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The digger wasps of the genera Philanthinus de Beaumont and Philanthus Fabricius (Crabronidae: Philanthinae) of Egypt are reviewed. One species in Philanthinus and 10 in Philanthus are recorded. Philanthus ammochrysus is newly recorded for the country, and a new species, Philanthus pulawskii Malash, Edmardash and Gadallah is described. The following species and subspecies are doubtful records: Philanthus sulphureus F. Smith, P. venustus (Rossi), and P. triangulum obliteratum Pic. A key to the Egyptian species of Philanthus is provided. Illustrations to all important characters of species under study are also provided.

The neotropical apoid wasp genus Microstigmus is of particular interest biologically because it represents an origin of eusociality independent of vespid wasps and bees, and is part of the only eusocial lineage among the approximately 10,000 solitary species of apoid wasps. Females construct nests made of silk and the species exhibit an unusual diversity of nesting strategies. However, research is hampered because many species remain undescribed and the basic nesting biology of only a few species is known. I describe three new species from north-west Ecuador related to M. bicolor Richards, including diagnostic morphological characters, altitudinal ranges and molecular data as well as descriptions of their nests and nesting biologies. M. rosae sp. nov. is a mass provisioner that preys on nymphal Thysanoptera, while M. lydiae sp. nov. and M. mirandae sp. nov. are progressive provisioners that prey on nymphal leafhoppers (Cicadellidae). Nests of all three species can contain multiple adult females but more than half of nests contain only a single female. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E46768B9-FD13-4370-8E31-8D1819B724F4

The digger wasp genus Harpactus Shuckard (Crabronidae: Bembicinae) of the Indian subcontinent is reviewed, resulting in the discovery of a new species H. pulawskii Binoy & Girish Kumar and the rediscovery of H. impudens (Nurse) after more than a century since its description. All species are illustrated, including the holotypes of H. ornatus F. Smith and H. vividus (Turner) whose illustrations were provided by the Natural History Museum, London (NHMUK). Brief diagnoses and a key to species are also given.

Solierella insidiosa de Beaumont, 1964 Fig. 11A–G Solierella insidiosa de Beaumont, 1964: 59, ♀, ♁. Diagnosis. Body length: 4.0 mm. Body colour: see Fig. 11 (A–F). Metanotum yellow; apex of median lobe of clypeus roundly projected, smooth and shiny (Fig. 11B); scutum densely finely punctate; punctures somewhat more spaced on scutellum, with more than a puncture diameter apart (Fig. 11C); metanotum smooth (Fig. 11C); depressed sides of scutellum densely finely pubescent; propodeum finely reticulate (Fig. 11A, C); mesepimeron with small rounded area smooth and shiny (Fig. 11D); fore and midfemora all black (Fig. 11E); fore and middle tibiae with small yellowish to whitish spot, hind tibia with whitish band along basal half dorsally. Material examined: 1♀, Farasan, Abdulmajeed farm [16 Q 42.07970’N; 42 Q 08.5781’E], 23–30.ix.2022. Distribution: Saudi Arabia (new record), Spain, Syria, United Arab Emirates. Comments. This species is a new record for Saudi Arabia. Characters of the specimens collected from Farasan agree with de Beaumont’s key (1964: 55, couplet 5). It differs from the Syrian specimens of de Beaumont (1964: 59) in having the pale areas of body yellowish (whitish in the Syrian specimens). It also agrees well with Schmid-Egger’s key (2011: 582, couplet 4).

Genus Trypoxylon Latreille, 1796 Trypoxylon Latreille, 1796: 121, no included species. Type species: Sphex figulus Linnaeus, 1758, designated by Latreille, 1802.

Gastrosericus moricei E. Sauders, 1910 Fig. 6A–F Gastrosericus moricei E. Saunders, 1910: 529, ♁. Diagnosis. Body length: 7.5 mm. Body colour: see Fig. 6 (A–F). The female of this species shares with that of Gastrosericus sanctus the entire pygidial plate covered with dense, stout setae (Fig. 6F); appressed genal (Fig. 6C) and propodeal pubescence (Fig. 6D); the apical tarsomeres with one or more basoventral spines (spines lacking in some sanctus); gastral terga without yellow bands (Fig. 6A). It differs from G. sanctus by the following: free margin of clypeal lobe arcuate (Fig. 6B) (somewhat sinuate in most G. sanctus, see Pulawski 1995: 119, fig. 102a, b); the lobe free margin and the lip are simple (free margin slightly projecting close to lateral corners in G. sanctus, see Pulawski 1995: 120, fig. 103a, b); apical tarsomeres with one to four basomedian spines ventrally (0–2 spines in G. sanctus). Material examined: 1♀, Farasan, Abdulmajeed farm [16 Q 42.07970’N; 42 Q 08.5781’E], 23–30.ix.2022. Previous Saudi Arabian records: Asir (Wadi Lasaba), Bahra, Riyadh (Pulawski 1995), Jeddah, Haddat Asham (Pulawski 1995; Gadallah & Assery 2004), Hutet Beni Tamim (10 km south of Riyadh) (Gadallah et al. 2013). Distribution: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Egypt, Gambia, India, Israel, Kazakhstan, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Thailand, Tajikistan, Togo, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Yemen. Comments. Characters of the only specimen collected agree with Pulawski’s key (1995: 19, couplet 18). It differs from the Arabian specimens in having femora black, pale yellow apically (in the Arabian specimens, femora reddish, pale yellowish apically, Pulawski 1995), but it resembles the Somalian females in having all femora black, yellow at tip (Pulawski 1995). This may be attributed to the fact that Farasan Archipelago belongs to the Afrotropical region.

Nysson arabicus Gadallah & Edmardash sp. nov. Figs 3A–D, 4A, B, 5A–C Type material: SAUDI ARABIA. Holotype (♁), Sala Mountain, 1186 m [17°04’10.5”N 43°07’43.3”E] (Abdul Rahman Al Jabri farm), 15.xi.2022, Malaise trap, on Coffea arabica, collector Usama Abu El-Ghiet. Description of male holotype: body length: 6.0 mm. Colouration (Figs 3A–C, 5A–C): Head and thorax black (except posterior margin of pronotum, tegula, and basal area of scutellum dark ferruginous), antenna with scape (except yellow ventrally), pedicel and the following 4–5 flagellomeres dark reddish brown, rest dark brown; mandible ferruginous with dark tip; abdomen: T 1 mostly dark ferruginous, with two yellow postero-lateral oval markings, posterior margin black; T 2 with thin, medially interrupted yellow band posteriorly; T 3 with broad band posteriorly, narrowly interrupted medially; T 4 and T 5 with complete broad yellow bands posteriorly, T 6 and T 7 entirely reddish; metasomal sterna mostly ferruginous, but S 1 mostly black, ferruginous at base; legs all ferruginous, with some yellow at tip of fore femur, and along whole length of hind tibia dorsally, hind tibia reddish ventrally, with black spurs. Fore wing slightly darkened, fumigated at apex, with dark brown veins. Head (Figs 3C, D, 4A). In dorsal view as broad as mesoscutum, densely rugulose-lacunose, with dense fine silvery pubescence laterally; vertex thin and sharp; frons densely foveolate, with sharp carina between antennal bases, with coarser silvery setae; clypeus with dense silvery setae, with about 4–5 rounded teeth at apex; antennae placed at an elevated tubercle, scape longer than wide, distinctly notched apically, pedicle cup-shape, all flagellomeres transverse, wider than long, last flagellomere longer than wide, 1.5× as long as its basal width, obliquely truncate at apex. Thorax (Figs 3A, B, 4B). Pronotum distinctly angulate antero-laterally, posterior margin coarsely punctate along ferruginous area; mesoscutum densely areolate, scutellum and metanotum densely areolate (except scutellum basally nearly smooth and shiny); scutellum with two indistinct teeth laterally, hardly seen because of the coarse foveolation of the integument; propodeum broadly strigate dorsally, with two pale sharp teeth postero-laterally; tegula with dense fine and shallow punctures; mesopleuron densely foveate, metapleuron transversely strigate, shiny; mesosternum densely foveolate. Legs normal, simple. Wings as in other Nysson species. Gaster (Figs 3A, B, 5B, C). Terga double-edged, T 1 irregularly punctate, with distinct spaces between punctures, punctures coarser and larger in the yellow areas; T 2 and T 3 with dense shallow punctures, alutaceous in between punctures; T 3 slightly elevated and smooth at base, together with the following two terga with punctures more distinct along yellow bands; terga narrowed towards apex; T 6 and T 7 densely foveolate along their whole areas, T 7 with two short spine-like processes, with rounded area in between; S 1 densely punctate with large spaces between punctures, sparsely setose; S 2 with large rounded hump (not tubercle) near to the middle, posterior margins of S 2–4 with fine punctures arranged in two or three rows; S 5 with dense coarse punctures throughout. Female: Unknown. Etymology. This species is named after the Arabian area where the specimen was collected. Distribution: Saudi Arabia (Alridah, Jazan). Comments. On the generic level, the double-edged gastral terga of the new species agree with Synnevrus A. Costa, 1859 (Guichard 1986; Nemkov 2001), however, in a cladistic analysis of the subfamily Bembicinae (based on morphological characters) carried out by Nemkov & Lelej (2013), this genus was synonymized with Nysson Latreille.Another opinion was that of W. Pulawski (pers. comm.), who attributed this to the presence of intermediate cases in some species. The genus is a new record to the Saudi Arabian fauna. The new species agrees with N. barrei (= Synnevrus barrei) in Nemkov’s key (2001: 4, couplet 4) in having two lateral small teeth on scutellum; pronotum sharply angulate antero-laterally (Fig. 4A, B); however, it differs from N. barrei in having thorax mainly black, with few areas ferruginous (Figs 3A, 4B) (thorax mainly ferruginous in N. barrei). Based on Radoszkowski (1893: 71), our male specimen differs from the male N. barrei in having posterior margin of prothorax dark ferruginous, not interrupted medially (Fig. 4A) (with ivory white band, interrupted medially in N. barrei); mesoscutum, scutellum (except ferruginous at base) entirely black (Fig. 4B) (reddish in N. barrei); T 1 with two postero-lateral oval yellow spots, posterior margins of T 2–5 with yellow bands, interrupted medially on T 2 (Figs 3A, 5C) (posterior margins of T 1–4 with ivory-white bands, interrupted medially in N. barrei); gaster ventrally mostly dark ferruginous, except basal two thirds of S 1 black (Fig. 5B) (S 2 reddish in N. barrei); fore wing slightly darkened, fumigated at apex (Fig. 5A) (transparent in N. barrei); only hind tibia along its whole dorsal side (all tibiae ivory white dorsally in N. barrei). On the other hand, the male N. arabicus somewhat agrees with the male N. ohli (Schmid-Egger 2011: 592) in having the sharply angulate antero-lateral sides of pronotum (Fig. 4A); the same body sculpturing (Fig. 3A); the presence of a median bulge between spines at apex of T 7 (Fig. 5C). However, it differs from N. ohli in the following combination of characters: body length 6.0 mm (4.0 mm in N. ohli); antenna with scape yellow ventrally (Fig. 3C) (whole antenna reddish, darkened apically in N. ohli); pronotum dark ferruginous posteriorly reaching dark ferruginous pronotal lobes (Fig. 4A) (light yellow in N. ohli reaching the dark reddish pronotal lobe); scutellum dark ferruginous at base (Fig. 4B) (clear yellow in N. ohli); T 2–5 with yellow bands posteriorly that is interrupted medially on T 2 (Figs 3A, 5C) (T 2 & T 3 with narrower lateral yellow spots, rest of terga black in N. ohli); sternal colour differs in the two species; terga medially without medial bulges (with small medial bulges in N. ohli); S 2 with a distinct, large rounded hump near to middle (absent in N. ohli); hind tibia broadly yellow dorsally (Fig. 3A) (all tibia with narrow light yellow over whole length dorsally in N. ohli). T 6 & T 7 entirely reddish (Fig. 5C) (T 6 partly and T 7 reddish in N. ohli).

Solierella nigridorsum Pulawski, 1964 Fig. 12A–F Solierella nigridorsum Pulawski, 1964: 136, ♀. Diagnosis. Body length: 3.6 mm. This species is characterized by the entirely black thoracic dorsum (Fig. 12A, C). Material examined: 1♀, Farasan, Abdulmajeed farm [16 Q 42.07970’N; 42 Q 08.5781’E], 23–30.ix.2022. Distribution: Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia (new record), United Arab Emirates. Comments. This species is a new record for Saudi Arabia. Characters of the only collected specimen agree well with Pulawski’s description of the Egyptian females (1964: 136). It also agrees with the Arabian S. nigridorsum in having the metanotum completely black (Schmid-Egger 2011). Furthermore, it agrees with the Iranian female in having the pronotum and metanotum black (Schmid-Egger et al. 2021).

Abu El-Ghiet, Usama M., Gadallah, Neveen S., Gasib, Abdulmajeed M., Al-Fifi, Zarrag I. A., Edmardash, Yusuf A. (2023): Further addition to the crabronid fauna of Saudi Arabia (Hymenoptera: Apoidea (Spheciformes): Crabronidae), with new genera and species records, and the description of two new species. Zootaxa 5319 (2): 151-177, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5319.2.1, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5319.2.1

Genus Solierella Spinola, 1851 Solierella Spinola, 1851: 349. Type species: Solierella miscophoides Spinola, 1851, by monotypy. This is the first record of the genus for the Saudi Arabian fauna.

Tachysphex nitidior de Beaumont, 1940 Fig. 15A–I Tachysphex nitidior de Beaumont, 1940: 175, ♀, ♁. Diagnosis. Body length: 6.5 mm. Male: Body wholly black (including antennae and legs) (Fig. 15A, B); mandible yellowish red mesally in most specimens (Fig. 15D); scutal and mesopleural sutures well-defined; fore femur with relatively large, glabrous and shiny notch (Fig. 15I); T 1–3 silvery fasciate posteriorly (Fig. 15G); gastral sterna with well-defined punctures. Material examined: 1♁, Farasan, Abdulmajeed farm [16 Q 42.07970’N; 42 Q 08.5781’E], 23–30.ix.2022. Distribution: Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Croatia, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Iran, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Libya, Malta, Mongolia, Morocco, Portugal, Russia, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan (Pulawski 2022), Saudi Arabia (new record). Comments. The characters of our male specimen agree well with de Beaumont’s key (1940: 162, couplet 30). It also agrees with Pulawski’s recognition (2007: 442).

Gastrosericus sanctus Pulawski in de Beaumont, Bytinski-Salz & Pulawski, 1973 Fig. 7A–G Gastrosericus sanctus Pulawski in de Beaumont, Bytinski-Salz & Pulawski, 1973: 16, ♀, ♁. Diagnosis. Male: body length: 7.0 mm. Body colour: see Fig. 7 (A–F). The male of this species shares with that of G. moricei the appressed genal (Fig. 7D) and propodeal pubescence (Fig. 7C); sternal fimbriae of S 3, S 4 noticeably long, slightly extending beyond posterior margin of sterna (Fig. 7E); gastral terga without yellow bands (Fig. 7A). It differs from that of G. moricei in the following: clypeal lobe broad, with arcuate to slightly sinuate free margin (Fig. 7B) and well-defined corner (obtusely pointed in G. moricei, see Pulawski 1995: 94, fig. 78f, h); S 3 and S 4 depressed medially (Fig. 7E), not fimbriate laterally (fimbriae of S 3 and S 4 present side to side, sterna not depressed medially, see Pulawski 1995: 95, fig. 79e, f). Material examined: 2 ♁, Farasan, Abdulmajeed farm [16 Q 42.07970’N; 42 Q 08.5781’E], 23–30.ix.2022. Previous Saudi Arabian records: Abu Arish, Riyadh (Pulawski 1995). Distribution: Burkina Faso, Ghana, Israel, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Namibia, Niger, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Zimbabwe. Comments. Characters of the collected specimens of this species agree with Pulawski’s key (1995: 23, couplet 24). It also agrees with Schmid-Egger & van Harten’s key (2022: 547, couplet 9), but gastral terga of male black, reddish brown posteriorly.

Genus Miscophus Jurine, 1807 Miscophus Jurine, 1807: 206. Type species: Miscophus bicolor Jurine, 1807, by monotypy.

Genus Gastrosericus Spinola, 1839 Gastrosericus Spinola, 1839: 480. Type species: Gastrosericus waltlii Spinola, 1839, by monotypy.

Genus Tachysphex Kohl, 1883 Tachysphex Kohl, 1883: 166. Type species: Tachysphex filicornis Kohl, 1883 [= Tachytes fugax Radoszkowski, 1877], designated by Bingham, 1897: 192.

Tachysphex consocius Kohl, 1892 Fig. 13A–G Tachysphex consocius Kohl, 1892: 217, ♀. Diagnosis. Body length: 7.0 mm. Body, including legs and antennae, black (Fig. 13A); pygidial plate reddish apically in some females; mandible reddish medially, black at base and apex (Fig. 13B); labrum flat, concealed under clypeus; middle clypeal section of female convex (Fig. 13B), with one lateral incision, free margin sinuate; postocellar area with erect setae; mid tarsomere II more than twice as long as apically wide (Fig. 13A); mesopleuron distinctly punctate, punctures minute; propodeal dorsum irregularly rugose or irregularly ridged (Fig. 13C); gastral T 1–4 silvery fasciate apically (Fig. 13A); dorsal length of female flagellomere I about 2.3 × apical width; outer apical spine of male foretarsomere II longer than foretarsomere III. Material examined: 2♀, Farasan, Abdulmajeed farm [16 Q 42.07970’N; 42 Q 08.5781’E], 23–30.ix.2022. Previous Saudi Arabian records: Fayfa (Pulawski, 2007). Distribution: Widely distributed in Africa, southern Europe to Central Asia and India and Sri Lanka. Comments. Characters of this species agree with Pulawski’s key (2007: 49, couplet 103), as well as the diagnosis recognizing the species in Pulawski (2007: 208).

