Leucospis africana Cameron, 1907

Gadallah, Neveen S., Soliman, Ahmed M., Abu El-Ghiet, Usama M., Elsheikh, Tarek Y. & Al Dhafer, Hathal M., 2018, The family Leucospidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) from the South of Saudi Arabia, with the first report of the genus Micrapion and description of Leucospis arabica sp. nov., Journal of Natural History 52 (31 - 32), pp. 2071-2096 : 2076-2079

Leucospis africana Cameron, 1907

( Figures 1 and 2 )

Leucospis africana Cameron, 1907: 204 . Lectotype ♀, South Africa: Cape Province.

Diagnosis

Varies in colour, generally black mixed with red/brown and patterned with pale yellow; with unusual variation of the hind femur ventral teeth (Bou Č ek 1974a). In the Saudi Arabian male, body generally black with red/brown on the following parts ( Figures 1 (a,b) and 2(c)): scape beneath, lateral sides of pronotum and mesoscutum, most of T1 (leaving hind margin black), apical half of fore coxa and upper side of fore femur, hind coxa (except basal third black), base of hind femur extending to upper side, inner curved side of hind tibia; pale yellow distributed as follows: a transverse yellow strip visible in front of discal carina, but not continuing to lateral panel of pronotum, hind margin of mesoscutellum, hind femur externally, tarsi, carapace with three cross bands of which the upper and apical ones are short while the middle band is the longest; body with relatively long setae; compound eye densely setose ( Figure 2 (a)); pronotum with three distinct carinae, of which the discal carina narrowly laminate, translucent margin directed backwards, while preapical and marginal carinae sharply elevated and directed backwards ( Figure 1 (b)); postscutellum more or less carinate, nearly straight at hind margin ( Figures 1 (b) and 2(b)); hind coxa densely punctured, without smooth streak, with dorsal side narrow, turns posteriorly into a thin ridge ( Figure 2 (c)); hind femur with basal tooth not longer and more robust than following tooth, shorter than two middle sharp cylindrical teeth ( Figure 2 (c)), teeth becoming closer and very short towards apex. In female, ovipositor not reaching base of GT5 (Bou Č ek 1974a).

Material examined: Saudi Arabia

1 ♂, Abha , Raydah (18.1947°N, 42.3947°E, alt. 1851 m), sweep net, 22 April 2017, leg . Ahmed M . Soliman [ KSMA]; 1 ♂, Abha, Raydah (18.1958°N, 42.3891°E, alt. 1614 m), sweep net, 18 October 2017, leg . Athar M . Gul [ KSMA]; 1 ♂, Abha, Raydah (18.1958°N, 42.3891°E, alt. 1614 m), sweep net, 18 October 2017, leg . Athar M . Gul [ EFC] .

Distribution

Burundi, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eretria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rhodesia, South

Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe ( Cameron 1907; Bou Č ek 1974a; Noyes 2016); Saudi Arabia (new record).

Host records

Serapista denticulata (Smith) ( Hymenoptera : Megachilidae ) (Bou Č ek 1974a), Megachile spinarum Cockerell ) ( Hymenoptera : Megachilidae ) ( Gess 1981).

Figures

Figure 1. Leucospis africana Cameron (male). (a) Habitus, lateral view; (b) head and mesosoma, lateral view (pronotal transversal carinae and bidentate carina on postscutellum indicated by arrows).

Figure 2. Leucospis africana Cameron (male). (a) Head, frontal view; (b) mesoscutellum, postscutellum and propodeum, dorsal view (bidentate carina on postscutellum indicated by arrow); (c) gaster, lateral view, with hind coxa, femur and tibia (GT2 indicated by arrow).