Odontochrydium arabicum Soliman & Rosa, 2022

Soliman, Ahmed M., Rosa, Paolo & Al Dhafer, Hathal M., 2022, Description of a new species of Odontochrydium Brauns (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae) from the Arabian Peninsula, Zootaxa 5100 (2), pp. 287-295 : 288-294

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5100.2.8
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:8FC0F76E-96E4-49F9-8A9F-ED55CCC233E9
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6313397
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/038187DE-017B-FFBE-FF53-FCCFFD5B6197
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Odontochrydium arabicum Soliman & Rosa
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Odontochrydium arabicum Soliman & Rosa , sp. nov.

Figures 1–4 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 View FIGURE 4

Type materials. Holotype ♂, Saudi Arabia: Asir region, Abha, Wadi Mashwas [18°10’06”N 42°22’04”E, Alt. 1251 m], 20.XI.2015, leg. Ahmed M. Soliman, sweep net [ KSMA] GoogleMaps . Paratypes: 1 ♀, Oman: Dhofar, Wadi Magsail [16°52’00”N 53°43’00”E, Alt. 120 m], 2.X.2013, leg. M. Halada, sweep net [ MHPC] GoogleMaps ; 1 ♂, Oman: Dhofar, 55 km W Salalah [16°49’05”N 53°37’12”E, Alt. 1000 m], 4.X.2021, leg. M. Halada, sweep net [ MHPC] GoogleMaps ; 1 ♀, Saudi Arabia: Asir region, Marabah, Al-Hudaithy farm [17°50’53”N 42°23’11”E, Alt. 226 m], 9.III.2015, leg. Hasan A. Dawah, Malaise trap [ FSPC] GoogleMaps ; 2 ♂, Saudi Arabia: Jazan region, Al-Aridah, Gabal Sala, Al-Matal [17°01’02”N 43°07’01”E, Alt. 290 m], 9.I.2022, leg. Ahmed M. Soliman, sweep net [ KSMA, PRPC] GoogleMaps ; 1 ♀, Saudi Arabia: Jazan region, Al-Aridah, Wadi Haif [17°05’20”N 42°58’05”E, Alt. 289 m], 14.I.2022, leg. Ahmed M. Soliman, sweep net [ KSMA] GoogleMaps ; 1 ♀, Yemen: Al Lahima , 16.X–31.XII.2000, leg. A.v. Harten & A.M. Hager, Malaise trap / RMNH Leiden ex collection ZMAN [ RMNH] ; 1 ♀, Yemen: Al Lahima , 9.IV–5.VI.2001, leg. A.v. Harten, Malaise trap [ RMNH] ; 1 ♀, Yemen: Wadi Aniz , SSW of Sana [15°00’00”N 44°09’00”E, Alt. 1520 m], 7.X.2006, leg. M. Halada, sweep net [ MHPC] GoogleMaps .

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

Description (Male holotype, Figs 1–3 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 ). Body length 5.2 mm. Forewing length 3.9 mm. OOL 1.75 × AOD; POL 2.5 × AOD; MS 1.0 × AOD; P and F1–F3 equal in length.

Colour ( Figs 1A–C View FIGURE 1 , 2A–F View FIGURE 2 , 3A–D View FIGURE 3 ). Body overall metallic dark blue, with slight greenish reflection on TFC, scapal basin, clypeus, pronotal dorsal face and mesopleuron, with violet reflection on T3; legs metallic blue, with tarsi dark brown; first tarsomeres with slight blue reflection; forewing, except hyaline R cell, slightly infumate, in particular 2R1 cell ( Fig. 3A View FIGURE 3 ), hind wing hyaline; tegula metallic blue; S1 polish brown, with pair of black spots bounded by bluish reflection; S2 and S3 metallic blue, former polish brown anteriorly, with pair of black spots; scape and pedicel blue, flagellomeres black; mandible bluish on basal half, brown apically. The colour of the specimens while they are alive is bright green with some copper reflections, this colour gradually turns into dark blue after their death.

Pubescence ( Figs 1A, B View FIGURE 1 , 3D View FIGURE 3 ). Body sparsely setose, setae whitish and short, about 1 × AOD, silvery, erect to suberect, denser and recumbent on S2 and S3.

Head ( Fig. 2A–D, F View FIGURE 2 ). Frons with strong TFC, weakly angulate medially, with branches encircling mid-ocellar area, forming kidney-shaped area, less deeply punctate than rest of vertex and almost polished around anterior ocellus; vertex and frons largely deeply punctate-reticulate; scapal basin deep, medially strongly, transversely ridged; laterally with small punctures between ridges and covered with suberect silvery setae, densely punctulate with similar setae along inner eye orbit; clypeus densely irregularly punctulate, with tiny dots mixed with small punctures, hardly convex on disc, relatively short, with subantennal distance 1.6 × AOD, with margin straight; antennal sockets close, about 0.4 × AOD apart; malar space finely reticulate-punctulate, about 1.0 × AOD; genal carina strong and complete; anterior ocellus and posterior ocelli lidded; mandible subdistally toothed.