Tachysphex fugax (Radoszkowski, 1877) Fig. 14A–F Tachytes fugax Radoszkowski, 1877: 30, ♁. Diagnosis. Body length: 7.0 mm. Body entirely black (including antennae and legs) (Fig. 14A–C, E); clypeal lobe flat, with at most a rudimentary bevel in female, angulate laterally in male; labrum greatly concealed by clypeus; antennal flagellomeres elongate, distinctly longer than broad, without sensory areas (Fig. 14B, C); length of flagellomere IV 4.0–4.5× apical width in female and 2.2–2.8× in most males; frons punctatorugose; mesoscutum and mesopleuron densely punctate (Fig. 14C, D), with puncture one diameter apart, much denser posteriorly at junction with scutellum; propodeum longitudinally ridged, setae directed obliquely anterad (Fig. 14D); hind coxa more or less expanded at base dorsally; bottom of male fore femoral notch glabrous, microscopically ridged; outer margin of fore basitarsus in most males with 3–5 rake spines; outer apical spine of male tarsomere II no longer than tarsomere III; T 1–3 with apical silvery fasciae (Fig. 14A). Material examined: 1♀, Farasan, Abdulmajeed farm [16 Q 42.07970’N; 42 Q 08.5781’E], 23–30.ix.2022. Previous Saudi Arabian records: Adriyah, El Riyadh, Fayfa, South Jeddah, Wadi Maraba (Pulawski 2007). Distribution: Algeria, Angula, Austria, Azerbaijan, Botswana, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Canary Islands, Central African Republic, Comoro Islands, Croatia, Cyprus, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Georgia, Greece, Guinea, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mali, Malta, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Lione, Somalia, South Africa, Spain,? Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Zimbabwe. Comments. Characters of the only female collected from Farasan agrees well with Pulawski’s key (2007: 48, couplet 98).

Ammatomus yemenensis Schmid-Egger, 2019 Fig. 2A–F Ammatomus yemenensis Schmid-Egger, 2019: 448, ♀, ♁. Diagnosis. Body length: 8.0 mm. This species is diagnosed by the following characters: gastral T 1 distinctly petiolate, with distinct constriction between T 1 and T 2 (Fig. 2A); metanotum ivory, smooth; T 2–4 with complete ivory bands (Fig. 2A); T 1 about 1.5× as long as apical width, with two large posterolateral ivory markings a short distance apart, remainder black, posterior margin translucent; S 2 with two small triangular ivory markings posterolaterally (Fig. 2E); hind tarsomeres I–III all yellowish to whitish (Fig. 2A, E); hind claws black (Fig. 2E); T 1 without or with indistinct lateral carina. Male: Not available. Material examined: 1♀, Farasan Island Abdulmajeed farm [16 Q 42.07970’N; 42 Q 08.5781’E], 23–30.ix.2022 Distribution: Yemen (Schmid-Egger 2019), Saudi Arabia (new record). Comments: Ammatomus yemenensis Schmid-Egger from the Farasan Archipelago is a new record for Saudi Arabia. The characters of the only specimen collected agree well with A. yemenensis in Schmid-Egger’s key (2019: 440, couplet 11). It differs from the Yemeni female in having the pale parts of body ivory white (whitish yellow in Yemeni specimens); antennal flagellum entirely black except last two flagellomeres reddish beneath (AS 1–3 yellowish white in Yemeni specimens); T 1 1.29× as long as mesoscutum (1.1× mesoscutum in Yemeni specimens). It also agrees with Schmid-Eggers’ (2019: 456, figs 41–44).

Genus Nysson Latreille, [1802] Nysson Latreille, [1802: 340]. Type species: Crabro spinosus Fabricius, 1775 [= Sphex spinosus J. Forster, 1771], designated by Schuckard, 1837. This is the first record of the genus for the Saudi Arabian fauna.

Genus Ammatomus A. Costa, 1859 Ammatomus A. Costa, 1859: 36. Type species: Gorytes coarctatus Spinola, 1808, by monotypy. This is the first record of the genus for the Saudi Arabian fauna.

Trypoxylon splendidum Antropov, 2011 Fig. 16A–G Trypoxylon splendidum Antropov, 2011: 610, ♀, ♁. Diagnosis. Body (including antennae and legs) entirely black (Fig. 16A); frontal shield in female and male relatively long, pointed, a short distance above antennal bases, rounded basally and angulate apico-laterally, coarsely rugose in female (Fig. 16B), densely punctate in male (Fig. 16C), with an area of silvery pubescence extending from middle ocellus but not reaching ventral end of shield (Fig. 16B, C); last antennal segment in male relatively long, narrowly rounded apically, about as long as preceding three antennal segments or slightly shorter (Fig. 16G); scutum with dense superficial punctures (Fig. 16D), mesopleuron densely punctate, with interspaces (Fig. 16E); metapleuron finely transversely striate (Fig. 16E); dorsal enclosure of propodeum coarsely rugose, with dense, upturned fine pale setae posteriorly (Fig. 16D); first gastral segment distinctly long in both sexes (Fig. 16F); S 8 of male completely as in Antropov (2011: 615, fig. 10). Material examined: 2♀, 1♁, Farasan, Abdulmajeed farm [16 Q 42.07970’N; 42 Q 08.5781’E], 23–30.ix.2022; 1♀, Farasan (Abdulmajeed Farm), 30.ix–7x.2022. Previous Saudi Arabian records: Maha’il (Antropov 2011), Jazan (Gadallah et al. 2021). Distribution: Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates. Comments. Characters of this species fully agree with Antropov’s key (2001: 616, couplet 3), as well as his diagnosis (2011: 610).

Miscophus sauditus Gadallah & Edmardash sp. nov. Figs 8A–E, 9A–D, 10A–E Type material: SAUDI ARABIA. Holotype (♁), Farasan [16° 41.8’ N; 42° 7.3333’ E], 23–30.ix.2022. Description of male holotype: body length: 7.0 mm. Colouration: head and thorax black with cuprous to dark green luster (Figs 8A, B, 9A, B); red: gaster (Figs 8A, 9C, D), tegula (Figs 8A, 9A) and legs (except coxae externally black) (Fig. 8A); scape and pedicel yellowish, darker above (Fig. 8B–D); flagellum wholly black (Fig. 8B–D); apical margin of clypeus ferruginous (Fig. 8C), mandible ferruginous with black tip; forewing membrane hyaline to subhyaline, with a transverse fumigate area subapically (not reaching wing apex), veins dark brown (Fig. 10E). Head (Fig. 8A–E): face above antennal sockets and clypeus densely clothed with silvery pubescence concealing underlying integument (Fig. 8C); upper face with less pubescence, not concealing integument, densely punctaterugose (Fig. 8C); eye orbit slightly concave above, convex below (Fig. 8C); clypeus medially with apex slightly arcuate (Fig. 8C); last three flagellomeres depressed dorsally (Fig. 8E); middle ocellus distinctly larger than lateral ocelli (Fig. 8B); AS 3 2.5× as long as its apical width (Fig. 8E), distinctly longer than pedicel. Thorax (Fig. 9A, B): pronotum well-developed, with slight longitudinal sulcus medially (Fig. 9A); mesoscutum densely punctate, with indistinct short sulcus antero-medially (Fig. 9A); scutellum densely punctate, glabrous (Fig. 9A); propodeum with dense silvery pubescence especially laterally, densely granulate (Fig. 9A), transversely punctate posteriorly; propleuron with dense silvery pubescence concealing underlying integument (Fig. 9B); mesopleuron with such pubescence anteriorly and medially, remainder smooth and shiny (Fig. 9B); legs (Figs 8A, 9B): fore coxa with two longitudinal carinae externally, depressed in between; fore basitarsus long and slender, as long as following tarsomeres combined, with four black unequal spines, of which basal one is very short, apical spine is the longest, about as long as following tarsomere; spines of tarsal comb thin (not spatulate); fore femur with wavy silvery pubescence ventrally; mid and hind tibiae irregularly spinose. Gaster (Figs 9C, D, 10A–C) impunctate, terga with fine silvery, short pubescence laterally (Figs 9C, 10A); T 6 conical, broad and convex at base, with numerous short, black spines along lateral margins (Fig. 10A, B); S 3–6 each with a row of black spines posteriorly, increasing in number toward apex (Fig. 9D), S 8 with two long spines curved along almost their whole length, parallel-sided at apex (Fig. 10C); gonoforceps (Fig. 10D) narrowly rounded apically, with dense, long setae at basal two-thirds, distinctly bent medially (Fig. 10D). Female: Unknown. Etymology: This species is named after the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where the specimen was collected. Distribution: Known only from Saudi Arabia (Farasan Archipelago). Comments. The new species belongs to Miscophus helveticus group based on Schmid-Egger & El-Jahdhami’s key to males species-groups (2022: 324, couplet 3) in having erect whitish pilosity on gena (Fig. 8D, E), and S 8 bidentate (Fig. 10C). It greatly resembles the male of M. papyrus de Andrade, but differs from it in the following: clypeus slightly arcuate (Fig. 8C) (clypeus mesally pointed at apex in M. papyrus, Pulawski 1964: 124, fig. 62); propodeal dorsum densely granulate (striate in M. papyrus; Pulawski 1964); gaster entirely red (T 4 and T 5 clearly brownish in M. papyrus; Pulawski 1964); S 8 with two long spines curved along almost their whole length, parallel-sided at apex (Fig. 10C) (spines parallel-sided throughout in M. papyrus, see Pulawski 1964: 123, fig. 63); gonoforceps with dense long setae that are distinctly bent medially (Fig. 10D) (bent at apex in M. papyrus; see Pulawski 1964: 123, fig. 64). It also resembles M. ctenopus Kohl in having posterior ocelli closer to each other than the distance between each of them and the posterior ocellus (Fig. 8B); radial cell distinctly larger than the petiolate SMC 2 (Fig. 10E). However, it differs from M. ctenopus in the following (based on Kohl’s key to males, 1885: 221, couplet 2): mesoscutum dorsally with noticeable side corners in M. ctenopus (side corners gently rounded in M. sauditus, Fig. 9A); fore wing in M. ctenopus light, heavily clouded at tip margin (in M. sauditus fore wing more or less subhyaline, heavily clouded subapically, Fig. 10E); gaster bright red, except brownish medially in M. ctenopus (in M. sauditus gaster entirely red, Figs 8A, 9C, D). Based on de Andrade (1954): M. sauditus differs from the male M. ctenopus in the following aspects: free margin of clypeal lobe normal (Fig. 8C) (depressed medially and slightly raised at the sides in M. ctenopus); spines of tarsal comb thin (not spatulate) (spatulate in M. ctenopus); lower edge of the apical zone of gonoforceps distinctly curved (Fig. 10D) (not markedly curved in M. ctenopus, see de Andrade (1954: 11, fig. 25)); gonoforceps with dense long setae that are distinctly bent or curved medially (Fig. 10D) (somewhat irregularly wavy in M. ctenopus; see de Andrade 1954: 11, fig. 25).

The subgenus Thao Tsuneki, 1982 of the genus Crossocerus Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau and Brullé, 1835 is recorded for the first time from India. A new subspecies viz., Crossocerus (Thao) nitidicorpus indicus, (India: Uttarakhand) is described. A key to all subspecies in the subgenus Thao is provided.

Analysson vietnamensis Pham sp. nov. (Figs 3–14) Material examined. Holotype, ♀, pinned (deposited in IEBR), VIETNAM: Ha Noi, Bac Tu Liem, Co Nhue 2, Dong 1, 21°03′23.6″N, 105°46′29.9″E, 25.ix.2022, sweep net, in a vegetable field, Phong Huy Pham collector [IEBR]. Paratype (IEBR): VIETNAM: Ha Noi: 1 ♀, Bac Tu Liem, Co Nhue 2, Dong 1, 21°03′23.8″N, 105°46′30.6″E, 19.viii.2019, sweep net, Phong Huy Pham collector [IEBR]. Diagnosis. The new species clearly differs from A. rufescens by the characters mentioned in the key. Description.The new species is similar to A.rufescens Krombein in having mandible with small tooth subapically (Fig. 3); frons, vertex, pronotum, and scutum densely punctate, with dense silvery setae (Figs 3–5); distance between eyes on vertex about 1.2 × that between eyes at base of clypeus (Fig. 3); slightly oblique rugulae on lateral surface of pronotum and mesopleuron (Figs 6 & 14); propodeum with enclosure dorsally, carinae dorsolaterally (Fig. 5), slightly oblique carinae laterally (Figs 6 & 9), middle carina and transverse rugulae posteriorly; metasomal terga I and II polished, very sparse, small punctate, with scattered, long white setae (Figs 12 & 14); metasomal terga III–V small punctate, with moderately dense, long, suberect cinereous setae (Figs 12–14); pygidial plate round apically, with dense punctures (Fig. 13); body black (Fig. 14); scutellum, metanotum, narrow posterior band on mesopleuron, metapleuron, propodeum (Figs 5, 6, 9, 14), hind coxa and trochanter (Figs 6, 7, 9, 11, 14), and about basal two thirds of first metasomal tergum red (Figs 9, 12, 14); basal half of mandible, labrum, apical two thirds of clypeus, elongate triangular mark along inner eye margin from clypeus halfway to anterior ocellus (Fig. 3), scape except black band laterally, pedicel and basal three fourths of flagellomere I dorsally (Figs 3 & 4), anterior surface of fore coxa, ventral surface of fore trochanter and femur basally (Fig. 10), band on dorsal surface of all tibiae (Fig. 14), and lateral oval spot near base of metasomal tergum II yellowish white (Figs 12 & 14); wings hyaline, forewing with large infuscate band from marginal cell across second and third submarginal cells to posterior margin (Figs 8 & 14). Female, holotype (Figs 3–14): Body length 5.6–5.8 mm, forewing 4.4–4.6 mm. Colour. Body black with following parts red: most of mid coxa and trochanter, extreme base of hind femur, and first metasomal sternum (Fig. 11). Following parts yellowish white: band along anterior surface of fore and mid tibiae, basal third of hind tibia, and fore tarsi except basal tarsomere (Fig. 14). Forewing with stigma black and veins blackish to yellowish; hindwing anteriorly with small infuscate spot subapically (Figs 8 & 14). Vestiture. Head with moderately dense, short, subappressed, silvery setae on side of clypeus, outer surface near base of mandible (Figs 3 & 4), and gena (Fig. 14); basal half of mandible, middle area of clypeus, vertex with some long, suberect silvery setae (Figs 3 & 4). Mesosoma with moderately dense, short, subappressed silvery setae on mesopleuron anteriorly (Figs 5 & 6), and legs (Fig. 7); red areas with moderately dense, short, cinereous setae (Figs 5 & 6). pygidial plate with dense, erect cinereous setae (Figs 12–14). Head (Figs 3 & 4). Median lobe of labrum conspicuously trilobate; clypeus broad, thin apically, with anterior margin nearly straight, median lobe truncate; obtuse angle on inner edge near middle area; eyes moderately converging below; distance between inner margins of hind ocelli 0.58 × that between outer margin of hind ocellus and nearest inner orbit, 1.86 × that between inner margin of anterior ocellus and inner margin of hind ocellus, and 0.81 × that between hind ocellus and occipital margin; frons and vertex with close punctures, distance among punctures equivalent to puncture diameter. Mesosoma (Figs 5–10, 14). Pronotum and scutum densely punctate, punctures less than one diameter apart; mesopleuron with omaulus conspicuously presented, and short, longitudinal carinae behind it; upper mesopleuron with small punctures; scutellum with sparse, small punctures; metanotum with inconspicuous longitudinal striae mixed with small punctures; metapleuron impunctate except upper area with scattered, small punctures; propodeum with conspicuous enclosure dorsally, its length about ⅟₂ × that of dorsal surface of propodeum, dorsal surface with slightly divergent, short carinae around enclosure, lateral carinae with very small teeth posteriorly, posterior surface with horizontal carinae beside longitudinal middle carina; tarsi with hard, long spines laterally; tarsal claw simply. Forewing with three submarginal cells, second submarginal cell with conspicuous petioles; stigma about as long as 3.0 × prestigma. Metasoma (Figs 11–14). Tergum I with small tooth basolaterally; sternum I with several longitudinal carinae; tergum II polished, about apical half impunctate, basal half very sparsely punctate; terga III–V with very small punctures, these punctures very sparse medially and moderately dense laterally; pygidial plate round apically, with dense punctures, distance among punctures equivalent to puncture diameter. Male. Unknown. Etymology. The specific name of this new species refers to its country of origin, Vietnam. Distribution. Vietnam: Ha Noi (Fig. 1)., Published as part of Pham, Phong Huy, 2023, New record of the rare genus Analysson Krombein, 1985 (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) from Vietnam, with description of a new species, pp. 180-184 in Zootaxa 5271 (1) on pages 181-184, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5271.1.10, http://zenodo.org/record/7859868

Key to the species of the genus Analysson Krombein (male unknown in Analysson vietnamensis Pham sp. nov.) 1. First recurrent vein contiguous with vein separating first and second submarginal cells; pygidial plate with brown to reddish golden setae; mid coxa and trochanter black; forewing with veins dark brown; anterior margin of hindwing without small infuscate spot subapically. Body length of female 7.0 mm. Sri Lanka, India........ Analysson rufescens Krombein, 1985 - First recurrent vein joining first submarginal cell at some short distance from second submarginal cell (Figs 8 & 14); pygidial plate with cinereous setae (Fig. 13); most of mid coxa and trochanter red (Figs 6, 7, 14); forewing with veins blackish to yellowish (Figs 8 & 14); anterior margin of hindwing with small infuscate spot subapically (Fig. 8). Body length of female 5.6–5.8 mm. Vietnam................................................. Analysson vietnamensis Pham, sp. nov., Published as part of Pham, Phong Huy, 2023, New record of the rare genus Analysson Krombein, 1985 (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) from Vietnam, with description of a new species, pp. 180-184 in Zootaxa 5271 (1) on page 181, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5271.1.10, http://zenodo.org/record/7859868, {"references":["Krombein, K. V. (1985) Biosystematic studies of Ceylonese wasps, XV: A monograph of the Alyssoninae, Nyssoninae, and Gorytinae (Hymenoptera: Sphecoidea: Nyssonidae). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology, 414, 1 - 42."]}

Analysson Krombein 1985, a rare genus of the family Crabronidae, is recorded for the first time from Vietnam. Analysson vietnamensis Pham sp. nov., the second species of the genus, is described and illustrated. A key to both species of Analysson is presented.

