PT, Al-Dhafer et al. [KSMA]; 1♂ (KH1), 13.iv.2011, LT, leg. Al-Drahim et al. [KSMA]; 1♂ (KH2), 7.vi.2011, LT, leg. Al-Drahim et al. [KSMA]; 1♂ (KH1), 14.xi.2011, LT, leg. Al-Drahim et al. [KSMA]; 2♂ (RK1), 27.v.2012, LT, leg. Al-Dhafer et al. [KSMA]; 1♂ (RK2), 27.v.2012, LT, leg. Al-Dhafer et al. [KSMA]; 1♂ (RF3), 10.iv.2015, LT, leg. Al-Dhafer et al. [KSMA]; 2♂ (RS1), 20.v.2015, LT, leg. Abdel-Dayem M. [KSMA]; 1♂ (RS2), 20.v.2015, LT, leg. Abdel-Dayem M. [KSMA]; 1♂ (RH2), 26.viii.2015, PT, leg. Al-Dhafer et al. [KSMA]; 1♀ (WH1), 12.x.2015, PT, leg. Abdel-Dayem M. [KSMA]; 1♀ (WH2), 12.x.2015, PT, leg. Abdel-Dayem M. [KSMA]; 1♀ (RH1), 26.x.2015, PT, leg. Al-Dhafer et al. [KSMA]; 1♀ (RH2), 26.x.2015, PT, leg. Al-Dhafer et al. [KSMA]; 3♂ (RH4), 27.x.2015, LT, leg. Al-Dhafer et al. [KSMA]; 3♂ (RF2), 15.x.2015, LT, leg. Al-Dhafer et al. [KSMA]; 1♂ (RF1), 15.x.2015, LT, leg. Al-Dhafer et al. [KSMA]; 1♂ (SH6), 15.xi.2015, LT, leg. Al-Dhafer et al. [KSMA]; 1♂ (WR1), 18.xi.2015, LT, leg. AMS [KSMA]; 1♂ (WD), 9.v.2018, LT, leg. AMS [KSMA]; 1♂ (WBR), 8.vi.2018, LT, leg. AMS [KSMA].

Material examined

(6 males, 18 females) from Egypt. 1♀, Zeitoun (Cairo), 31.x.1909, leg. Ferrnt [ESEC] ; 3♀, Pyramids (Giza), 3.viii.1913 [PPDD] ; 1♀, El-Alag ( Qalyubiya ), 22.viii.1913 [PPDD] ; 2♀, Ain Shams (Cairo), 12.x.1914 [PPDD] ; 1♀, Ein Romani (North Sinai), 5.xii.1916 [PPDD] ; 1♂, Wadi Digla (Cairo), 29-31.v.1924, LT [PPDD] ; 1♂, Wadi Gharaba (South Sinai), 30.iv.1925, LT [PPDD] ; 2♀, Borqash (Giza), 8.vii.1925 [PPDD] ; 1♀, Helwan , 12.viii.1926 [PPDD] ; 2♀, Kafr Hakim (Giza), 24.xi.1926 [PPDD] ; 2♀, Salloum (Matruh), 11.viii.1928 [PPDD] ; 1♀ Wadi Um Elek ( Helwan ), 17.xi.1934, leg. Farag [PPDD] ; 1♂, Gabal Elba (Red Sea), 16.i.1933, LT [PPDD] ; 1♀; 100 Km Cairo-Suez road (Suez), Dec. 1937 [ESEC] ; 2♂, Wadi Arbaein (South Sinai), March 1990 [AMS collection] ; 1♀, Wadi Isla (South Sinai), March 1990 [AMS collection] ; 1♂, Al-Manayif (Ismailiyah), 17.viii.2007, LT [AMS collection] .

Remarks.

P. aegyptiaca which is known from females only, has a very similar local (Fig. 1 View Figure 1 ) and global distribution as P. maura , which is known from males only. For the current study, seven P. aegyptiaca specimens were collected from the Riyadh region (central Saudi Arabia), and a single specimen from Baljurashi (Al-Baha). The same is true for P. maura , except for two specimens collected from Shada Al-Ala Natural Reserve (Al-Baha region, Saudi Arabia) and Jabal Akhadar (Oman), the remaining 20 specimens were collected from the Riyadh region (sometimes from the same sites and within a short period of time when females P. aegyptiaca were collected as in the site RH2). In terms of global distribution, both species are distributed in North Africa and Israel, while P. maura has recently been recorded in Yemen ( Lelej and van Harten 2006), and both species are now recorded in Saudi Arabia (in addition to Oman for P. maura ). In terms of morphological characteristics (color pattern and body shape), both species have the head and mesosoma dark red and the metasoma blackish-brown to black, and a robust body. Based on these findings, P. aegyptiaca (Bischoff) (female) and P. maura Bischoff (male) are conspecific, and should be synonymized. Since both available names were published simultaneously, and both as subspecies (although of different species in different genera), the choice of the name to be considered valid rests with the "first reviser". I hereby synonymize Ephutomma continua subsp. aegyptiaca Bischoff, 1920 with Pseudophotopsis kokpetica subsp. maura Bischoff, 1920 for the following reason: Pseudophotopsis maura was originally described in Pseudophotopsis , whereas Pseudophotopsis aegyptiaca was not.

Distribution in the Arabian Peninsula.

Abyan, Sana’a, and Socotra provinces (Yemen) ( Lelej and van Harten 2006; Lo Cascio et al. 2012); Ad-Dakhiliyah province (Oman) (new record); Al-Baha, Jazan & Riyadh regions (southwestern and central Saudi Arabia) (new record) (Fig. 1 View Figure 1 ).

Global distribution.

Algeria, Chad, Israel, Libya, Sudan, Tunisia, Yemen (including Socotra Island) ( Lelej 2002; Pagliano et al. 2020; Gadallah et al. 2020); Egypt ( Bischoff 1920 as Ephutomma continua aegyptiaca ; Lelej 2002 & Pagliano et al. 2020 as Pseudophotopsis aegyptiaca ), Oman (new record); Saudi Arabia (new record).