Mesosoma ( Figs 1A View FIGURE 1 , 2C–F View FIGURE 2 , 3A View FIGURE 3 ). Pronotal shelf with two deep submedial pits, with polished median area; pronotal dorsal face largely punctate-subreticulate, with punctures up to 0.75 × AOD, and with interspaces micropunctate; with strongly incurved anterior margin, and posterior margin slightly incurved; with antero-median groove wide and relatively shallow, impunctate and polished on anterior 2/3, reaching more than 3/4 of pronotal length; pronotal humeral angles acute; mesoscutum foveate-reticulate on median lobe and on greater part of lateral lobes; punctate-subreticulate adjacent to tegula, with punctures up to 0.8 × AOD; median mesoscutal lobe with two stout longitudinal ridges and elongate fovea between ridges; tegula narrowed and partially hide; notauli complete, deeply, irregularly foveate; parapsidal furrows developed only until half mesoscutal length; mesoscutellum and metanotum subreticulate-punctate, the latter evenly rounded; propodeal lateral angle rather narrow, with blunt apex and incurved posterior margin; mesopleuron ventrally nearly smooth and armed with three strong teeth, dorsal teeth subequal; fourth sharp tooth present posteriorly on mesopleuron, before metapleuron. Forewing with distal area of Rs 1 × AOD apart from wing margin; M meets M+Cu before cu-a.

Metasoma ( Figs 2D View FIGURE 2 , 3B–D View FIGURE 3 ). Exposed tergites sparsely setiferous punctate, interspaces between punctures smooth to finely punctulate; T3 convex and continuous in profile, without pre-pit swelling or post-pit sunken areas; pit row somewhat distinct, pits small, deep; T3 apical margin with three subtriangular teeth, median tooth slightly longer than lateral ones.

Genitalia ( Fig. 3E, F View FIGURE 3 ). Gonostyle hardly shorter than cuspis of volsella; apex of aedeagus digitate; digitus as long as cuspis.

Female ( Fig. 4A–D View FIGURE 4 ). Similar to male except body with more violet tint, in particular on bottom of punctures; forewing darker; T3 distinctly acuminate posteriorly, with apico-median tooth distinctly longer than lateral ones.

Recognition. The male of Odontochrydium arabicum sp. nov. is similar to the male of the African species O. bicristatum (paratype, Fig. 5A–F View FIGURE 5 ) by having mesoscutal median area reticulate-foveate, with two stout longitudinal ridges and T1–T3 sparsely largely punctate; it differs from the latter by: body generally metallic dark blue, sometimes with a little violet tint on T3 and on bottom of punctures ( Figs 1 View FIGURE 1 , 3D View FIGURE 3 ), vs. metallic green in O. bicristatum , with a little bluish tint on mesoscutum, sometimes being rosy to golden red on the head, pronotum and metasomal tergites in prepared specimens ( Fig. 5A–E View FIGURE 5 ), likely golden or red in nature; clypeus short, with subantennal distance 1.6 × AOD ( Fig. 2A View FIGURE 2 ), vs. longitudinally elongate, with subantennal distance 2.0 × AOD ( Fig. 5C View FIGURE 5 ); pronotum with large, deep and dense punctures ( Fig. 2C View FIGURE 2 ), vs. pronotum with sparser and smaller punctures, not distinctly deep ( Fig. 5B View FIGURE 5 ); mesoscutellum with sparse, large and round punctures, with wide interspaces bearing small dots ( Fig. 2E View FIGURE 2 ), vs. mesoscutellum with dense, polygonal punctures without interspaces ( Fig. 5B View FIGURE 5 ); metanotum with similar punctation, with large, round and deep punctures ( Fig. 2D, E View FIGURE 2 ), vs. metanotum with dense, not particularly deepened polygonal punctures ( Fig. 5B View FIGURE 5 ); propodeal lateral tooth obtuse apically ( Fig. 2D View FIGURE 2 ), vs. sharp apically ( Fig. 5B View FIGURE 5 ); T3 without longitudinal median ridge ( Fig. 3C View FIGURE 3 ), vs. T3 with micropunctate longitudinal median ridge ( Fig. 5D View FIGURE 5 ); apico-median tooth of T3 longer than lateral ones ( Fig. 3C View FIGURE 3 ), vs. hardly longer than lateral teeth ( Fig. 5D View FIGURE 5 ); S2 with longer and denser pubescence ( Fig. 3D View FIGURE 3 ), vs. S2 with shorter and sparse setae ( Fig. 5E View FIGURE 5 ); gonostyle hardly shorter than cuspis of volsella ( Fig. 3E, F View FIGURE 3 ), vs. longer than cuspis of volsella in O. bicristatum ( Fig. 5F View FIGURE 5 ).

Remarks. Due to a fracture at the inner side of the genital gonocoxae of the holotype male genitalia ( Fig. 3E View FIGURE 3 ), where they meet, during the preparation for photographing, we added a figure of a complete genital capsule of a paratype ( Fig. 3G View FIGURE 3 ) in order to clarify the normal shape of the capsule.

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

Distribution. Oman, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.