Genus Philanthinus de Beaumont, 1949 Philanthinus de Beaumont, 1949: 194 (as subgenus of Philanthus). Type species: Philanthus integer de Beaumont, 1949, by original designation and monotypy. The genus Philanthinus is represented in Egypt by a single species, P. integer de Beaumont., Published as part of Malash, Alyaa A., Edmardash, Yusuf A. & Gadallah, Neveen S., 2023, The genera Philanthus Fabricius, 1790 and Philanthinus de Beaumont, 1949 (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae: Philanthinae) in Egypt, with a new record and the description of a new species, pp. 151-189 in Zootaxa 5249 (2) on page 159, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5249.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7687292, {"references":["de Beaumont, J. (1949) Les Philanthus et Philiponidea de l'Afrique du N. - O. (Hym. Sphecid.). Mitteilungen der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft, 22, 173 - 216."]}

Philanthus ammochrysus W. Schulz, 1905 Fig. 4A–E Philanthus ammochrysus W. Schulz, 1905: 59, ♁. Diagnosis. Body length: 11 mm (male). Body generally bright yellow with the following black: ocellar triangle extending to inner eye margin above emargination, large spot above antennal sockets, spot at posterior eye margin that narrows posteriorly (Fig. 4A– E); F3–11 (except F3 ventrally) (Fig. 4B), clypeal moustache (Fig. 4B), three longitudinal bands on mesoscutum connected basally and apically (Fig. 4D), scutellum and postscutellum laterally (Fig. 4C), basal triangle of propodeum (Fig. 4D), mesosternum laterally, large irregular area on metapleuron, dorsal basal streak on hind femur (Fig. 4E), apical margins of gastral terga. Gastral T 3 yellow with two black markings baso-laterally, T 6 black with narrow yellow band apically (Fig. 4E), S 2 with black bands apically and basally, with two small black markings basolaterally, S 3 –S 5 with black band basally, S 6 black. Face densely punctate (Fig. 4B); clypeal moustache long and dense, meeting medially (Fig. 4B); mesoscutum sparsely punctate (Fig. 4D), scutellum and postscutellum smooth and shiny (Fig. 4D); propodeal dorsum smooth and shiny, with median rugose suture (Fig. 4D); upper mesopleuron smooth, lower mesopleuron densely punctate (Fig. 4C); mesosternum coarsely punctate; hind coxa without keel; gastral T 1–3 densely punctate, with large interspaces, punctures sparser and superficial on rest of terga (Fig. 4E); gastral S 2 mostly smooth, dull; S 3–6 coarsely punctate. Male genitalia (see Fig. 23A). Female: Not available. Material examined: 1♁, Wadi Degla, 21.vi.2022, on Ochradenus baccatus Delile (Resedaceae), Alyaa A. Malash collector (EFC). Distribution in Egypt: Wadi Degla (present study). Extralimital distribution: Algeria, Jordan, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia. Comment: This species is a new record for Egypt. Characters of the only specimen collected agree with de Beaumont’s key (1949: 180, couplet 9). It also agrees with de Beaumont’s (1949: 178, fig. 5) except in the absence of the two median black spots between antennal sockets. It differs from the Tunisian male in having apical margins of gastral terga black, and T 3 with two black markings laterally (in Tunisian male, apical markings of terga are ferruginous, T 3 has no black markings laterally, see Ben Khedher et al. 2021: 7, fig. 1B), but agrees with fig. 3B (Ben Khedher et al. 2021: 8)., Published as part of Malash, Alyaa A., Edmardash, Yusuf A. & Gadallah, Neveen S., 2023, The genera Philanthus Fabricius, 1790 and Philanthinus de Beaumont, 1949 (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae: Philanthinae) in Egypt, with a new record and the description of a new species, pp. 151-189 in Zootaxa 5249 (2) on pages 160-162, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5249.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7687292, {"references":["Schulz, W. A. (1905) Hymenopteren - Studien. Wilhelm Engelmann, Leipzig, 147 pp.","de Beaumont, J. (1949) Les Philanthus et Philiponidea de l'Afrique du N. - O. (Hym. Sphecid.). Mitteilungen der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft, 22, 173 - 216.","Ben Khedher, H., Yildirim, E. & Braham, M. (2021) A checklist of Philanthini and Pseudoscoliini (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) with new records from Tunisia. Transactions of the American Entomological Society, 147, 1 - 10. https: // doi. org / 10.3157 / 061.147.0101"]}

Philanthus minor Kohl, 1891 Figs 9A–D, 10A–E Philanthus minor Kohl, 1891: 358, ♀. Diagnosis. Body length: 12 mm (female), 12 mm (male). Female with head and thorax black and following parts yellow: postero-lateral margin of head, lower face (not reaching inner eye emargination laterally, and forming trifid marking medially between antennal bases, far from median ocellus), clypeus, basal half of mandible, first three antennal segments, and inner side of fourth segment, pronotum, scutellum, postscutellum, tegula, upper mesopleuron; gaster with all terga yellow banded with ferruginous and black; legs yellow and ferruginous (Figs 9A–C, 10A). The yellow is more developed in male, extending to middle ocellus, and with two small, rounded spots on head posterior margin; mesoscutum with two middle as well as lateral yellow makings, yellow of mesoscutum interrupted medially; first three gastral terga largely yellow, surrounded with light ferruginous, T 4–6 mainly black, each with narrow, medially interrupted yellow band posteriorly (Figs 9D, 10B–E). Male clypeal moustache dense, meeting medially (Fig. 9D); pronotum distinctly emarginate medially (Fig. 9B, C); propodeal enclosure with coarsely sculptured, broad median sulcus, sculpture covering whole basal area of propodeum as inverted triangle (Fig. 10A, E); upper mesopleuron smooth and shiny (Fig. 10C, D); hind femur with relatively long fine setae, about as long as greatest femur width (Figs 9A, 10A). Material examined: 1♀, Dahshour, 15.iii.1927 (AUCE); 1♁, Burg, 4.V. 1955, Sh. M. collector (EFC). Previous Egyptian Records: Dahshour (Kohl 1891; Honoré 1942; de Beaumont 1949; Roche 2007), no specific locality (Dalla Torre 1897; de Beaumont 1953), Marsa Matruh (Guichard 1994; Gadallah 1996; Roche 2007). Extralimital distribution: Algeria, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia, Sudan, United Arab Emirates. Remarks. Characters of Egyptian specimens agree with Guichard’s key (1994: 208, couplet 8), however, in the male, the ferruginous extends along the first three gastral terga (Fig. 10E). They also agree with the North African specimens of de Beaumont (1949: 179, couplet 8)., Published as part of Malash, Alyaa A., Edmardash, Yusuf A. & Gadallah, Neveen S., 2023, The genera Philanthus Fabricius, 1790 and Philanthinus de Beaumont, 1949 (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae: Philanthinae) in Egypt, with a new record and the description of a new species, pp. 151-189 in Zootaxa 5249 (2) on page 165, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5249.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7687292, {"references":["Kohl, F. F. (1891) Zur Kenntnis der Hymenopteren - Gattung Philanthus Fabr. (sens. lat.). Annalen des k. k. Naturhistorischen Hofmuseums, 6, 345 - 370.","Honore, A. (1942) Introduction a l'etude des Sphegides en Egypte (Hymenoptera: Aculeata). Bulletin de la Societe Fouad Ier d'Entomologie, 26, 25 - 80.","de Beaumont, J. (1949) Les Philanthus et Philiponidea de l'Afrique du N. - O. (Hym. Sphecid.). Mitteilungen der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft, 22, 173 - 216.","Roche, C. G. (2007) Conspectus of the Sphecid wasps of Egypt (Hymenoptera: Ampulicidae, Sphecidae, Crabronidae). Egyptian Journal of Natural History, 4, 12 - 149.","Dalla Torre, K. W. (1897) Catalogus Hymenopterorum hucusque descriptorum systematicus et synonymicus. Vol. VIII. Fossores (Sphegidae). Guilelmi Engelmann, Lipsiae [Leipzig], 749 pp.","de Beaumont, J. (1953) Hymenopteres recoltes par une mission suisse au Maroc (1947). Sphecidae 2. Bulletin de la Societe des Sciences Naturelles et Physiques du Maroc, 32, 107 - 131.","Guichard, K. M. (1994) The genera Philanthus and Philanthinus (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae) in Arabia. Fauna of Saudi Arabia, 14, 207 - 212.","Gadallah, N. S. (1996) Review of the genus Philanthus F. in Egypt with notes on little known species (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae). Bulletin of the Entomological Society of Egypt, 74, 68 - 80."]}

Philanthus pallidus Klug, 1845 Figs 11A–E, 12A, B. Philanthus pallidus Klug, 1845: [28], plate 47, fig. 8, ♁. Diagnosis. Body length: 11–13 mm (female); 10–13 mm (male). Body entirely yellow, except the following black in the male: flagellomeres 2–11, a thin streak above eye emargination, posterior margins of mesoscutum and scutellum, scutellum laterally; median sulcus of propodeum; posterior margin of T 1 and T 2 ferruginous (Figs 11A–E, 12A, B). Lower face sparsely punctate, while deeply and densely punctate above eye emargination (Fig. 11B, D, E); malar space very short, but distinct (Fig. 12A); clypeal moustache long, meeting medially (Fig. 11D, E); clypeus with but few fine setae directed above; upper mesopleuron (mesepimeron) with sparse microscopic punctures to nearly smooth, lower mesopleuron densely coarsely punctate (Fig. 12A, B); propodeal enclosure smooth and shiny, with rugose or shagreened median sulcus (Fig. 11A, C). Material examined: 1♀, Gebel Elba (Wadi Aideb), 28–29.ii.1938 (PPDD); 5♁, 2♀, Gebel Elba (Wadi Aideb), 5.iii.1938 (PPDD); 3♁, Gebel Elba (Wadi Aideb), 7.iii.1938 (PPDD); 1♀, Kafr Asfar, 4.vi.1937 (AUCE); 1♁, EL Gabal El Asfar, 1.viii.1937; 1♁, Kafr Farouk, 9.vii.1939 (AUCE); 1♁, Giza (without date) (AUCE); 2♀, El Gabal El Asfar, June (no year) (AUCE). Previous Egyptian Records: Abbasyiah (Kohl 1891; Dalla Torre 1897), no specific locality (Arnold 1925; Mochi 1939; de Beaumont 1949, 1953, 1956; Bohart & Menke 1976; Guichard 1994), El Gabal El Asfar (Honoré 1942), Gebel Elba (Wadi Aideb) (Gadallah 1996), Kerdasa, Kom Oshiem (Roche 2007), Wadi El Tih (Dollfuss 2017). Extralimital distribution: Algeria, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Iran, Israel-Palestine, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sudan, United Arab Emirates. Remarks. The characters of Egyptian specimens agree with the North African specimens of de Beaumont (1949: 179, couplet 9). They also agree with the Arabian species of Guichard (1994, couple 8, p. 208). However, they differ from those of Guichard’s in having the malar space very short but significant (Fig. 12A). In some specimens, face and thorax laterally are whitish (Figs 11B, E, 12A)., Published as part of Malash, Alyaa A., Edmardash, Yusuf A. & Gadallah, Neveen S., 2023, The genera Philanthus Fabricius, 1790 and Philanthinus de Beaumont, 1949 (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae: Philanthinae) in Egypt, with a new record and the description of a new species, pp. 151-189 in Zootaxa 5249 (2) on pages 170-172, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5249.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7687292, {"references":["Klug, F. (1845) Symbolae Physicae seu Icones et Descriptiones Insectorum quae ex Itinere per Africam Borealem et Asiam Occidentalem Frederici Guilelmi Hemprich et Christiani Godofredi Ehrenberg Medicinae et Chirurgiae Doctorum Studio Novae aut Illustratae redierunt. Decas Quinta. Officina Academica, Berolini, 41 pp., pls. 41 - 50.","Kohl, F. F. (1891) Zur Kenntnis der Hymenopteren - Gattung Philanthus Fabr. (sens. lat.). Annalen des k. k. Naturhistorischen Hofmuseums, 6, 345 - 370.","Dalla Torre, K. W. (1897) Catalogus Hymenopterorum hucusque descriptorum systematicus et synonymicus. Vol. VIII. Fossores (Sphegidae). Guilelmi Engelmann, Lipsiae [Leipzig], 749 pp.","Arnold, G. (1925) The Sphegidae of South Africa. Part VI. Annals of the Transvaal Museum, 11, 137 - 175.","Mochi, A. (1939) Revisione delle Specie egiziane dei Generi Philanthus F. e Nectanebus Spin. (Hymenoptera: Sphegidae - Philanthinae). Bulletin de la Societe Fouad Ier d'Entomologie, 23, 86 - 139.","de Beaumont, J. (1949) Les Philanthus et Philiponidea de l'Afrique du N. - O. (Hym. Sphecid.). Mitteilungen der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft, 22, 173 - 216.","de Beaumont, J. (1953) Hymenopteres recoltes par une mission suisse au Maroc (1947). Sphecidae 2. Bulletin de la Societe des Sciences Naturelles et Physiques du Maroc, 32, 107 - 131.","de Beaumont, J. (1956) Sphecidae (Hym.) recoltes en Libye et au Tibesti par M. Kenneth M. Guichard. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology, 4, 165 - 215.","Bohart, R. M. & Menke, A. S. (1976) Sphecid wasps of the world. A generic revision. University of California Press, Berkeley, Los Angeles and London, 1 color pl., IX + 695 pp. https: // doi. org / 10.1525 / 9780520309548","Guichard, K. M. (1994) The genera Philanthus and Philanthinus (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae) in Arabia. Fauna of Saudi Arabia, 14, 207 - 212.","Honore, A. (1942) Introduction a l'etude des Sphegides en Egypte (Hymenoptera: Aculeata). Bulletin de la Societe Fouad Ier d'Entomologie, 26, 25 - 80.","Gadallah, N. S. (1996) Review of the genus Philanthus F. in Egypt with notes on little known species (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae). Bulletin of the Entomological Society of Egypt, 74, 68 - 80.","Roche, C. G. (2007) Conspectus of the Sphecid wasps of Egypt (Hymenoptera: Ampulicidae, Sphecidae, Crabronidae). Egyptian Journal of Natural History, 4, 12 - 149.","Dollfuss, H. (2017) The Philanthinae wasps of the \" Biologiezentrum - Linz \" - collection in Linz, Austria, including the genera Aphilanthops Patton, Clypeadon Patton, Odontosphex Arnold, Philanthinus de Beaumont, Philanthus Fabricius, Pseudoscolia Radoszkowski and Trachypus Klug. Linzer Biologische Beitrage, 49, 1245 - 1274."]}

Philanthus sulphureus F. Smith, 1856 Philanthus sulphureus F. Smith, 1856: 469, ♁. Remarks. This species was described from northern India. In his list of insects probably collected by J. Lord in Egypt and determined by F. Walker, Innes Bey (1912 [1911]) recorded P. sulphureus from Egypt based on Walker’s label as sulfureus collected from Wadi Feiran (as Wady Ferran, South Sinai). Walker’s specimen was destroyed by dermestids, therefore, it must be regarded as being a doubtful record., Published as part of Malash, Alyaa A., Edmardash, Yusuf A. & Gadallah, Neveen S., 2023, The genera Philanthus Fabricius, 1790 and Philanthinus de Beaumont, 1949 (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae: Philanthinae) in Egypt, with a new record and the description of a new species, pp. 151-189 in Zootaxa 5249 (2) on page 184, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5249.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7687292, {"references":["Smith, F. (1856) s. n. In: Catalogue of Hymenopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum. Part IV. Sphegidae, Larridae and Crabronidae. Taylor and Francis, London, pp. 207 - 497.","Innes Bey, W. (1912 [1911]) Une liste d'especes recueillis probablement par S. Lord en Egypte et determinees par F. Walker. Bulletin de la Societe Fouad Ier d'Entomologie, 1911, 97 - 115."]}

