Chiasmognathus rhagae, Engel, 2008

Engel, Michael S., 2008, A new species of Chiasmognathus from Iran, with a note on Chiasmognathus aegyptiacus in Israel (Hymenoptera: Apidae), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 58 (2), pp. 223-226 : 224-226

Chiasmognathus rhagae sp. n. ( Figs 1-3 )

Diagnosis:

The new species can be readily recognized by its smooth, polished, and impunctate mesoscutum ( Fig. 2 ); castaneous head and mesoscutum ( Figs 1-2 ); yellow clypeus and supraclypeal area ( Fig. 3 ); yellow mesosomal pleura and legs ( Fig. 1 ); and orange-yellow metasomal terga ( Figs 1-2 ).

Description:

. Total body length 2.81 mm; forewing length 1.79 mm. Head wider than long (width 0.79 mm, length 0.63 mm); inner margins of compound eyes straight, convergent below; apex of clypeus at lower tangent of compound eyes; ocelli above upper tangent of compound eyes ( Fig. 3 ); clypeus weakly convex, nearly flat; malar space vestigial; mandibles simple, crossing in repose but not covering labrum. Intertegular distance 0.42 mm. Forewing marginal cell broadly truncate ( Fig. 1 ); both m-cu veins entering second submarginal cell.

Head with small, well-defined punctures separated by 1-3 times a puncture width, integument between punctures smooth and shining. Mesoscutum impunctate, smooth, and shining ( Fig. 2 ); tegula impunctate, translucent; mesoscutellum smooth and shining, with a few small punctures; pleura with small, well-defined punctures separated by 0.5-2 times a puncture width, integument between punctures smooth and shining; posterior and lateral surfaces of propodeum faintly imbricate, impunctate. Metasomal terga faintly imbricate, with a few minute punctures; sterna faintly imbricate and impunctate.

Integument generally yellow ( Figs 1-2 ) except red on mandibular apex; castaneous on gena, face above clypeus and supraclypeus ( Fig. 3 ), vertex, mesoscutum ( Fig. 2 ); mesoscutellum and metasomal terga orange-yellow ( Fig. 2 ). Wing veins yellow, membranes hyaline.

Pubescence white ( Figs 1-3 ). Head with numerous, fine, subappressed, suberect, or erect plumose setae ( Fig. 2 ), such setae intermingled with a few suberect to erect finer, simpler setae. Setae of mesosoma like those of head although more sparse centrally on mesoscutum ( Fig. 2 ) and medioanteriorly on mesoscutellum, somewhat obscuring pleura, metanotum and portions of propodeum. Metasoma with scattered, erect to suberect simple setae, with thin and weak apical fasciae composed of appressed, plumose, white pubescence on second through fifth metasomal terga; first metasomal tergum with small, weak apicolateral patches of appressed plumose setae; sterna with scattered subappressed to suberect, largely simple setae.

Holotype:

 ( Figs 1-3 ); IRAN: Tehran, 18 Delavix St. , in pool, 4-6.viii.1977 [4-6 August 1977], John T. Huber; deposited in the Bee Collection, York University, Toronoto, Canada.

Etymology:

The specific epithet is the classical name for what is known today as the ruins of Rayy in Iran. Rayy lies inside of the greater metropolitan area of Tehran and was built by the Median Empire approximately 5000 years ago. The Greeks called the area comprising modern Kurdistan, Azerbaijan, and northwestern Iran (roughly Esfahan, Hamedan, Tehran, Zanjan, and neighboring provinces around the Zagros Mountains , although the ancient Median Empire at times extended further south in modern Iran and as far east as Kashmir) “Medea” or “Media” [the Latin adjective of which is median (“in the middle”), and for which Osmia mediana ENGEL from nearby Karaj was named], and the people of the region, the Medes .

Comments:

The new species is most similar to C. pashupati ENGEL from southeastern Pakistan. Both have a similar castaneous coloration overall, although somewhat more light in C. rhagae . Chiasmognathus rhagae also has the clypeus and supraclypeal area noticeably yellow in comparison to the otherwise castaneous head ( Fig. 3 ). More significantly, however, while C. pashupati and other described species of Chiasmognathus have some degree of mesoscutal punctation and sculpturing, C. rhagae has a smooth, polished, and impunctate mesoscutum ( Fig. 2 ). In this last feature, C. rhagae is similar to an undescribed species from Yemen but differs in the fact that the latter is dark brown to black among other traits.

Chiasmognathus aeg yptiacus (WARNCKE)

New record: 3 , ISRAEL: Negev, Sapir gas station, 15.v.98 [15 May 1998], L. Packer, at Nomioides sp. nests; specimens in the Bee Collection, York University, Toronoto, Canada.

Comments:

This is a new locality record within Israel for this species which was hitherto only recorded in this country from near Jericho ( WARNCKE 1983).

Figures

Figs 1-3: Photomicrographs of holotype female of Chiasmognathus rhagae nov. sp. (1) lateral aspect; (2) dorsal aspect; (3) facial view.