Thyreus parthenope Lieftinck, 1968

Wood, Thomas, Leclercq, Vincent, Schmid-Egger, Christian & Praz, Christophe, 2025, A contribution to the knowledge of the genus Thyreus Panzer in the West and Central Palaearctic (Hymenoptera, Apidae), with two new species, taxonomic updates, host relationships, and a key to European species, Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 72 (2), pp. 259-302 : 259-302

Thyreus parthenope Lieftinck, 1968

Thyreus parthenope Lieftinck, 1968: 110, ♂ [ Yemen, NHMUK, examined].

Material examined.

Egypt • 1 ♀; Egypt [no further information]; 1858; Natt. leg.; NHMW ; Oman • 1 ♀; Muscat, Ruwi ; 1–31 Mar. 1976; K. M. Guichard leg.; NHMUK ; Saudi Arabia • 4 ♂; Abu Arish ; 25 Mar. 1980; K. M. Guichard leg.; D. B. Baker det. 1981; NHMUK • 2 ♂; Asir prov., Abha Gov., Jabal Sawda Mts., 5 km SE Al Henayah vill. ; 22 Oct. 2024; Y. Skrylnyk leg.; VLC • 1 ♂; Jizan prov., Al-Aydabi Gov., 8.5 km S. Al Henayah vill. ; 23 Oct. 2024; Y. Skrylnyk leg.; VLC • 7 ♂; Jizan prov., Fayfa Gov., Jabal Fayfa Mts., 5 km SE Al Henayah vill. ; 18–19 Mar. 2025; Y. Skrylnyk leg.; TJWC / VLC ; Sudan • 1 ♀; Khartoum; 4 Dec. 1991; G. G. M. Schulten leg.; RMNH ; United Arab Emirates • 1 ♂; Hatta (hotel) ; 1 Nov. 1985; I. L. Hamer leg.; D. B. Baker det. 1985; NHMUK • 2 ♂; Hatta (hotel) ; 7 Nov. 1986; I. L. Hamer leg.; D. B. Baker det. 1985; NHMUK • 2 ♂; Jebel Ali [Mina Jebel Ali] ; 25 Oct. 1991; I. L. Hamer leg.; D. B. Baker det. 1992; NHMUK • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Shweib / Suweihan [Sweihan] ; 12 Feb. 1987; I. L. Hamer leg.; D. B. Baker det. 1987; NHMUK ; Yemen • 1 ♂; W. Aden Protect., Wadi Tiban [Wadi Tuban], N. W. of Jebel Jihaf ; ca. 3800 ft. a. s. l.; 21 Oct. 1937; H. Scott and E. B. Britton leg.; NHMUK ( holotype) • 1 ♂; Lahej [Lahij], Arabia ; 20 Feb. 1895; C. G. Nurse leg.; M. A. Lieftinck 1967 det.; RMNH; RMNH.INS.1714261 ( paratype) • 1 ♂; Lakej-Aden ; 12 Feb. 1895; C. T. Bingham leg.; M. A. Lieftinck det.; ZMHB ( paratype) .

Notes.

Lieftinck (1968) described T. parthenope with a locus typicus in southern Yemen, approximately 100 km north of Aden. Lieftinck described only the male sex, with most specimens known from Yemen and one additional specimen from Egypt (precise location within Egypt unknown). Examination of additional material collected after 1968 shows that T. parthenope has a wider distribution across the southern half of the Arabian Peninsula, being found also in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman. An additional Egyptian specimen was located ( NHMW), but it also lacked precise collecting details. Most of the other museum specimens were identified by Donald Baker in the 1980 s and 1990 s, but details were never published, and Baker never described the unknown female that was captured flying with the male in the United Arab Emirates.

Diagnosis.

Lieftinck (1968: 112) indicated that the female is likely to be recognised by one shared character with the male, which is the presence of two distinct white hair spots on the scutum. The female specimen captured with the male T. parthenope in Sweihan ( United Arab Emirates, see examined material below) displays this character (Fig. 11 E ) and also shows additional characters that allow separation from similar species. It can be recognised due to the presence of an unbroken line of white hairs running along the entire length of the lateral margins of the scutum (Fig. 11 D ), as in T. priesneri Lieftinck, 1968 (see below), T. ramosus (Lepeletier, 1841) , and T. ramosellus Cockerell, 1919 (in T. histrionicus with the scutum laterally with some dark hairs, never with a complete unbroken line of white hairs). Separation from T. priesneri , T. ramosus , and T. ramosellus can be made by the presence of distinct white hair patches on the scutellum (Fig. 11 E ; without such patches in the three comparison species), and also because the axillae are covered with a dense tuft of adpressed white hairs (Fig. 11 E ), whereas in the comparison species the axillae lack such hair patches (being entirely black haired). Thyreus priesneri can also be separated due to the structure of the pygidial plate, which is flat and irregularly punctate, whereas in T. parthenope the pygidial plate is impunctate has a longitudinal bump or ridge medially.

The presence of white hair patches on the axillae gives T. parthenope a similar appearance to T. hyalinatus (Vachal, 1903) ( Israel, Egypt, Sudan, Chad *, Eritrea, Djibouti, Saudi Arabia, Qatar *, United Arab Emirates *, Oman *, Iran; Lieftinck 1968), but the two species can be separated by the presence of the white hair spots on the scutellum of T. parthenope (absent in T. hyalinatus ). The two species can also be separated due to the structure of the mesepisternum in its ventral half (the part not covered with pubescence), which has the punctures dense and very weakly separated in T. parthenope (punctures almost confluent), whereas T. hyalinatus shows clear shining spaces between the punctures, these spaces often wider than the diameter of a puncture. These characters, in combination with the distribution, which is currently restricted to the southern half of the Arabian Peninsula and probably south-eastern Egypt allows recognition, particularly in combination with concurrently active males.