Philanthus variegatus ecoronatus Dufour, 1854 Figs 20A–C, 21A–C Philanthus ecoronatus Dufour, 1854: 380, ♁. Diagnosis. Body length: 14 mm (female); 11.6 mm (male). Philanthus variegatus ecoronatus differs from the nominotypical subspecies in the following: mesonotum shiny black (Fig. 21B) (shiny ferruginous in P. variegatus variegatus (Fig. 19D)); scutellum and postscutellum ferruginous (Fig. 21B), propodeum black with two lateral yellow patches (Fig. 21B) (rest of thorax yellow in P. variegatus variegatus, except black median sulcus (Fig. 19C–E)); mesoscutum sparsely punctate, punctures becoming dense posteriorly (Fig. 21B) (nearly smooth, impunctate in P. variegatus variegatus, densely punctate at junction with scutellum (Fig. 19D)); gastral T 2 densely punctate (Fig. 21C) (sparsely punctate in P. variegatus variegatus (Fig. 19E)). Material examined: 1♀, Wadi El-Natroun, 12.v.1990, Neveen Gadallah collector (EFC); 1♀, Wadi El Natroun (Beo Ar Ashra), (18/94?) (EFC); 1♁, Marsa Matruh, 28.ix.1954, Aly collector (ASUE). Previous Egyptian records: Wadi El-Natroun (Gadallah 1996); Marsa Matruh (present study). Extralimital distribution: Algeria, Armenia, Chad, Italy, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia, Comment: This subspecies was recorded for the first time from Egypt by Gadallah (1996). The characters agree with de Beaumont’s key (1949: 179, couplet 6) in having mesopleuron and propodeum greatly marked with yellow (Fig. 21A, B); upper mesopleuron densely punctate (Fig. 21A); gaster mostly yellow, narrowly black medially on T 1–4, with terminal depressions ferruginous (Fig. 21C); T 2 more or less densely, finely punctate (Fig. 21C); face entirely pale up to level of inner eye emargination in female (Fig. 20B), and dark reddish brown to ferruginous in male (Fig. 20C); scutellum and postscutellum ferruginous (Fig. 21B). It differs from de Beaumont description in having the pale colour of the face ivory white and extending very close to the middle ocellus (in de Beaumont’s specimens, 1949: 178, the pale colour of the face is yellow, and touching the middle ocellus, see fig. 1). The Tunisian specimen (Ben Khedher et al. 2021: 8, fig. 3J) is identical to de Beaumont’s. This may be a sexual difference (the Egyptian specimen is a female, while de Beaumont’s 1949 and Ben Khedher et al. 2021, specimens are males). The specimen of Wadi El Natroun, 12.v.1990 (EFC) was misidentified by Giles Roche as P. dufouri Lucas. However, it differs from P. dufouri in having the scutellum ferruginous (Fig. 21B) (clearly black in P. dufouri); gastral terga predominantly yellow, narrowly black medially (Fig. 21C) (black in P. dufouri, with yellow markings clearly delimited)., Published as part of Malash, Alyaa A., Edmardash, Yusuf A. & Gadallah, Neveen S., 2023, The genera Philanthus Fabricius, 1790 and Philanthinus de Beaumont, 1949 (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae: Philanthinae) in Egypt, with a new record and the description of a new species, pp. 151-189 in Zootaxa 5249 (2) on pages 179-182, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5249.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7687292, {"references":["Dufour, L. (1854) Signalements de quelques especes nouvelles ou peu connues d'Hymenopteres algeriens. Annales de la Societe Entomologique de France, Serie 3, 1, 375 - 382.","Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau, A. L. M. (1845) Histoire naturelle des Insectes. Hymenopteres. Vol. 3. Librairie Encyclopedique de Roret, Paris, 646 + 4 pp., pls. 25 - 36.","Spinola, M. (1839) Compte-rendu des Hymenopteres recueillis par M. Fischer pendant son voyage en Egypte, et communiques par M. le Docteur Waltl a Maximilien Spinola. Annales de la Societe Entomologique de France, 7, 437 - 546.","Gadallah, N. S. (1996) Review of the genus Philanthus F. in Egypt with notes on little known species (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae). Bulletin of the Entomological Society of Egypt, 74, 68 - 80.","Ben Khedher, H., Yildirim, E. & Braham, M. (2021) A checklist of Philanthini and Pseudoscoliini (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) with new records from Tunisia. Transactions of the American Entomological Society, 147, 1 - 10. https: // doi. org / 10.3157 / 061.147.0101","de Beaumont, J. (1949) Les Philanthus et Philiponidea de l'Afrique du N. - O. (Hym. Sphecid.). Mitteilungen der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft, 22, 173 - 216."]}

Philanthus schulthessi Maidl, 1924 Figs 15A–C, 16A, B, 17A–D Philanthus schulthessi Maidl, 1924: 242, ♀. Diagnosis. Body length 11–13.5 mm (female). Greatly resembles female of P. minor, but differs from that species in having the body punctures conspicuously denser (Figs 15A–C, 16A, B, 17A–D); metapleuron densely pilose (inconspicuous in P. minor) (Fig. 16A); colour pattern of gaster (Fig. 16C, 17B); antenna whitish basally and pale reddish at the rest (Figs 15B, 17B) (basal segments yellowish and the rest of flagellum black in P. minor (Fig. 9C)); gastral terga with conspicuously denser punctures, interspaces smaller than puncture diameter, thus appearing dull (Figs 16C, 17B) (less dense, with larger interspaces and shiny in P. minor (Fig. 9A)). Material examined: 1♀, Marsa Matruh, 15.ix.1957, Aly collector (ASUA); 1♀, Marsa Matruh, vii.1952, Dr. T. S. collector (ASUA); 1♀, Marsa Matruh, 20.viii.1955, Aly collector (ASUA) (all were mistakenly identified as P. minor); a photograph from the OÖLM: 1♀, Marsa Matruh, 22–29.viii.1954, collector? (det. W.J. Pulawski, 1978). Previous Egyptian records: Marsa Matruh (Dollfuss 2017; present study). Extralimital distribution: Chad, Libya Mauritania, Sudan. Remarks. In his Mauritanian paper, de Beaumont (1953) has mistakenly identified P. schulthessi as P. minor. However, because of some differences between the specimens examined by him and the true minor (the ocelloocular distance; the degree of emargination of pronotum; the dense punctures; and the colour of gastral T 1 and T 2) he treated it as a subspecies of P. minor. In 1956, comparing his Mauritanian specimens with schulthessi from Wadi Wour (an island near Khartoum, Sudan), he found them conspecific, and thus he corrected the Mauritanian minor subsp. of 1953 to be P. schulthessi. The specimens examined from the ASUA collection were identified as P. minor, by comparing them with the photos of P. schulthessi received from OÖLM, they were found to be conspecific. Their characters also agree well with the Libyan specimen of de Beaumont’s P. schulthessi (1956:184) and to a large extent with figs 15, 16 (de Beaumont, 1956:184). All specimens under study as well as that photographed by OÖLM were collected from Marsa Matruh between May and September (1952–1957)., Published as part of Malash, Alyaa A., Edmardash, Yusuf A. & Gadallah, Neveen S., 2023, The genera Philanthus Fabricius, 1790 and Philanthinus de Beaumont, 1949 (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae: Philanthinae) in Egypt, with a new record and the description of a new species, pp. 151-189 in Zootaxa 5249 (2) on pages 172-178, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5249.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7687292, {"references":["Maidl, F. (1924) Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der mit Unterstutzung der Akademie der Wissenschaften in Wien aus der Erbschaft Treitl von F. Werner unternommenen zoologischen Expedition nach dem Anglo-Agyptischen Sudan (Kordofan) 1914. XV. Hymenoptera E. Scoliidae et Sphegidae. Denkschriften der Akademie der Wissenschaften in Wien. MathematischNaturwissenschaftliche Klasse, Abteilung I, 99, 233 - 246.","Spinola, M. (1839) Compte-rendu des Hymenopteres recueillis par M. Fischer pendant son voyage en Egypte, et communiques par M. le Docteur Waltl a Maximilien Spinola. Annales de la Societe Entomologique de France, 7, 437 - 546.","Dollfuss, H. (2017) The Philanthinae wasps of the \" Biologiezentrum - Linz \" - collection in Linz, Austria, including the genera Aphilanthops Patton, Clypeadon Patton, Odontosphex Arnold, Philanthinus de Beaumont, Philanthus Fabricius, Pseudoscolia Radoszkowski and Trachypus Klug. Linzer Biologische Beitrage, 49, 1245 - 1274.","de Beaumont, J. (1953) Hymenopteres recoltes par une mission suisse au Maroc (1947). Sphecidae 2. Bulletin de la Societe des Sciences Naturelles et Physiques du Maroc, 32, 107 - 131.","de Beaumont, J. (1956) Sphecidae (Hym.) recoltes en Libye et au Tibesti par M. Kenneth M. Guichard. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology, 4, 165 - 215."]}

Philanthus rutilus Spinola, 1839 Figs 13A–C, 14A–C. Philanthus rutilus Spinola, 1839: 488, ♀, ♁. Diagnosis. Body length: 12.4 mm (female); 12.5 mm (male). Body relatively large, with body in female predominantly black, with tegula, scutellum, posterior margins of T 3–5 and legs ferruginous; clypeus and lower face yellow not reaching middle ocellus (Figs 13A, 14A). Male with clypeus and face whitish, whitish extending to middle ocellus; thorax entirely black (tegula yellow), gaster with T 1 ferruginous, while T 2 and T 3 yellow, with intersegments and base of T 1 black; T 4 &T 5 almost black (with very thin, hardly seen yellow streaks postero-laterally), F3–11 black; face and clypeus ivory white (Figs 13B, 14B, C). Face and clypeus with dense, fine and long pilosity (Fig. 14A–C), male clypeal moustache dense, ending very close to each other but not, or hardly joining medially (Fig. 14B); malar space insignificant (Fig. 14C); mandible coarsely longitudinally ridged (Fig. 14A); thorax with dense pilosity but shorter than on head (Fig. 14C); thoracic sterna with dense and longer fine pilosity; upper mesopleuron (mesepimeron) densely punctate, sculpture on lower mesopleuron (mesepisternum) greatly masked by long and dense pilosity (Fig. 14C); propodeum with median, somewhat broad median groove, lateral surface shiny but with some points (Fig. 13C). Material examined: 1♁, Wadi Al Awsag, 16.12.1930, det. Mochi (PPDD); 1♁, Mataria, 1.iv.1917 (AUCE); 1♁, Wadi Morrah, 7.iv.1925 (AUCE); 1♁, Kafr Hakim, 20.iii.1926 (AUCE); 1♁, Kafr Farouk, 12.ii.1929 (AUCE); 1♀, Pyramids, 4.iii.1931 (AUCE); 1♁, Kafr Gammus, 17.ii.1935 (AUCE); 2♁, El Gabal El Asfar, 7.ii.1937 (AUCE); 3♁, 1♀, Kafr Farouk, 26.ii.1939 (AUCE); 1♁, Kafr Farouk, 20.ii.1939 (AUCE) Previous Egyptian Records: No specific locality (Spinola 1839, 1843 as P. byssinus; Dalla Torre 1897; Mellor 1928 as P. rutilans; Mochi 1939; de Beaumont 1949, 1956, 1960, 1961 all as P. rutilus rutilus; Bohart & Menke 1976 as P. rutilus rutilus), near Giza (Pyramids) (A. Costa 1875), Maadi (Storey 1916 as P. rutilans), El Gabal El Asfar, Kafr Farouk (Honoré 1942; Roche 2007), Abu Rawash, Ameriah, Dahshour, El Marg, Wadi Awsag (Gadallah 1996 as P. rutilus rutilus), Gebel Elba (Gadallah 1996; Dollfuss 2017), Beni Yussef (Roche 2007). Extralimital distribution: Algeria, Chad, Israel-Palestine, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Spain, United Arab Emirates, Yemen. Remarks. The characters of our specimens agree with the North African specimens of de Beaumont (1949: 178, couplet 3), and with the Arabian specimens of Guichard (1994: 208, couplet 2)., Published as part of Malash, Alyaa A., Edmardash, Yusuf A. & Gadallah, Neveen S., 2023, The genera Philanthus Fabricius, 1790 and Philanthinus de Beaumont, 1949 (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae: Philanthinae) in Egypt, with a new record and the description of a new species, pp. 151-189 in Zootaxa 5249 (2) on page 172, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5249.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7687292, {"references":["Spinola, M. (1839) Compte-rendu des Hymenopteres recueillis par M. Fischer pendant son voyage en Egypte, et communiques par M. le Docteur Waltl a Maximilien Spinola. Annales de la Societe Entomologique de France, 7, 437 - 546.","Spinola, M. (1843) Sur la synonymie des Hymenopteres. Annales de la Societe Entomologique de France, Bulletin Entomologique, 11, XXXV - XXXVIII.","Dalla Torre, K. W. (1897) Catalogus Hymenopterorum hucusque descriptorum systematicus et synonymicus. Vol. VIII. Fossores (Sphegidae). Guilelmi Engelmann, Lipsiae [Leipzig], 749 pp.","Mellor, J. E. M. (1928) Notes on certain Hymenoptera, a coleopterous and two dipterous parasites, 1926 - 1927. Bulletin de la Societe Royale Entomologique d'Egypte, 11, 22 - 132.","Mochi, A. (1939) Revisione delle Specie egiziane dei Generi Philanthus F. e Nectanebus Spin. (Hymenoptera: Sphegidae - Philanthinae). Bulletin de la Societe Fouad Ier d'Entomologie, 23, 86 - 139.","de Beaumont, J. (1949) Les Philanthus et Philiponidea de l'Afrique du N. - O. (Hym. Sphecid.). Mitteilungen der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft, 22, 173 - 216.","de Beaumont, J. (1956) Sphecidae (Hym.) recoltes en Libye et au Tibesti par M. Kenneth M. Guichard. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology, 4, 165 - 215.","de Beaumont, J. (1960) Sphecidae de l'ile de Rhodes (Hym.). Mitteilungen der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft, 33, 1 - 26.","de Beaumont, J. (1961) Notes sur les Philanthus palearctiques (Hym. Sphecid.). Mitteilungen der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft, 33, 201 - 212.","Bohart, R. M. & Menke, A. S. (1976) Sphecid wasps of the world. A generic revision. University of California Press, Berkeley, Los Angeles and London, 1 color pl., IX + 695 pp. https: // doi. org / 10.1525 / 9780520309548","Costa, A. (1875) Relazione di un viaggio per l'Egitto, la Palestina et le coste della Turchia asiatica per ricerche zoologiche. Atti della R. Accademia delle Scienze Fisiche e Matematiche, 7 (2), 1 - 40.","Storey, G. (1916) List of the Hymenoptera Tubulifera and Aculeata in the collection of the Ministry of Agriculture of Egypt. Bulletin de la Societe Entomologique d'Egypte, 4, 100 - 117.","Honore, A. (1942) Introduction a l'etude des Sphegides en Egypte (Hymenoptera: Aculeata). Bulletin de la Societe Fouad Ier d'Entomologie, 26, 25 - 80.","Roche, C. G. (2007) Conspectus of the Sphecid wasps of Egypt (Hymenoptera: Ampulicidae, Sphecidae, Crabronidae). Egyptian Journal of Natural History, 4, 12 - 149.","Gadallah, N. S. (1996) Review of the genus Philanthus F. in Egypt with notes on little known species (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae). Bulletin of the Entomological Society of Egypt, 74, 68 - 80.","Dollfuss, H. (2017) The Philanthinae wasps of the \" Biologiezentrum - Linz \" - collection in Linz, Austria, including the genera Aphilanthops Patton, Clypeadon Patton, Odontosphex Arnold, Philanthinus de Beaumont, Philanthus Fabricius, Pseudoscolia Radoszkowski and Trachypus Klug. Linzer Biologische Beitrage, 49, 1245 - 1274.","Guichard, K. M. (1994) The genera Philanthus and Philanthinus (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae) in Arabia. Fauna of Saudi Arabia, 14, 207 - 212."]}

Philanthinus integer (de Beaumont, 1949) Fig. 3A–D Philanthus integer de Beaumont, 1949: 194, ♀, ♁. Diagnosis. Body length: 7.0 mm (female). Body generally black, with the following parts pale yellow: clypeus (except ferruginous spot centrally that does not extend to apex), mandible medially, scape beneath, F1–3 beneath, pronotum, two thin median longitudinal lines, lateral sides of mesoscutum, tegula, upper mesopleuron, two large subquadrate markings on scutellum and smaller lateral spots, posterior margin of scutellum and all postscutellum; T 1 almost ferruginous, remaining terga and sterna with broad pale yellow bands; legs tricolored, with black (especially on femora), yellow and ferruginous; wings hyaline, with veins pale brown to yellowish (Fig. 3A–D). Head in frontal view (Fig. 3C) with inner eye margins slightly concave, margins slightly convergent above, face with dense, short erect pale brown to yellow pilosity extending to middle ocellus; clypeus broad, densely punctate, with arcuate lamella at apex, concave medially, bearing small tooth; propodeum finely reticulate throughout (Fig. 3A, D); mesepimeron smooth and shiny, rest of mesopleuron as well as lateral surface of propodeum densely setose (Fig. 3B). Male: Not available. Material examined: A photograph from CAS: 1♀, Ain El Sokhna road (29–43 km E Maadi), 13.vii.1991, C.G. Roche collector, det. W. Pulawski, 2009. Previous Egyptian Records: No specific locality (de Beaumont 1961; Bohart & Menke 1976; Dollfuss 2017), Ain El Sokhna road (present study). Extralimital distribution: Algeria, Israel, Morocco, Spain, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates. Remarks. The characters of the Egyptian specimen agree with de Beaumont’s description (1949: 194)., Published as part of Malash, Alyaa A., Edmardash, Yusuf A. & Gadallah, Neveen S., 2023, The genera Philanthus Fabricius, 1790 and Philanthinus de Beaumont, 1949 (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae: Philanthinae) in Egypt, with a new record and the description of a new species, pp. 151-189 in Zootaxa 5249 (2) on pages 159-160, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5249.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7687292, {"references":["de Beaumont, J. (1949) Les Philanthus et Philiponidea de l'Afrique du N. - O. (Hym. Sphecid.). Mitteilungen der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft, 22, 173 - 216.","de Beaumont, J. (1961) Notes sur les Philanthus palearctiques (Hym. Sphecid.). Mitteilungen der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft, 33, 201 - 212.","Bohart, R. M. & Menke, A. S. (1976) Sphecid wasps of the world. A generic revision. University of California Press, Berkeley, Los Angeles and London, 1 color pl., IX + 695 pp. https: // doi. org / 10.1525 / 9780520309548","Dollfuss, H. (2017) The Philanthinae wasps of the \" Biologiezentrum - Linz \" - collection in Linz, Austria, including the genera Aphilanthops Patton, Clypeadon Patton, Odontosphex Arnold, Philanthinus de Beaumont, Philanthus Fabricius, Pseudoscolia Radoszkowski and Trachypus Klug. Linzer Biologische Beitrage, 49, 1245 - 1274."]}

