Friday, February 18, 2022

[Entomology • 2022] Odontochrydium arabicum • A New Species of Odontochrydium Brauns (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae) from the Arabian Peninsula


Odontochrydium arabicum Soliman & Rosa,

in Soliman, Rosa & Dhafer, 2022. 
 
Abstract
Odontochrydium arabicum sp. nov., a new chrysidid species from Oman, southwestern Saudi Arabia, and Yemen is described, illustrated and compared with the African species, O. bicristatum Rosa from Kenya.

Key words: Afrotropical, male genitalia, new species, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Yemen


Odontochrydium arabicum sp. nov., male, holotype.
 A. Habitus, lateral view; B. Habitus, dorsal view; C. Habitus, ventral view.
Scale = 1.0 mm.

Odontochrydium arabicum sp. nov., female, paratype.
 A. Habitus, lateral view; B. Head, frontal view; C. Mesosoma and T1, detail; D. T2–T3.
 Scales = 1.0 mm.

Odontochrydium arabicum Soliman & Rosa, sp. nov.

Diagnosis. Body metallic dark blue, with violet and greenish reflections (Figs 1, 4); mesoscutal median area reticulate-foveate, with two stout longitudinal ridges forming elongate fovea between ridges (Figs 2E, 4C); meta-somal tergites sparsely, largely punctate (Figs 1B, 3C, 4C, D); T3 apico-median tooth longer to distinctly longer than lateral ones (Figs 3C, 4D); S1 and S2 with pair of widely separated black spots, adjacent to lateral margin of sternites (Fig. 3D).

Etymology. The new species name refers to the Arabian Peninsula, where the type specimens were collected.

Distribution. Oman, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.


  Ahmed M. Soliman, Paolo Rosa and Hathal M. Al Dhafer. 2022. Description of A New Species of Odontochrydium Brauns (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae) from the Arabian Peninsula. Zootaxa. 5100(2); 287-295. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5100.2.8