Description.

Female. Body length: 12 mm (Fig. 11 A ). Head: Dark, 1.3 times wider than long (Fig. 11 B ). Clypeus very weakly domed, densely punctate, punctures separated by ≤ 0.5 puncture diameters, interspaces shining. Labrum rounded rectangular, 1.5 times longer than broad, with longitudinal impressed midline terminating subapically, apex with tiny slightly projecting tooth; labrum basally strongly produced into two tubercles laterally, outer half of tubercules polished and shining, impunctate. Gena much narrower than width of compound eye; ocelloccipital distance 2 times diameter of lateral ocellus. Face between antennal insertions with weakly raised longitudinal carina, not strongly extending dorsally. Frons densely punctate, punctures separated by ≤ 0.5 puncture diameters, becoming weaker laterally adjacent to lateral ocelli, here with polished shining impunctate space subequal to diameter of lateral ocellus (Fig. 11 C ). Head almost entirely white-haired, with brownish hairs restricted to mandibles. Antenna dark, measured along ventral surface A 3, more or less equalling A 4.

Mesosoma: Scutum and scutellum densely punctate, punctures separated by ≤ 0.5 puncture diameters, up to 1 puncture diameter on scutellum, surface between punctures shiny. Scutum with contrasting black and white pubescence, white pubescence along anterior margin, lateral margins, medially with longitudinal line covering anterior ¾ of scutum, anterolaterally with two white spots, posterolaterally with two thick patches along posterior margin (Fig. 11 D ). Axilla with clear patch of white plumose adpressed hairs. Scutellum postero-laterally with two patches of white plumose adpressed hairs. Scutellum produced into two posteriorly projecting points, between these with shallow emargination, scutellum itself relatively long, maximum width 1.5 times longer than maximum length; emargination between posterior points with thick broad tuft of white hairs emerging from ventral surface (Fig. 11 E ). Mesepisternum in dorsal ½ covered with dense patch of adpressed white hairs, entirely obscuring surface; in ventral ½ with surface lacking hairs, densely and regularly punctate, punctures almost confluent. Legs dark, outer surface of tibiae and tarsi covered with dense felt-like white hairs, mid and hind tibiae with short dark spines projecting through pubescence. Forewing almost entirely hyaline, with only weak infuscation adjacent to a few veins.

Metasoma: Terga dark, tergal discs densely punctate with hair-bearing punctures, punctures presenting short, posteriorly projecting black plumose hairs, punctures separated by 0.5–2 puncture diameters (Fig. 11 F ). T 1 laterally with wide C-shaped patch of white hairs, hairs along apical margin of tergum reaching further towards centre of disc than hairs along basal margin of tergum. T 2 with L-shaped patch of white hairs, T 3–5 with rectangular white hair patches, hair patches on all terga broadly separated medially, never complete. Pygidial plate weakly converging apically, lateral margins slightly raised, medially with strongly humped longitudinal bump, surface dull.

Distribution.

Egypt (presumably southern Egypt), Sudan *, Saudi Arabia *, Yemen, United Arab Emirates *, Oman * ( Lieftinck 1968).

Other material examined.

( Thyreus hyalinatus ) Chad • 1 ♀; Tchad, Ndjamena ; 30 Mar. 1978; G. G. M. Schulten leg.; RMNH • 1 ♀; Tchad, Ndjamena ; 22 Jun. – 6 Jul. 1978; G. G. M. Schulten leg.; RMNH ; Oman • 2 ♀; 20 km W Barka, Wadi Far ; 14 Mar. 2022; C. Schmid-Egger leg.; CSE • 6 ♂, 1 ♀; Dhaufur, Thumrait 35 km N, KF desert farm; 21 Sep. 2023; C. Schmid-Egger & W-H. Liebig leg.; CSE / TJWC / WHLC • 1 ♂; Dhofar, 2 km W Taqah ; 29 Aug. 2019; C. Schmid-Egger leg.; CSE • 1 ♀; Dhofar, 35 km N Thumrait, Najd ; 3 Sep. 2019; C. Schmid-Egger leg.; CSE • 1 ♀; SW of Sur ; 3–5 Mar. 2017; M. Snižek leg.; OÖLM ; Qatar • 1 ♂; Al Shahaniyeh [Ash-Shahaniyah]; 9 May 1980; C. G. Roche leg.; D. B. Baker det. 1993; OUMNH • 1 ♂; Al Shahaniyeh [Ash-Shahaniyah]; 23 May 1980; C. G. Roche leg.; D. B. Baker det. 1993; OUMNH • 5 ♂; Al Shahaniyeh [Ash-Shahaniyah]; 13 Jun. 1980; C. G. Roche leg.; D. B. Baker det. 1993; OUMNH ; United Arab Emirates • 1 ♀; Wadi Bih , dam; 29 Nov. 2009; A. van Harten leg.; CSE .

Figures

Figure 11. Thyreus parthenope Lieftinck, 1968, female. A. Habitus, lateral view; B. Head, frontal view; C. Vertex, dorsal view; D. Scutum, dorsal view; E. Scutellum, dorsal view; F. Metasoma, dorsal view.