Philanthus venustus (Rossi, 1790) Crabro venustus Rossi, 1790: 94, sex not stated. Remarks. This species is cited to occur in Egypt by Innes Bey (1912 [1911]) as P. melliniformis F. Smith, that was synonymized with P. venustus by Kohl (1891). This record was also based on Walker’s specimens from Sinai and Tadjoura. The species is known to occur in Israel, but has not been otherwise recorded from Egypt. Therefore, this record should be treated with suspicion until otherwise confirmed., Published as part of Malash, Alyaa A., Edmardash, Yusuf A. & Gadallah, Neveen S., 2023, The genera Philanthus Fabricius, 1790 and Philanthinus de Beaumont, 1949 (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae: Philanthinae) in Egypt, with a new record and the description of a new species, pp. 151-189 in Zootaxa 5249 (2) on page 186, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5249.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7687292, {"references":["Rossi, P. (1790) Fauna Etrusca sistens insecta quae in Provinciis Florentina et Pisana praesertim collegit Petrus Rossius. Vols. 1 & 2. Thomae Masi & Sociorum, Liburni [Livorno], XXII + 272 pp. & 348 pp., X pls.","Innes Bey, W. (1912 [1911]) Une liste d'especes recueillis probablement par S. Lord en Egypte et determinees par F. Walker. Bulletin de la Societe Fouad Ier d'Entomologie, 1911, 97 - 115.","Kohl, F. F. (1891) Zur Kenntnis der Hymenopteren - Gattung Philanthus Fabr. (sens. lat.). Annalen des k. k. Naturhistorischen Hofmuseums, 6, 345 - 370."]}

Philanthus variegatus Spinola, 1839 Fig. 19A–E Philanthus variegatus Spinola, 1839: 484, ♀, ♁. Diagnosis. Body length: 10–12 mm (female), 12–13 mm (male). Body generally yellow, with some areas black and ferruginous; in female clypeus and face ivory white extending to eye emargination laterally, and reaching middle ocellus above; in male ivory white is replaced by clear yellow, with small black spot just above antennal sockets; head posteriorly ferruginous, the colour not reaching head posterior margin; mesoscutum ferruginous, black posteriorly; gastral terga with ferruginous intersegments (Fig. 19A–E); malar space inconspicuous (Fig. 19A, B); male clypeal moustache dense, with incurved setae, not joining medially (Fig. 19B); apex of clypeus with three inconspicuous teeth in male (Fig. 19B); pronotum with slight but distinct emargination anteromedially (Fig. 19A); both mesepimeron and mesepisternum densely punctate (Fig. 19C); propodeal dorsum smooth and shiny, with rugose middle sulcus (Fig. 19D, E); gastral T 2 finely, superficially punctate (Fig. 19E). Male genitalia (see Fig. 23D). Material examined: 1♁, 1♀, Marsa Matruh, 22–29.viiii.1954 (FFC); 1♁, Marsa Matruh, 10.v.1930, HC. E. & M.I. collectors (EFC); 1♀, Burg, 16–20.iv.1956 (EFC); 1♀, without collecting data (EFC); 2♁, Wadi Degla, 16. iv.1952, Shefix & Pries. collectors (EFC); 2♁, Burg, 16–20.iv.1956, Sh. H. collector (EFC); 1♁, Kafr Hakim, 19.vii.1933, on grasses (PPDD); 1♀, Manshiet Radwan, 9.v.1934, on flowers (PPDD); 1♁, Kafr Hakim, 15.vi.1935 (PPDD); 1♀, Berkash, 24.iii.1935, collector? on Lupinus (PPDD); 1♀, Kerdasa, 23.iv.1936 (PPDD); 1♀, Abu Rawash, 18.vii.1925 (PPDD); 1♀, 24.vi.1934 (PPDD); 3♀, 5♁, Marsa Matruh, 15.ix.1957, Aly collector (ASUA); 2♁, Marsa Matruh, 20.viii.1955, Aly collector (ASUA). Previous Egyptian Records: Abu Rawash, Berkash, Burg, Kafr Hakim, Kerdasa, Manshiet Radwan, Marsa Matruh, El Seuf, Wadi Degla, Wadi El Natroun (Gadallah 1996 as P. variegatus variegatus), Dahshour, Saqqara (Honoré 1942), El Gabal El Asfar (Roche 2007 as P. variegatus variegatus). Extralimital distribution: Algeria, Azerbaijan, China, Iran, Israel-Palestine, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Mali, Morocco, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates. Remarks. Our specimens agree well with de Beaumont’s key (1961: 211, couple 8)., Published as part of Malash, Alyaa A., Edmardash, Yusuf A. & Gadallah, Neveen S., 2023, The genera Philanthus Fabricius, 1790 and Philanthinus de Beaumont, 1949 (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae: Philanthinae) in Egypt, with a new record and the description of a new species, pp. 151-189 in Zootaxa 5249 (2) on page 179, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5249.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7687292, {"references":["Spinola, M. (1839) Compte-rendu des Hymenopteres recueillis par M. Fischer pendant son voyage en Egypte, et communiques par M. le Docteur Waltl a Maximilien Spinola. Annales de la Societe Entomologique de France, 7, 437 - 546.","Gadallah, N. S. (1996) Review of the genus Philanthus F. in Egypt with notes on little known species (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae). Bulletin of the Entomological Society of Egypt, 74, 68 - 80.","Honore, A. (1942) Introduction a l'etude des Sphegides en Egypte (Hymenoptera: Aculeata). Bulletin de la Societe Fouad Ier d'Entomologie, 26, 25 - 80.","Roche, C. G. (2007) Conspectus of the Sphecid wasps of Egypt (Hymenoptera: Ampulicidae, Sphecidae, Crabronidae). Egyptian Journal of Natural History, 4, 12 - 149."]}

Philanthus pulawskii sp. nov. Fig. 22A–D Type material: Holotype (♀) (EFC), Egypt: North Coast, El Hammam (Marsa Matrouh Governorate) [30 Q 51′21′′N 29 Q 21′18′′E], 28.viii.2022, sweep net, Alyaa A. Malash collector (with head, thorax and gaster separated, head and gaster glued on a triangular card). Description of female holotype: Body length: 12 mm, forewing length: 5.6 mm. Colouration: Body partly ivory white (with yellow hue in some areas), partly black: face whitish below antennal sockets extending laterally to eye emargination and mesally to middle ocellus, except for two small black spots slightly above antennal sockets, black above emargination laterally; first three antennal segments ivory, rest of antenna reddish brown ventrally and black dorsally; mandible ivory with brownish outer margin and darkened tip; pronotal collar, scutellum and postscutellum ivory, pronotal lobe ivory, mesoscutum black (except just before tegula), propodeum black (except for relatively large lateral whitish to yellowish marking), humeral plate and tegula ivory white (Fig. 22A–D), wing membrane hyaline, pterostigma pale brown with dark brown border, veins brownish; propleuron (except for small whitish marking above) and metapleuron black, mesopleuron black, ivory anterodorsally and dorsally (Fig. 22C), legs whitish (except mid and hind coxae yellow and hind femur black, white distally) (Fig. 22C), T 1 ferruginous apically with thin ivory band basally, T 2, T 4 and T 6 ivory, T 3 ivory, narrowly interrupted medially and black basally, with small, rounded black spot laterally on each of lateral spots, T 5 entirely black (Fig. 22D), S 2 – S 3 ivory with black bands apically, S 4 – S 5 ivory, pygidial plate brownish. Head (Fig. 22A): face (below antennal sockets) including clypeus mostly smooth, clypeus shiny, simple, with median lobe slightly bulging medially, with two lateral rounded teeth apically; mandible mostly smooth, face (above antennal sockets) densely punctate in black area, coarsely and densely punctate in yellow area, malar space insignificant; F1-6 distinctly wider than long. Thorax (Fig. 22B, C): pronotal collar smooth, shiny with rounded shoulders, straight anteriorly; mesoscutum shiny, with deep, sparse punctures, scutellum smooth, with few superficial punctures; black area of propodeum including dorsal enclosure shiny, smooth with thin, inconspicuously shagreened median sulcus, lateral whitish area of propodeum with dense coarse punctures, propleuron finely striated transversely, upper mesopleuron nearly smooth, lower mesopleuron densely punctate. hind tibia with 5 spines along its length arranged in two longitudinal rows, hind basitarsus with 6 spines along its length. Gaster (Fig. 22D): T 1 – T 3 with coarse, dense punctures, denser on T 1 and T 2 (especially among whitish bands), black basal area of T 2 nearly smooth, T 4 – T 6 with sparse moderate punctures, all sterna with very few sparse, fine punctures, last (epipygium) tergum parallel-sided, covered with fine setae. Male: Unknown. Etymology: This species is named in honour of the sphecid expert W. J. Pulawski, who confirmed that the species is an undescribed one. Egyptian localities: Known only from El Hammam, North Coast of Egypt (present study). Comment: The new species does not agree with any of the North African species. It moves to couple 12 in de Beaumont’s key of the African species (1961: 212) between P. ammochrysus and P. schulthessi. It differs from both in having lower face nearly smooth and shiny (distinctly punctate in P. ammochrysus (densely) and schulthessi (less densely)). It resembles P. schulthessi and P. minor in having hind femur with long setae ventrally, however, differs from both in having a nearly smooth linear sulcus of propodeal dorsum (sulcus coarsely rugose and extending to the base in the form of a triangle in P. minor and P. schulthessi), in addition to a different colour pattern.

Philanthus triangulum obliteratum Pic, 1917 Philanthus triangulum v. nov. obliteratum Pic, 1917: 2, sex not stated. Remarks. The syntypes of this species from Algeria and Egypt (with no specific locality) are cited to be deposited in M. Pic’s collection, which may be now in the MNHN. Since the status of this subspecies has never been firmly established, we do not include it in the list of Egyptian Philanthus., Published as part of Malash, Alyaa A., Edmardash, Yusuf A. & Gadallah, Neveen S., 2023, The genera Philanthus Fabricius, 1790 and Philanthinus de Beaumont, 1949 (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae: Philanthinae) in Egypt, with a new record and the description of a new species, pp. 151-189 in Zootaxa 5249 (2) on page 186, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5249.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7687292, {"references":["Pic, M. (1917) Notes hymenopterologiques. L'Echange, Revue Linneenne, 381, 1 - 4."]}

Philanthus genalis Kohl, 1891 Figs 7A, B, 8A–E Philanthus genalis Kohl, 1891: 349, ♀, ♁. Diagnosis. Body length: 11−12 mm (female); 9.0− 12 mm (male). Body predominantly yellow with some areas black (Figs 7A, B, 8A–E); yellow face area in female ending far from middle ocellus, while in male it extends to middle ocellus; head with long fine silvery setae extending to level of middle ocellus in frontal view (Fig. 8A, B); malar space relatively long, about 2/3 length of F 1 in male (Fig. 8D) and half length of F 1 in female (Fig. 8C); clypeal moustache of male meeting medially (Fig. 8B); pronotum straight anteriorly (Fig. 7A, B); propodeal enclosure smooth and shiny, with smooth median sulcus (Fig. 7A, B); upper mesopleuron nearly smooth and shiny, lower mesopleuron with microscopic superficial punctures (Fig. 8C, D). Material examined: 1♁, 1♀, Wadi Degla, 4.iv.1928 (AUCE); 1♁, Suez Road, 15.ix.1929 (AUCE); 1♁, Fayoum, 8.iii.1935 (AUCE); 1♁, 1♀, Marsa Matruh, viii.1953, Dr. T. S. collector (ASUA); 1♁, Kom Oshiem, 4.iv.1953, Aly collector (ASUA); 1♁, Wadi El Natroun, 2.iv.1951, Roh. collector (ASUA). Previous Egyptian Records: Tor (S. Sinai) (Kohl 1891), Fayoum (El Khawagat), Kerdasa, Hammamat Faraoun (S. Sinai), Wadi Degla (Mochi 1939; Honoré 1942; Roche 2007), Sinai Peninsula (Roche & Zalat 1994), Dakhla Oasis, Kom Oshiem, Wadi El Natroun (Gadallah 1996), Dahshour, Wadi El Tih (Dollfuss 2017). Extralimital distribution: Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Sudan, United Arab Emirates. Remarks. Characters of Egyptian specimens agree well with Guichard’s key (1994: 208, couplet 4). They also agree with de Beaumont’s description (1961: 202) as well as couplet 4 (de Beaumont 1961: 211), but differ in the malar space length: in our specimens the male malar space equals 2/3 the length of F1, and about half length of F 1 in female (in male, equal to F1, and in female 2/3 length of F 1 in de Beaumont’s key). Our specimens agree also with de Beaumont’s figs 4, 5 (1961: 207)., Published as part of Malash, Alyaa A., Edmardash, Yusuf A. & Gadallah, Neveen S., 2023, The genera Philanthus Fabricius, 1790 and Philanthinus de Beaumont, 1949 (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae: Philanthinae) in Egypt, with a new record and the description of a new species, pp. 151-189 in Zootaxa 5249 (2) on page 165, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5249.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7687292, {"references":["Kohl, F. F. (1891) Zur Kenntnis der Hymenopteren - Gattung Philanthus Fabr. (sens. lat.). Annalen des k. k. Naturhistorischen Hofmuseums, 6, 345 - 370.","Mochi, A. (1939) Revisione delle Specie egiziane dei Generi Philanthus F. e Nectanebus Spin. (Hymenoptera: Sphegidae - Philanthinae). Bulletin de la Societe Fouad Ier d'Entomologie, 23, 86 - 139.","Honore, A. (1942) Introduction a l'etude des Sphegides en Egypte (Hymenoptera: Aculeata). Bulletin de la Societe Fouad Ier d'Entomologie, 26, 25 - 80.","Roche, C. G. (2007) Conspectus of the Sphecid wasps of Egypt (Hymenoptera: Ampulicidae, Sphecidae, Crabronidae). Egyptian Journal of Natural History, 4, 12 - 149.","Roche, C. G. & Zalat, S. M. (1994) The Sphecidae (order: Hymenoptera) of the Sinai Peninsula. In: Proceedings of the First Egyptian-Hungarian Conference on Environment, St. Catherine, Sinai, Egypt, 5 - 7 April 1993. Suez Canal University, Ismailia, pp. 113 - 118.","Gadallah, N. S. (1996) Review of the genus Philanthus F. in Egypt with notes on little known species (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae). Bulletin of the Entomological Society of Egypt, 74, 68 - 80.","Dollfuss, H. (2017) The Philanthinae wasps of the \" Biologiezentrum - Linz \" - collection in Linz, Austria, including the genera Aphilanthops Patton, Clypeadon Patton, Odontosphex Arnold, Philanthinus de Beaumont, Philanthus Fabricius, Pseudoscolia Radoszkowski and Trachypus Klug. Linzer Biologische Beitrage, 49, 1245 - 1274.","de Beaumont, J. (1961) Notes sur les Philanthus palearctiques (Hym. Sphecid.). Mitteilungen der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft, 33, 201 - 212."]}

