Cerceris vagula Kohl, 1906

Gadallah, Neveen S., Abu El-Ghiet, Usama M. & Edmardash, Yusuf A., 2021, New data on the crabronid fauna of Saudi Arabia (Hymenoptera: Apoidea (Spheciformes): Crabronidae) from Jazan Province, with the description of three new species and the hitherto unknown male of Miscophus chrysis Kohl, 1894, Journal of Natural History 55 (27 - 28), pp. 1697-1748 : 1704-1705

Cerceris vagula Kohl, 1906

( Figure 3 e-h) Cerceris vagula Kohl, 1906: 209 , ♀.

Diagnosis

Black and white species ( Figure 3 (e–h). Characterised by the following combination of characters: the male last flagellomere slightly obliquely truncate ( Figure 3 (e)); clypeus with three small teeth at apex of median lobe (that are dark reddish brown and smooth) ( Figure 3 (e)); clypeal moustache dense, pale, far apart, restricted to lateral side of clypeus ( Figure 3 (e)); propodeum with a small V-shaped smooth and shiny dorsal enclosure, surrounded by a simple sulcus, with simple longitudinal sulcus medially ( Figure 3 (f)), with setiferous punctures laterally; T2 with traingular yellowish white marking at base ( Figure 3 (g)), T6 largely whitish ( Figure 3 (h)); S2 with small, raised platform basally, S3 with two relatively large latero-apical whitish markings.

Records from Saudi Arabia

Wadi Majarish (below Taif) ( Guichard 1993), Jazan (present study).

General distribution

Oman, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen.

Comments

Based on Guichard (1993), this species resembles Cerceris constricta Guichard, 1993 (as constrictus) in having T1 equally narrow from base to apex. However, it differs from C. constricta in having T3 with apical pale yellowish band that is narrowed medially and dilated laterally (narrow throughout in C. constricta ); T2 with small triangular pale yellowish marking basally (absent in C. constricta ); T6 almost whitish (crescent-like in C. constricta ).

Material examined

1 ♂, Jazan ( Samba ), 17º02 ʹ 44.8 ʺ N 42º39 ʹ 31.4 ʺ E, 18 .xii .2020, on Citrus aurantiifolia (Christmas) [Malaise trap], leg . Usama Abu El-Ghiet .

Figures

Figure 3. (a–d) Cerceris albopectoris Empey (male); (e–h) Cerceris vagula Kohl (male): (a) Frontal view of head (clypeal protrution indicated); (b) Dorsal view of thorax; (c) Ventral view of gaster; (d) Last gastral terga (showing epipygium); (e) Frontal view of head; (f) Dorsal view of head and thorax; (g) Dorsal view of gaster; (h) Last gastral terga.