Xylocopa (Ctenoxylocopa) sulcatipes Maa

Hannan, Mohammed A., Alqarni, Abdulaziz S., Owayss, Ayman A. & Engel, Michael S., 2012, The large carpenter bees of central Saudi Arabia, with notes on the biology of Xylocopa sulcatipes Maa (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Xylocopinae), ZooKeys 201, pp. 1-14 : 4-5

Xylocopa (Ctenoxylocopa) sulcatipes Maa Figs 12-22

Xylocopa (Ctenoxylocopa) sulcatipes Maa, 1970: 739 [♂♀].

Diagnosis.

Xylocopa sulcatipes can be most readily distinguished from other Arabian large carpenter bees by the following: Female with face with largely black pubescence (Fig. 16), mesosomal dorsum largely covered by black pubescence not obscuring underlying integument (Figs 12, 13); mandible tridentate at apex; mesoscutellum not projecting over metanotum, apical margin rounded in profile; pygidial plate armed on each side with subapical spine. Male covered by largely fuscous to black pub escence except face, dorsum of mesosoma, and apicolateral patches of first metasomal tergum with predominantly white or pale setae (Figs 14, 15, 17); first metasomal tergum with subhorizontal dorsal surface rounding into declivitous anterior surface; gradulus of first metasomal tergum laterally curved posteriorly; male terminalia as in figures 18-22.

Comments.

Maa (1970) recorded Xylocopa sulcatipes from Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Israel, and Transcaspia (likely northern Iran, or southwesternmost Turkmenistan), while Vicidomini (2004) gave localities in Jordan. The records of Xylocopa fenestrata from the United Arab Emirates ( Dathe 2009) are likely Xylocopa sulcatipes , and this material should be dissected and compared with the images herein (Figs. 18-22) as well as those of Maa (1970). We have found that Maa’s (1970) characterization of the terminalic differences holds well for observed populations and the species he recognized appear to be good (Engel pers. obs.).