Philanthus triangulum abdelcader Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau, 1845 Fig. 18A–E Philanthus abdelcader Lepeletier, 1845: 33, ♀, ♁. Diagnosis. Body length: 9–12 mm (female); 12–17 mm (male). This subspecies varies greatly in body size and colour. Body generally black and yellow; head with clypeus and face ivory white extending to eye emargination in both sexes (Fig. 18A, B); ivory white area just above clypeus bifurcate in females (Fig. 18A), trifurcate in males (Fig. 18B); head with two ferruginous bands postero-laterally (Fig. 18C, D); antenna thickened medially (Fig. 18A, C); malar space very short (Fig. 18A, C); male clypeal moustache long and dense, joining medially (Fig. 18B); female clypeus with 4–5 distinct teeth at apex, with two teeth in male and fringed with long reddish setae; mesopleuron entirely densely punctate (Fig. 18C); propodeum densely punctate dorsally (Fig. 18D, E); gastral terga punctate (Fig. 18E), while sterna almost smooth. Male genitalia (see Fig. 23C). Material examined: 12♁, Maadi, 19.iv.1912, LHS collector (PPDD); 5♀, 2♁; Giza, 1.iii.1913 (PPDD); 10♁, Maadi, 6.iii.1913, LHS collector (PPDD); 2♁, Pyramids, 17.iv.1914 (PPDD); 1♁, Hadaiq El Kuba, 16.v.1914, Naguib collector (PPDD); 4♁, Abu Rawash, 4.x.1914 (AUCE); 2♁, Banha, 30.v.1914 (PPDD); 1♁, Wadi Nesour, 23.x.1925 (PPDD); 1♀, El Gabal El Asfar, 25.x.1925 (PPDD); 3♁, 1♀, Kafr Hakim, 30.i.1926 (PPDD); 1♁, Zinein, 6.vii.1930, on sugarcane (PPDD); 1♁, Nubia, 23.vii.1930, on sugarcane (PPDD); 1♀, Embaba, 13.viii.1930, on sugarcane (PPDD); 1♁, Gebel Elba, 30.i.1933 (PPDD); 2♀, 1♁, Abu Rawash, 23.vii.1933 (PPDD); 1♀, Helwan, 1.iii.1934, Farag collector (EFC); 1♁, Wadi Garawi (Helwan), 10.iii.1934 (PPDD); 1♀, Helwan, 27.xii.1934, Farag collector (EFC); 1♀, Helwan, 22.i.1935, Farag collector (EFC); 2♁, Abu Rawash, 24.ii.1935, on flowers (PPDD); 1♀, Helwan, 21.xii.1935, Farag collector (EFC); 1♀, Helwan, 21.i.1936, Farag collector (EFC); 1♁, Abu Rawash, 11.iv.1939, Shaaban collector (EFC); 1♁, Abu Rawash, 12.v.1951, Roh. collector (ASUA); 1♀, Embaba, 13.xii.1952, Aly collector (ASUA); 2♁, Fayoum, 5.v.1952, Saleh collector (ASUA); 1♁, 1♀, El Gabal El Asfar, 1.i.1953, Aly collector (ASUA); 1♁, 1♀, Cairo, 2.i.1953, Aly collector (ASUA); 1♀, Ain Shams, 5.i.1953 (EFC); 2♁, Giza, 5.i.1953 (EFC); 1♁, Cairo, 13.i.1953, Aly collector (ASUA); 2♀, 1♁, Giza, 15.i.1953 (EFC); 2♀, 5♁, Pyramids, 19.i.1953, Aly collector (ASUA); 1♁, Giza, 7.ii.1953 (EFC); 1♀, 10.ii.1953, El Kharga (New Valley), Aly collector (ASUA); 1♀, Giza, 14.ii.1953 (EFC); 1♁, Barrage, 2.iii.1953 (EFC); 1♀, Giza, 15.iii.1953 (EFC); 1♀, 1♁, 3.v.1953 (EFC); 2♁, Girza (Giza), 9.v.1953 (EFC); 1♀, 1♁, Giza, 13.v.1953 (EFC); 1♁, Berkash, 10.x.1953, Aly collector (ASUA); 1♁, Giza, 2.i.1955, Dawlatly collector (EFC); 1♀, Burg El Arab, 12.ix.1955, Abdalla collector (EFC); 1♀, Giza, 8.xi.1955, Abdalla collector (EFC); 21♀, 2♁, Burg El Arab, 16–20.vi.1956, Shafix collector (EFC); 3♀, Burg El Arab, 10.vi.1960, Abdalla collector (EFC); 1♁, Burg El Arab, 10.iii.1961, Shafix collector (EFC); 1♀, Suez, 14.ii.1962, Dawlatli collector (EFC); 1♁, Magadlah, 7.iii.1978 (PPDD); 1♁, Mansoura, 16.ii.1986 (PPDD); 1♁, Wadi El Natroun (rest house), 2.vii.1996 (EFC); 1♀, Giza, 26.iii, ??? on flowers (EFC); 1♁, Maadi, 7.v.1913 (AUCE); 1♁, Ezbet Hulayil, 29.v.1913 (AUCE); 1♀, Kerdasa, 12.iv.1914 (AUCE); 3♁, Helwan, 29.x.1920 (AUCE); 3♁, Abu Rawash, 4.x.1924 (AUCE); 2♁, 1♀, Kerdasa, 8.ix.1926 (AUCE); 1♀, El Gabal El Asfar, 14.i.1931 (AUCE); 1♁, El Gabal El Asfar (AUCE); 2♁, El Gabal El Asfar, 4.ii.1934 (AUCE); 2♁, Fayoum, 29.iv.1935, A. Rabinovitch collector (AUCE); 1♁, Magadlah, 24.iii.1936 (AUCE); 2♁, El Gabal EI Asfar, 14.i.1936 (AUCE); 1♁, El Gabal El Asfar, 29.i.1936 (AUCE); 1♁, El Gabal El Asfar, 19.ii.1936 (AUCE); 2♁, Kafr Farouk, 19.ii.1939 (AUCE); 2♁, 1♀, without collecting data (EFC); 1♀, Giza, v.2022, Yusuf Edmardash collector (EFC). Previous Egyptian Records: Abu Rawash, Abu Sir, Dakhla Oasis (Tineida), Fayoum (Hawarah, Karanis, Kom El Atl), El Gabal El Asfar, Helwan, Ismailia, Kerdasa, Kom Oshiem, El Minya, Saqqara, Rafah (N. Sinai), (Roche 2007), Abukir (de Beaumont 1966), between Fayoum and Nile (A. Costa 1875 as P. Abdelkader), Heliopolis and Hor Tamanib (Walker 1871 as P. Abdelkader), Ramla near Alexandria (Lucas 1880 as P. abdelcader), Sinai Peninsula (Roche & Zalat 1994), Embaba, Pyramids, Berkash, Kharga, Wadi El Natroun, Giza, Wadi Nesour, Nubia, Mansoura, Wadi Garawi (10 km south east Helwan), Zinein, Banha, Maadi, Hadaiq El Kuba, Magadlah, Gebel Elba (present study). Extralimital distribution: Algeria, Cameroon, Iraq, Israel-Palestine, Italy, Libya, Madagascar, Morocco, Oman, Spain, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine., Published as part of Malash, Alyaa A., Edmardash, Yusuf A. & Gadallah, Neveen S., 2023, The genera Philanthus Fabricius, 1790 and Philanthinus de Beaumont, 1949 (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae: Philanthinae) in Egypt, with a new record and the description of a new species, pp. 151-189 in Zootaxa 5249 (2) on pages 178-179, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5249.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7687292, {"references":["Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau, A. L. M. (1845) Histoire naturelle des Insectes. Hymenopteres. Vol. 3. Librairie Encyclopedique de Roret, Paris, 646 + 4 pp., pls. 25 - 36.","Roche, C. G. (2007) Conspectus of the Sphecid wasps of Egypt (Hymenoptera: Ampulicidae, Sphecidae, Crabronidae). Egyptian Journal of Natural History, 4, 12 - 149.","de Beaumont, J. (1966) Quelques Sphecidae de la faune d'Egypte (Hym.). Mitteilungen der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft, 38, 203 - 212.","Costa, A. (1875) Relazione di un viaggio per l'Egitto, la Palestina et le coste della Turchia asiatica per ricerche zoologiche. Atti della R. Accademia delle Scienze Fisiche e Matematiche, 7 (2), 1 - 40.","Walker, F. (1871) A list of Hymenopterous insects collected by J. K. Lord, Esq. in Egypt, in the neighbourhood of the Red Sea, and in Arabia. With descriptions of the new species. E. W. Janson, London, 59 + IV pp. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. title. 8818","Lucas, H. (1880) Une note relative a un Hymenoptere apivore. Annales de la Societe Entomologique de France, Serie 5, 10, CXXXVII - CXXXVIII.","Roche, C. G. & Zalat, S. M. (1994) The Sphecidae (order: Hymenoptera) of the Sinai Peninsula. In: Proceedings of the First Egyptian-Hungarian Conference on Environment, St. Catherine, Sinai, Egypt, 5 - 7 April 1993. Suez Canal University, Ismailia, pp. 113 - 118."]}

Microstigmus lydiae sp. nov. Recognition This species has the female 3rd antennal segment (i.e. the first flagellomere) relatively long and thin, like M. mirandae sp. nov., but differs from M. mirandae sp. nov. in: (1) darker overall colouration of head and thorax, with a thick black line along top edge of clypeus (Figure 1 (d)); (2) mesopleurae lacking striations latero-ventrally; (3) presence of short striations at back of scutum at high power (Figure 2 (b)). (4) Anterior face of male antennal scape pale yellow, contrasting with white lower face and mandibles; (5) surface of male second tergite smooth, without depressions or grooves. Description Female. Length 4 mm. Colouration: head black except lower face across most of its width, and a narrow line adjacent to the inside of the eyes, pale orange (Figure 1 (d)). Dark orange strip running around back of head, connecting back of eyes to occipital carina, present in some specimens. Clypeus pale orange but always with a thick, black line along upper edge (Figure 1 (d)). Mandibles creamy white, noticeably whiter than yellowy scape, with dark red-edged tips. Antennae yellow beneath, brown above, darker towards the tips. Pronotum orange with anterior dark mark centrally and dark brown areas on underside of pronotum in some specimens. Scutum with thick central orange-yellow strip running antero-posteriorly, approximately one-third the width of the scutum. Laterally, each side of this strip dark brown/black (Figure 1 (b)). Scutellum and metanotum pale orange, each with central black area, the two areas merged, the black areas less extensive laterally than in M. mirandae sp. nov. or M. rosae sp. nov. Mesopleurae pale brown with small yellow-orange area postero-centrally. Underside of mesothorax dark brown/black. Propodeum (including sides) and abdomen black/dark brown, with a pale mark on each side at the base of the second tergite. Variable pale marks on sternites in some specimens. Legs pale yellow-orange except coxae and trochanters yellowy-white beneath, and hind femora with variable amounts of dark brown, especially dorsally. Maximum width of face across the eyes approximately 1.1 times the distance from top of the head to apex of clypeus when head is viewed face-on. Inner margins of compound eyes approximately parallel on face; minimum interorbital distance (across middle of face) approximately 1.1 times interorbital distance near top of the eyes. Ocelli in a not quite equilateral triangle, with the posterior side shorter and the two posterior ocelli separated by a distance approximately equal to their diameters. Mandibles with upper tooth shorter than lower tooth. Malar space longer than in M. rosae sp. nov., 1.3 times the width of antennal segment 3. Clypeus raised, anterior margin weakly convex. Basal flagellar segments of antennae longer and thinner: fifth antennal segment 1.5 times longer than wide; 3rd segment 2.1 times longer than wide and viewed from above, third segment similar in length to pedicel (Figure 3 (b)). Integument predominantly shining. Frons finely reticulate with sparse, shallow punctures. Scutum impunctate, finely reticulate, with striations along the posterior margin visible at high power, these striations short (length less than 10% of the length of the scutum) and sparse (Figure 2 (b)). Pronotum with a transverse carina centrally. Scutellum moderately raised centrally. Raised area with a very slight depression centrally and a short, raised longitudinal keel centrally in the posterior half of the raised area; weaker carinae each side. Metanotum with a sharp, raised longitudinal keel centrally. Mesopleurae smooth and shining, lacking latero-ventral striations posteriorly, or with at most one or two weak striations. Omaular sulcus and hypersternaulus well developed, the former wide. Propodeum shining and coarsely sculptured. Pilosity: compound eye bare, top of head and dorsal mesosoma with dense, short setae visible at high power. In perfect specimens there are two longer, erect setae in the ocellar area, these being relatively shorter than in M. rosae sp. nov., approximately the same length as the distance between the centres of the posterior ocelli. Clypeus and lower edge of mandibles with longer setae. Antennae covered with dense, short setae, especially towards the tips. Dorsal area of propodeum bare, but posterior face with moderately dense setae, these longer than on head and mesosoma. Mesopleurae with short setae, these becoming denser and longer towards the venter and beneath. First two abdominal tergites almost bare, with short setae becoming denser towards the tip of the abdomen, including a few longer setae at the posterior edges of tergites and sternites. Male. Similar to female except somewhat paler colouration: top of head dark brown/ black, but underside of head pale, with orange strip running around back of head, connecting back of eyes to occipital carina. Underside of mesothorax and mesopleurae paler brown than in female, and yellow-orange central area of mesopleurae larger than in female. Lower face of male is snowy white, starting half way down the eyes and including the clypeus and mandibles (except edges of mandibular tips dark red). Anterior (ventral) side of scape yellow, contrasting with the white lower face and mandibles. Malar space noticeably longer than in the female, nearly twice as long as the antennal pedicel. Male posterior tergites bear central depressions. When the abdomen is in its natural position (segments telescoped), these appear as small, groove-like depressions in the centres of tergites 3–7, the overall impression being of a central flattening of the entire posterior dorsal abdomen. The surface of tergite 2 is smooth, without depressions or grooves. Tergite 7 is black, concolorous with the other tergites, and has a small, triangular, nick-like emargination at the centre of its posterior margin. Sternite 7 narrowing towards its triangular, upturned tip. Type material Holotype female. ′ ECUADOR: Pichincha Province: Santa Lucia nr Nanegal (1900 m). Cabana N 0.11843 W 78.61186. 29/8/2014 J.P.Field ̍ with ′8̍ additionally pencilled onto the label (NHM). One female and one male paratype also deposited at NHM: the male has the same data as the holotype except date is 23/8/2014, altitude 1700 m, ′Under sign̍, pencil label ′2 ̍. The female is ′ ECUADOR: Pichincha, Mashpi Reserve nr Pacto (1337 m). N 00°09.771 ̍ W 078°52.271, 18–24/9/2014 R.Bonifacii̍, pencil label ′106̍. Two further female paratypes have the same data as the holotype except different date/pencilled numbers (27/ 8–3/9/2014, numbers 7 and 11), and a further male paratype is: ′ ECUADOR: Pichincha, Mashpi Reserve nr Pacto (1337 m). N 00°09.771 ̍ W 078°52.271, 24/3/2017 R.Bonifacii MS 966̍. These last three paratypes are currently in the author̍s collection but the intention is to deposit them at NIBEQ once a visit to Ecuador is possible, post-Covid pandemic. Etymology. This species is named after Lydia Field, whose enthusiasm for the rainforests of Ecuador has been infectious. Biology. Approximately 30 nests of this species were located. Nests (Figure 4 (b)) were found only at higher altitudes (1000–2000 masl), principally at Santa Lucia and only rarely at Mashpi and Maquipucuna. Nests were found hanging under the leaves of a variety of plants and from man-made structures. Nests were typically brown in colour with a rough external appearance, apparently constructed from tiny pieces of plant material (such as wood fragments) interwoven with strands of silk. The nest entrance is located at the apex, where the petiole meets the main nest structure, and the lower part is divided into between 1 and 15 vertically orientated cells, visible externally as bumps on the surface of the nest. The nest entrance diameter was 2–2.5 mm and the nest petiole was straight or occasionally slightly curved, and shorter (7–8 mm, mean 7.5) than in M. mirandae sp. nov. Each nest cell contained a single offspring or was empty. Approximately 50% of nests contained more than one adult female, with up to six females and six males per nest. Offspring were provisioned progressively with leafhopper nymphs (Cicadellidae). Cells sometimes contained pupae of braconid wasps (Heterospilus: Marsh and Melo 1999)., Published as part of Field, Jeremy, 2023, Description and nesting biology of three new species of neotropical silk wasp (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Pemphredoninae: Microstigmus), pp. 1-18 in Journal of Natural History 57 on pages 9-11, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2022.2157345, http://zenodo.org/record/7620262, {"references":["Marsh PM, Melo GAR. 1999. Biology and systematics of New World Heterospilus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) attacking Pemphredoninae (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae). J Hymenopt Res. 8: 13 - 22."]}

Microstigmus mirandae sp. nov. Recognition This species has the female 3rd antennal segment (i.e. the first flagellomere) relatively long and thin, like M. lydiae sp. nov. It differs from M. lydiae sp. nov. in: (1) paler overall colouration of head and mesosoma, with the clypeus entirely pale, lacking a thick black line along its top edge (Figure 1 (e)); (2) mesopleurae with clear striations latero-ventrally (Figure 2 (d)); (3) striations at back of scutum absent or very weak, even at high power (Figure 2 (c)); (4) anterior face of male antennal scape white (except yellowish distally at the junction with segment 2), concolourous with lower face and mandibles; (5) male second tergite with a central, narrow, groove-like depression running along the posterior three-quarters or more of the segment. Description Female. Length 4 mm. Colouration: head (including underside, face and clypeus; Figure 1 (e)) and mesosoma predominantly pale orange-yellow; abdomen black (Figure 1 (a)). On head, the small area between the ocelli is black in darker specimens. Vertex more or less diffusely brown, with the brown extending down onto face in darker specimens, which also have the underside of the head and mesosoma dark brown/black. In paler specimens, head (including underside and clypeus) pale yellow-orange throughout except vertex diffusely pale brown. Mandibles pale yellowy-white with dark red tips. Antenna pale yellow, more or less brown towards the tips, especially dorsally. On mesosoma, pronotum with anterior dark mark centrally. Scutum, especially at sides, more or less pale brown. Scutellum and metanotum each with central black area, the two areas merged. Mesopleurae pale brown. Underside of mesothorax usually pale or dark brown. Propodeum and abdomen black/dark brown, with a pale mark each side at the base of the second abdominal tergite. Variable pale marks on sternites in some specimens. Coxae and trochanters pale-white, femora partly or entirely (hind femur) dark brown; hind tibiae with a brown mark in some specimens. Legs otherwise pale orange/yellow. Maximum width of face across the eyes approximately 1.1 times the distance from top of the head to apex of clypeus when head is viewed face-on. Inner margins of compound eyes approximately parallel on face; minimum interorbital distance (across middle of face) approximately 1.1 times interorbital distance near top of the eyes. Ocelli in a not quite equilateral triangle, with the posterior side shorter and the two posterior ocelli separated by slightly less than their diameters. Mandibles with upper tooth shorter than lower tooth. Malar space (Figure 1) longer than in M. rosae sp. nov., 1.5 times the width of antennal segment 3. Clypeus raised, anterior margin weakly convex. Basal flagellar segments of antennae relatively long and thin: fifth antennal segment 1.6 times longer than wide; 3rd segment 2.5 times longer than wide and, when viewed from above, similar in length to or slightly longer than pedicel (Figure 3 (c)). Integument predominantly shining. Frons finely reticulate with sparse, shallow punctures. Scutum shining, impunctate and finely reticulate. A few short striations along the posterior margin of scutum visible on electron micrographs (Figure 2 (c)), but these striations short and sparse, not clearly discernable with a binocular microscope at 60 ×. Pronotum with a transverse carina centrally. Scutellum moderately raised centrally. Raised area with a very slight depression centrally and a raised longitudinal keel centrally in the posterior half of the raised area; weaker carinae each side. Metanotum with a sharp, raised longitudinal keel centrally. Mesopleurae with weak sculpturing dorsally, but posteriorly with some some stronger striae latero-ventrally continuing onto the underside of the mesosoma (Figure 2 (d)). Omaular sulcus and hypersternaulus well developed, the former wide. Propodeum shining and coarsely sculptured. Pilosity: compound eye bare, top of head and dorsal mesosoma with dense, short setae visible at high power. In perfect specimens there are two longer, erect setae in the ocellar area, these being approximately the same length as the distance between the centres of the posterior ocelli and less noticeable than in M. lydiae sp. nov. and M. rosae sp. nov. Clypeus and lower edge of mandibles with longer setae. Antennae covered with dense, short setae, especially towards the tips. Dorsal area of propodeum bare, but posterior face with dense setae, these longer than on head and mesosoma. Mesopleurae with short setae, these becoming denser and longer towards the venter and beneath. First two abdominal tergites almost bare, with short setae becoming denser towards the tip of the abdomen, including a few longer setae at the posterior edges of tergites and sternites. Male. Similar to female except somewhat paler colouration: posterior face and dorsal area of propodeum black or with brown patches but sides of propodeum, scutum, mesopleurae and underside of mesothorax pale yellow/orange. Underside of abdomen largely pale yellow. Antennal flagellar segments are an exception, being almost entirely brown, darker towards the tips. Malar space noticeably longer than in the female (Figure 1), nearly twice as long as the antennal pedicel. Ventral mesopleural striations less discernible in male. Lower face of male is snowy white, starting half-way down the eyes and including the clypeus and mandibles (Figure 1 (f)), except edges of tips of mandibles dark red. Anterior (ventral) side of scape also white. Male posterior tergites bear central depressions. When the abdomen is in its natural position (segments telescoped), these appear as small, groove-like depressions in the centres of tergites 3–7, the overall impression being of a central flattening of the entire posterior dorsal abdomen. In contrast with the male of M. lydiae sp. nov., the surface of tergite 2 also has a central narrow, groove-like depression covering the posterior three-quarters or more of the length of the tergite, this depression being deeper towards the apex of the segment. Tergite 7 is black and concolorous with the other tergites, and has a small, triangular, nick-like emargination at the centre of its posterior margin. Sternite 7 narrowing towards its bluntly rounded, upturned tip. Type material Holotype female. ′ ECUADOR: Pichincha, Mashpi Reserve nr Pacto (1050 m). N 00°09.956 ̍ W 078°53.288, 8/12/2016 J.Field ̍. Second label: ′ Nest under butterfly house̍ with ′502̍ written in pencil (NHM). Three female and one male paratypes are also deposited at NHM, from the same Mashpi site (all ′ 8/12/2016 J.Field̍, and all with second label: ′Nest under butterfly house̍ and pencil numbers 500, 501, 503 [females] and 500 [male]). Two further female and one further male paratypes are from the same Mashpi site with similar data but different dates/collectors and no second label (females: ′ 6–7/9/2014 J. Field 32̍ and ′ 1/4/2017 R. Bonifacii MS 1056̍; the first of these two females has the head micropinned separately onto the same piece of plastozoate as the body; male ′ 12/3/2017 R. Bonifacii MS 886̍). These last three paratypes are currently in the author̍s collection but the intention is to deposit them at NIBEQ once a visit to Ecuador is possible, post-Covid pandemic. Etymology. This species is named after Miranda Debenham, who has been an inspiration throughout this work. Biology. Approximately 20 nests of this species were located, all at Mashpi. Nests (Figure 4 (c)) were therefore found only at the lower end (600–1086 masl) of the altitudinal range we principally investigated. Nests were found hanging under the leaves of a variety of plants and man-made structures. Nests were typically dark brown in colour with a rough external appearance, apparently constructed from small pieces of plant material (such as wood fragments) interwoven with strands of silk. The nest entrance is located at the apex, where the petiole meets the main nest structure, and the lower part is divided into between 1 and 7 vertically orientated cells, visible externally as bumps on the surface of the nest. Each nest cell contained a single offspring or was empty. Nests were larger (depths typically 13–14 mm, entrance diameter 2.25–2.5 mm) than nests of M. rosae sp. nov. and M. lydiae sp. nov., and had a longer petiole (13–18 mm, mean 15.1) that was always strongly bent at some point between the main nest structure and the substrate (Figure 4 (c)). Most nests contained just a single adult female, but there could be up to four females and two males. Offspring were provisioned progressively with leafhopper nymphs (Cicadellidae) and no parasites were observed. Molecular data. The molecular data were consistent with the species delineations above. First, in the neighbour-joining tree (Figure 5), individuals of each species identified using the morphological characters above formed a cluster with each other, including individuals from the two main collection sites and across each species̍ observed altitudinal range. Interestingly, the two progressive provisoners that prey on leafhopper nymphs, M. lydiae sp. nov. and M. mirandae sp. nov., clustered together, along with M. nigrophthalmus, the only other progressive provisioner in the tree, which again preys on leafhopper nymphs. Second, the two most similar species, M. lydiae sp. nov. and M. mirandae sp. nov., had alleles in common at only nine of the 29 microsatellite loci scored, at four of which they were both monomorphic for the same allele. Among the remaining 20 loci where there were no alleles common to both species, each species was monomorphic for a different allele at eight loci, while one (n = 10 loci) or both (n = 2) species were polymorphic at the other 12 loci. The microsatellite data will be presented fully elsewhere., Published as part of Field, Jeremy, 2023, Description and nesting biology of three new species of neotropical silk wasp (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Pemphredoninae: Microstigmus), pp. 1-18 in Journal of Natural History 57 on pages 12-14, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2022.2157345, http://zenodo.org/record/7620262

Microstigmus rosae sp. nov. Recognition Unlike M. lydiae sp. nov. and M. mirandae sp. nov., this species has the female 3rd antennal segment (i.e. the first flagellomere) almost square (Figure 3 (a)), and runs to M. pallidus in Richards (1972). However, the overall colouration is darker than M. pallidus, with the head, including clypeus, mainly black (Figure 1 (c)); the 3rd antennal segment is slightly squarer than in M. pallidus; the sculpturing is coarser, e.g. on the mesopleurae; and the striations at the back of the scutum are longer and denser (Figure 2 (a)). In addition, the centre of the posterior margin of tergite 7 in male M. rosae sp. nov. bears a pair of adjacent, upturned and incurved teeth. Description Female. Length 3.5 mm. Colouration: head black except sides of lower face dark orange or pale orange, these lateral orange areas not fully meeting centrally (Figure 1 (c)). A narrow line adjacent to the inside of the eyes and a strip running around the back of the head, connecting the back of the eyes to the occipital carina, also orange. Clypeus black with orange lower margin. Mandibles dark yellow or pale yellow, similar in colour to antennal scape, with dark red-edged tips. Antennae blackish brown, somewhat paler/yellowish ventrally, darker towards the tips. Pronotum orange with anterior dark mark centrally, and black areas on underside of pronotum in most specimens. Scutum varying in colour from bright orange to a dirty orange-brown. Scutum coloured homogeneously in most specimens, but a few have a hint of the pattern seen in M. lydiae sp. nov. (Figure 1 (b)), with a central paler strip running antero-posteriorly and slightly darker areas laterally. Scutellum and metanotum orange laterally with central black area. Mesopleurae partly brown or black, with a small orange area postero-centrally. Underside of mesothorax black. Propodeum and abdomen black/dark brown, with a small dark orange area on each side at the base of the second tergite in some specimens. Variable pale marks on sternites in some specimens, sometimes including a whiteish mark at the base of the 6th sternite. Legs pale yelloworange except: coxae and trochanters more yellowy-white; hind femora dark brown or black dorsally; and hind tibiae more or less brown-marked. Maximum width of face across the eyes approximately 1.1 times the distance from top of the head to apex of clypeus when head is viewed face-on. Inner margins of compound eyes approximately parallel on face; minimum interorbital distance (across middle of face) approximately 1.1 times interorbital distance near top of the eyes. Ocelli in a not quite equilateral triangle, with the posterior side shorter and the two posterior ocelli separated by a distance approximately equal to their diameters. Mandibles with upper tooth shorter than lower tooth. Malar space short, approximately equal to the width of antennal segment 3. Clypeus raised, anterior margin weakly convex with a more or less weak central tooth often present. Basal flagellar segments of antennae short and relatively square: fifth antennal segment 1.25 times longer than wide; 3rd segment 1.4 times longer than wide and viewed from above, third segment clearly shorter than pedicel (Figure 3 (a)). Integument predominantly shining. Frons finely reticulate with fairly dense, shallow punctures. Scutum impunctate, finely reticulate, with striations along the posterior margin visible at 60 × (Figure 2 (a)), these striations longer (length 20% of length of scutum) and denser than in M. lydiae sp. nov. and M. mirandae sp. nov. Pronotum with a transverse carina centrally. Scutellum weakly convex when viewed laterally, and moderately raised centrally. Posterior half of the raised area with a raised longitudinal keel centrally with weaker carinae each side. Metanotum with a sharp, raised longitudinal keel centrally. Mesopleurae mostly coarsely sculptured, especially ventrally, but smooth posterodorsally. Omaular sulcus and hypersternaulus well developed, the former unusually wide, wider than in M. lydiae sp. nov. and M. mirandae sp. nov. Propodeum shining and very coarsely sculptured, more so than in M. lydiae sp. nov. and M. mirandae sp. nov. Pilosity: compound eye bare, top of head and dorsal mesosoma with dense, short setae. In perfect specimens there are two longer, erect setae in the ocellar area that are slightly longer than the distance between the outer edges of the two posterior ocelli. Clypeus and lower edge of mandibles with longer setae. Antennae covered with dense, short setae, especially towards the tips; setae so dense that junctions between basal antennal segments hard to discern in some specimens. Dorsal area of propodeum bare, but posterior face moderately setose, setae longer than on head and mesosoma. Mesopleurae with short, dense setae especially towards the venter and beneath. First two abdominal tergites almost bare, with short setae becoming denser towards the tip of the abdomen, including a few longer setae at the posterior edges of tergites and sternites. Male. Similar to female except somewhat paler colouration: entire underside of head and pronotum, and the posterior half of tergite 7, pale; and orange area on posterior mesopleurae more extensive than in female, running from wing base to nearly the underside of the mesosoma. Malar space noticeably longer than in the female, approximately 1.5 times the length of the antennal pedicel. Lower face of male is snowy white, starting half-way down the eyes and including the clypeus, and anterior (ventral) side of scape and mandibles pale yellow, contrasting with the white lower face. Male posterior tergites bear central depressions. When the abdomen is in its natural position (segments telescoped), these appear as small, groovelike depressions in the centres of tergites 3–7, the overall impression being of a central flattening of the entire posterior dorsal abdomen, with the black posterior tergal margins appearing emarginate. When the abdominal segments are pulled out, it can be seen that these depressions cover only the apices of tergites 3–5, where they are semi-circular; but cover the entire lengths of the centres of tergites 6–7, where they are oval-shaped. The surface of tergite 2 is smooth, without depressions or grooves. Tergite 7 bears a pair of adjacent, upturned and incurved teeth at the centre of its posterior margin. Sternite 7 narrows towards its bluntly rounded, upturned tip. Type material Holotype female. ′ ECUADOR: Pichincha Province: Santa Lucia nr Nanegal (1900 m). Cabana N 0.11843 W 78.61186. 27/ 8-3/9/2014 J.P.Field ̍ with ′12̍ additionally pencilled onto the label (NHM). A further 4 female and 2 male paratypes also deposited at NHM, including 2 females and 2 males with the same data as the holotype except with pencil numbers 9, 10 and 13 (females, the latter specimen has the head micro-pinned separately onto the same piece of plastozoate as the body) or ′12̍ (one of the two males). The second male, also from Santa Lucia, has similar data to the holotype but: ′(1600 m). N 0.11843 Under W 78.61186 a sign. 3/9/2014 J.P.Field̍ with ′25̍ additionally pencilled onto the label. The final female paratype is from the Mashpi site and has the abdomen missing, with data: ′ ECUADOR: Pichincha, Mashpi Reserve nr Pacto (1050 m). N 00°09.771 ̍ W 078°52.271, 18–24/9/2014 R. Bonifacii̍ with ′104̍ additionally pencilled onto the label. Of two additional female paratypes, both with the abdomen missing, one has data: ′ ECUADOR: Pichincha, Mashpi Reserve nr Pacto (1050 m). N 00°09.771 ̍ W 078°52.271, 6–7/ 9/2014 J.Field, 34̍. The second female has the same data except that the date, collector and pencil label are: 18–24/9/2014 R.Bonifacii, 101. These last two paratypes are currently in the author̍s collection but the intention is to deposit them at NIBEQ once a visit to Ecuador is possible, post-Covid pandemic. An additional 2 female and 2 male paratypes from the Mashpi site have already been deposited at NIBEQ, and these have similar data to the Mashpi paratypes above except dates in September 2017. Etymology. This species is named after Rosa Bonifacii in recognition of her excellent PhD work focussing on its biology. Biology. Hundreds of nests of this species were located at the two principal study sites, particularly at Mashpi. Nests (Figure 4 (a)) were found throughout the 750–2000 masl altitudinal range investigated, and were commoner than nests of the other two species. Nests were found hanging under the leaves of a variety of plants, less often from manmade structures. At Mashpi, they were particularly common beneath the large leaves of Xanthosoma sagittifolium (Araceae), with more than one nest commonly found on the same plant and sometimes hanging under the same leaf of X. sagittifolium. Each nest was suspended by a thin, normally straight, petiole. Nests were typically brown in colour with a rough external appearance, apparently constructed from tiny pieces of plant material (often with the appearance of wood fragments) interwoven with strands of silk with occasional fragments of arthropod exoskeleton embedded. The nest entrance is located at the apex, where the petiole meets the main nest structure, and the lower part is divided into between 1 and 9 vertically orientated cells, visible externally as bumps on the surface of the nest. The nest entrance diameter was 1.5–2 mm and the nest petiole was usually straight but occasionally slightly or strongly curved, shorter (5–10 mm, mean 7.25) than in M. mirandae sp. nov. Each nest cell contained a single offspring or was empty. Approximately 80% of nests contained just a single adult female, but there could be up to four females and three males. Each offspring was mass provisioned with between 30 and 80 nymphal thrips (Thysanoptera). Cells sometimes contained pupae of braconid wasps (Heterospilus: Marsh and Melo 1999) or chalcidid wasps, and parasite larvae were observed feeding externally on Microstigmus larvae and prepupae. The following two new species, Microstigmus lydiae sp. nov. and M. mirandae sp. nov., run to M. bicolor (couplet 7) in Richards (1972). Based on the material examined and Richards (1971, 1972) descriptions of M. eberhardi and M. soror, they can be separated from other described species that run to couplet 7 as follows. 1. Scutum black. Prey on thrips............................................................ M. eberhardi and M. soror - Scutum entirely orange or with large orange areas both anteriorly and posteriorly (Figure 1). Prey on Homoptera (Cicadellidae) (prey of M. bicolor unknown)......... 2 2. Head (and mesosoma plus the dorsal surface of the petiole in M. nigrophthalmus) entirely orange, except the male lower face is white, and sometimes the tiny area between the ocelli is black. Larger species (female length 4.5–5.2 mm) with more spherical nests where cells are not visible from the outside........................................................................................................................................................... M. bicolor and M. nigrophthalmus - Dark patches on the head (Figure 1) as well as the mesosoma, least so in pale specimens of M. mirandae sp. nov. (Figure 1 (a)). Dorsal surface of petiole black/ brown or with black/brown marks. Smaller species (female length 4 mm) with less spherical nests that have cells visible as bumps on the outside (Figure 4).................. 3 3. Colouration of female head and mesosoma darker, with a thick black line along top edge of clypeus (Figure 1 (d)). Mesopleurae lacking striations latero-ventrally. Short striations present at the back of the scutum at high power (Figure 2 (b)). Anterior face of male antennal scape pale yellow, contrasting with white lower face and mandibles. Surface of male second tergite smooth, without depressions or grooves........................................................................................................ M. lydiae sp. nov. - Colouration of female head and mesosoma paler, with the clypeus entirely pale, lacking a thick black line along its top edge (Figure 1 (e)). Mesopleurae with clear striations latero-ventrally (Figure 2 (d)). Striations absent or very weak at the back of the scutum, even at high power (Figure 2 (c)). Anterior face of male antennal scape white (except yellowish distally at the junction with segment 2), concolorous with lower face and mandibles. Male second tergite with a central, narrow, groove-like depression running along the posterior three-quarters or more of the segment......................................................................................................................................... M. mirandae sp. nov., Published as part of Field, Jeremy, 2023, Description and nesting biology of three new species of neotropical silk wasp (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Pemphredoninae: Microstigmus), pp. 1-18 in Journal of Natural History 57 on pages 4-9, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2022.2157345, http://zenodo.org/record/7620262, {"references":["Richards OW. 1972. The species of the South American wasps of the genus Microstigmus Ducke (Hymenoptera: Sphecoidea, Pemphredoninae). Trans R Entomol Soc Lond. 124 (2): 123 - 148. doi: 10.1111 / j. 1365 - 2311.1972. tb 00360. x.","Marsh PM, Melo GAR. 1999. Biology and systematics of New World Heterospilus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) attacking Pemphredoninae (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae). J Hymenopt Res. 8: 13 - 22.","Richards OW. 1971. Two new species of the genus Microstigmus Ducke (Hymenoptera: Sphecoidea). J Nat Hist. 5 (6): 643 - 645. doi: 10.1080 / 00222937100770481."]}

Parapiagetia haladai Schmid-Egger, sp. nov. (Fig. 106–110) Holotype. ♁, United Arab Emirates, 19.iii.2015, Bithnah, Camel tract, Allabsa 25°26′N 55°44′E, leg. J. Halada (coll OLL). Diagnosis. The male of P. haladai belongs to the P. erythropoda group sensu Pulawski (1977) and is unique among the Palearctic species by the length of the antennal segments. AS 3 is as long AS 4 and 1.6× as long as apical width, wheras it is shorter than AS 4 (and shorter in absolute length) in all remaining species (apart from P. subtilis Pulawski from Namibia). Also, body length is larger than in remaining males, and tergum I is broader (see description). Another unique character is large and apically sharply rectangular tergum VII. Description of male: Body length 9.2 mm. Colour: Grey, with the following yellowish-brown: mandible except apex and base, legs from femoral apex to tarsi, tegula and wing venation (the latter bright yellow). Terga I–V apically, terga I–II laterally and sterna I–II brownish yellowish, not clearly separeated from greyish parts of terga. Wings transparent. Whole body covered with pubescence, this of head and mesosoma long and erect, on legs and abdomen short and appressed. Tergum VII apically red. Morphology: Mandible in basal third with triangular tooth. Clypeal lobe medially with sharp tooth. Mesonotum and mesopleuron finely punctured, propodeal dorsum finely transverse striate. AS 3 somewhat longer than AS 4, AS 3 1.5× as long as wide. Tergum VII large, apically sharply rectangular, with distinct lateral carinae, basally with some large scattered punctures, punctation apically denser. Sternum VIII apically rounded, with some long white setae. Genitalia: see Fig. 110. Female. Unknown Distribution. United Arab Emirates. Etymology. The species is named in honor of Jiři Halada, a biologist of Czech Republic, who collected the holotype and who gave a fundamental contribution to the knowledge of Crabronidae and other Hymenoptera families during several collecting trips to many parts of the World., Published as part of Schmid-Egger, Christian & Harten, Antonius Van, 2022, Additions to the digger wasps (Hymenoptera, Spheciformes) of the United Arab Emirates with description of ten new species, pp. 543-575 in Zootaxa 5219 (6) on pages 570-572, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5219.6.3, http://zenodo.org/record/7436231, {"references":["Pulawski, W. (1977) A revision of the Old World Parapiagetia Kohl (Hymenoptera, Sphecidae). Polskie Pismo Entomologiczne, 47, 601 - 669."]}

Parapiagetia alwathbaensis Schmid-Egger, sp. nov. (Figs 98–103) Holotype. ♁ United Arab Emirates, 15.iv.2015 Abu Dhabi, Al Wathba Wetland Reserve, 24.248N, 54.742E, leg. A.S & AvH, in Malaise traps (CSE). Paratypes: Abu Dhabi, Al Wathba Wetland Reserve 1 ♁, 15.ii.2015. 4 ♁, 15.viii.2015. 1 ♁, 1 ♀, 15.vi.2015. 2 ♁, 3 ♀, 15.x.2015. 4 ♁, 4 ♀, 15.iii.2015. 1 ♁, 6 ♀, 15.xi.2015. 3 ♁, 6 ♀, 15.iv.2015. 10 ♁, 12 ♀, 15.v.2015, all collected by A.S & AvH, in Malaise traps (CSE). Remarks. Parapiagetia alwathbaensis keys out with Parapiagetia mongolica in the key of Pulawski (1977). However, a detailed comparisation with the description in Pulawski (1977) and with true P. mongolica from Morocco shows some minor differences in morphology, and a distinctly different male genitalia. For that reason, the species is decribed here as new. P. mongolica is widely distributed in North Africa and Central Asia, and lacks in Arabian peninsula. Diagnosis. Parapiagetia alwathbaensis is close to P. mongolica. Both species are mainly characterized by a short marginal cell (AT as long as AR). This character is also best suited for distinction from P. arabica. The females of both species are also characterized by two long medial teeth on clypeus, and a straigth lateral margin. The lateral margin bears a short tooth in P. arabica, and a long tooth in P. odontostoma (both species also with two long medial teeth). The female of Parapiagetia alwathbaensis differs from the similar P. mongolica by the pubescence of the face. It reaches ocellar region or vertex in P. alwathbaensis, and ends more or less in the middle between antennal base and midocellus in P. mongolica. The male differs from P. mongolica mainly by the shape of the volsella which is as narrow as penis valve in P. alwathbaensis (lateral view), and twice as large as penis valve in P. mongolica. Also, the volsella is evenly curved downwards in P. alwathbaensis, and more or less straight in P. mongolica. Longest setae on ventral margin of the volsella are longer than the diameter of the volsella in P. spec. A from Oman, and much shorter and restricted to the medial part of the volsella in P. mongolica. Description of male holotype. Body length 7.2 mm. Colour: Black with the following withish-yellowish: Mandible except apical third, apex of scape below, tegula (largely translucent), wing venation, apex of femora, tibiae, tarsi (tibiae with large brown band on front side). Wings transparent. Face towards ocelli and most parts of mesosoma covered with long, silvery pilosity, hiding integument below. Morphology: Mandible ventral margin with deep, U-shaped emargination. Apical clypeal margin with half round or sqare-like prolongation, as wide as distance between antennal sockets. AS 3 1.2× as long as apical width (ventral side), somewhat longer than AS IV. Remaining segments somewhat longer than wide, apical segment 1.5× as long as wide. Basal half of mesonotum with transverse striation, hidden under pubescence. Propodeal dorsum with seven distinct transverse ridges, continuing up to lateral surface. Mesopleuron with seven to eight vertical ridges, similar to those of propodeum, difficult to recognize under dense pilosity. Tergum I 2.7× as long as apical width. Pygidial plate of tergum VII finely microsculptured, with a few punctures, apically truncate, laterally with fine and sharp carina. Sternum VIII apically straight, with small lateral tooth. Genitalia, see diagnosis and fig. 103. AT of forewing 1.1× as long as AR. Variation in males: Body length 6.5–9.0 mm. Ratio of AT/AR variable, 1.0–1.1, sometimes also different in left and right wing. Striation of mesonotum variable, covering whole mesonotum in some specimens, with longitudinal median impression in basal half. Description of female paratypes: Body length 7.0– 8.5 mm. Colour: Black with the following withish-yellowish: Mandible medially, apex of scape below, tegula largely translucent), wing venation, apex of femora, tibiae, tarsi (tibiae with large brown band on front side). Wings transparent. Face towards ocelli and most parts of mesosoma covered with long, silvery pilosity, hiding integument beneath. Pygidial plate apically red. Morphology: Mandible ventral margin basally with large corner, medially notched. Clypeal free margin medially with two teeth, laterally next to teeth with small tooth-like point. Mesonotum shiny, finely punctured, puntures 1–2 diameters apart; medially in anterior half with furrow, basally with some denser punctation. Propodeal dorsum with seven or eight distinct transverse carinae. Anterior half of mesopleuron striate, posterior half punctate. Integument in most specimens hidden under dense, long pilositiy. Fore basitarsus with six pale spines, apical spine as long as foretarsomere II. AT of forewing approximately 1.1× as long as AR. Tergum I 2.1× as long as apical width. Pygidal plate smooth, with some indistinct microsculpture and a few scattered punctures. Variation of female: A single female differs from remaining specimens by all red terga II and III, red base of tergum I and red parts on mid- and hindleg. Mid-sterna somewhat reddish. Distribution. United Arab Emirates. Etymology. The species is named after the type origin, Al Wathba Wetland Reserve near Abu Dhabi, a famous place with a high diversity in wasp species., Published as part of Schmid-Egger, Christian & Harten, Antonius Van, 2022, Additions to the digger wasps (Hymenoptera, Spheciformes) of the United Arab Emirates with description of ten new species, pp. 543-575 in Zootaxa 5219 (6) on pages 569-570, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5219.6.3, http://zenodo.org/record/7436231, {"references":["Pulawski, W. (1977) A revision of the Old World Parapiagetia Kohl (Hymenoptera, Sphecidae). Polskie Pismo Entomologiczne, 47, 601 - 669."]}

Gastrosericus sabulosus Pulawski, 1995 (Figs 53–60) Remarks. Schmid-Egger (2011) mentions records from the UAE. New records. 4 ♀ 17.06.2019 Al Bida’a Protected Area., Published as part of Schmid-Egger, Christian & Harten, Antonius Van, 2022, Additions to the digger wasps (Hymenoptera, Spheciformes) of the United Arab Emirates with description of ten new species, pp. 543-575 in Zootaxa 5219 (6) on page 557, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5219.6.3, http://zenodo.org/record/7436231, {"references":["Pulawski, W. (1995) The wasp genus Gastrosericus Spinola, 1839 (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae). Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences, 18, 1 - 173.","Schmid-Egger, C. (2011) Order Hymenoptera, families Crabronidae and Sphecidae. Arthropod fauna of the UAE, 4, 488 - 608."]}

Oxybelus sajiae Schmid-Egger, sp. nov. (Figs 95–97) Holotype. ♀ United Arab Emirates, Ar-Ruwais, Houbara Protected Area, 31.v.2016, leg. A.S & AvH, in malaise trap (CSE). Paratypes: 1 ♀ same data as holoype; 2 ♀ 17.06.2019 Al Bida’a Protected Area, all leg. A.S & AvH. in malaise traps (CSE). Diagnosis. Oxybelus sajiae is distinctive by colour pattern. The pronotum, propodeum, abdomen and legs are reddish with white markings. The mucron is somewhat larger apically than basally, and truncate apically. The squama is simply pointed. Descripton of female holotype: Body length 5.9 mm. Colour. Mandible yellowih, apex black. Head black, clypeus and area around antennal base reddish and yellowish. Antenna including scape yellowish. Mesosoma black with the following yellowish or reddish: pronotum, upper part of mesopleuron, tegula, scutellum, metanotum including squama, propodeum including mucron, parts of metapleuron. Wing venation yellowish. Abdomen reddish, terga I– V with large yellowish bands on nearly whole surface. Legs whitish, femora above at backside with red bands. Whole body covered with long, silver, appressed pubescence. Morphology: Free margin of clypeal lobe with pointed tooth on each side, medially with rounded tooth, on disc with prominent tubercle, directed downwards. AS 3 as long as wide, remaining AS somewhat shorter than wide, apical AS 1.4× as long as wide. Lower face impunctate and shiny, upper face, vertex, mesonotum and mesopleuron with dense punctation, punctures 0.1–0.3 diameters apart, interspaces shiny. Punctation hidden under pubescence. OOL = 0.9× hindocellar diameter, POL = 3× hindocellar diameter. Gena with prominent occipital carina. Scutellum and metanotum without medial carina. Squama cleary pointed, mucron apically somewhat enlarged, truncate. Both translucent. Pronotum laterally shiny, clearly separated from mesopleuron by sharp edge, edge expanded on lower part (near propleuron). Propodeal dorsum laterally separated from lateral surface by prominent edge, edge prolonged downwards, thus also separating propodeal declivity from lateral surface. Short carina behind mucron meeting short transverse carina at edge towards propodeal declivity. Propodeal declivity finely scultured and less pubescent, with U-shaped zone in upper half. Terga II – V distinctly impressed basally, apically with slightly depressed margin. Margin with fine band of short silver setae, on terga II – III half as long as tergal apical impression, on terga IV and V longer than impression. Punctation of tergits similar to that of mesonotum. Pygidial plate shiny, with a few scattered punctures and a few setae, laterally with carina, apically emarginate. Sterna shiny, with very scattered punctation and a few setae, densely and finely punctate laterally. Fore basitarsus with five or six spines, apical spine reaching apex of foretarsal segment II. Mid and hindtibia with conspicuous and long spinulation. Paratypes agreing with holotype. Male. Unknown. Distribution. United Arab Emirates. Etymology. The species is named in honour to Dr. Anita Saji from Abu Dhabi. She supported the project by managing the Malaise traps and origanizing the samples., Published as part of Schmid-Egger, Christian & Harten, Antonius Van, 2022, Additions to the digger wasps (Hymenoptera, Spheciformes) of the United Arab Emirates with description of ten new species, pp. 543-575 in Zootaxa 5219 (6) on pages 565-567, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5219.6.3, http://zenodo.org/record/7436231

Gastrosericus moricei E. Saunders, 1910 (Figs 41–46) Remarks. Schmid-Egger (2011, 2014) mentions records from the UAE. New records. 1 ♀, 17.06.2019, 1 ♁ 1 ♀, 17.06.2019, Al Bida’a Protected Area; 1 ♁, 30.06.2019; 1 ♁ 2 ♀, 10.09.2019, Barg al-Saqoor., Published as part of Schmid-Egger, Christian & Harten, Antonius Van, 2022, Additions to the digger wasps (Hymenoptera, Spheciformes) of the United Arab Emirates with description of ten new species, pp. 543-575 in Zootaxa 5219 (6) on page 553, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5219.6.3, http://zenodo.org/record/7436231, {"references":["Schmid-Egger, C. (2011) Order Hymenoptera, families Crabronidae and Sphecidae. Arthropod fauna of the UAE, 4, 488 - 608."]}

Odontosphex leleji Mokrousov & Proshchalykin (2021) (Figs 89–94) Material examined: 1♁ United Arab Emirates, 15.vii.2015, Abu Dhabi, Al Wathba, leg. A.S & AvH, in malaise trap (CSE). Remark. Odontosphex is a small and rarely collected genus with six described species worldwide. The genus and its taxonomic position were restudied by Bohart and Menke (1976), who placed the genus in its own tribe Odontosphecini within the subfamily Philanthinae. Melo (1999) placed the genus into the subfamily Pemphredoninae, tribe Psenini. Recently, Sann et. al. (2018) confirmed this result and placed the genus as a sister group of Psenini in their new family Psenidae, based on genetic data. Recently, Mokrousov & Proshchalykin (2021) described a new species, O. leleji from Turkmenistan, and gave a key to species and further description of the genus. A single male of Odontosphex, collected in 2015 in the UAE and first recognized as an undescribed species, agrees with the description of O. leleji and confirms the occurence of the species in Arabia. Distribution: Turkmenistan and UAE. Bohart & Menke (1974) mentioned females of O. bidens Arnold, 1951 from Saudi Arabia, and Pulawski (1991) from Iran (Haft Tapeh 300 km N Abadan) and Pakistan (Faisalabad; both in CAS), which “possibly are bidens ”. They most probably also refer to O. leleji. O. bidens was described from Mauritania and is only known from West Africa. The third old world species, O. damara Pulawski, 1991 is only known from Namibia and will not occur in the Palearctic or Saharan region. Recognition: The species was compared with a ♁ of O. bidens from Mali (5 km E Hombori, 17.xiii.1991, leg. M. Schwarz, coll. CSE). Both males differ by the characters given in Tab. 2. [table omitted], Published as part of Schmid-Egger, Christian & Harten, Antonius Van, 2022, Additions to the digger wasps (Hymenoptera, Spheciformes) of the United Arab Emirates with description of ten new species, pp. 543-575 in Zootaxa 5219 (6) on page 565, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5219.6.3, http://zenodo.org/record/7436231, {"references":["Mokrousov, M. V. & Proshchalykin, M. Yu (2021) Discovery of the digger wasp genus Odontosphex Arnold, 1951 (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Spheciformes) in Central Asia, with description of a new species. In: Proshchalykin, M. Yu. & Gokhman, V. E. (Eds.), Hymenoptera studies through space and time: A collection of papers dedicated to the 75 th anniversary of Arkady S. Lelej. Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 84, pp. 137 - 143. https: // doi. org / 10.3897 / jhr. 84.68610","Bohart, R. M. & Menke, A. S. (1976) Sphecid wasps of the world: A generic revision. Vol. 1. University of California Press, Berkeley, Los Angeles, London, colour Fig., IX + 695 pp. https: // doi. org / 10.1525 / 9780520309548","Melo, G. A. (1999) Phylogenetic relationships and classification of the major lineages of Apoidea (Hymenoptera), with emphasis on crabronid wasps. Scientific Papers. Natural History Museum. The University of Kansas, 14, 1 - 55. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. title. 4053","Arnold, G. (1951) Sphecidae and Pompilidae (Hymenoptera) collected by Mr. K. M. Guichard in West Africa and Ethiopia. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology, 2, 95 - 183. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. part. 27752","Pulawski, W. (1991) A new species of Odontosphex from Namibia (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 93, 953 - 955."]}