Research Article |
Corresponding author: Syeda Uzma Usman ( insect.11lab@gmail.com ) Corresponding author: Prince Tarique Anwar ( ta.friday@gmail.com ) Academic editor: Andreas Köhler
© 2024 Syed Kamran Ahmad, Syeda Uzma Usman, Farmanur Rahman Khan, Hossein Lotfalizadeh, Hassan A. Dawah, Parvez Qamar Rizvi, Prince Tarique Anwar.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Ahmad SK, Usman SU, Khan FR, Lotfalizadeh H, Dawah HA, Rizvi PQ, Anwar PT (2024) An overview of the Leucospidae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) of the Arabian Peninsula with description of a new species. ZooKeys 1189: 185-202. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1189.113635
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An overview of the family Leucospidae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) is provided for the leucospid fauna of the Arabian Peninsula. Two genera containing four species are identified based on morphometrics and colour patterns. One species, Leucospis ayezae Usman, Anwar & Ahmad, sp. nov., is described. Leucospis elegans Klug had been previously recorded from Arabia Felix (= Yemen) and is recorded here for the first time from Saudi Arabia. The status of Leucospis aff. namibica from Yemen has been clarified, and this species is placed here in the genus Micrapion Kriechbaumer as M. clavaforme Steffan. An updated key and a map showing the distribution of the family Leucospidae in the Arabian Peninsula is provided. The occurrence and color morphs of all leucospid species that have been recorded so far from the region are briefly discussed.
Biodiversity, ectoparasitoids, new species, taxonomy
Members of the family Leucospidae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) are large chalcid wasps (6–15 mm) and develop as ectoparasitoids on aculeate wasps or bees (
The family is mostly represented by the genus Leucospis Fabricius, which accounts for more than 86% of the total number of species.
Here we describe a new species of Leucospis from Jazan, Saudi Arabia, and also report on some of the known Leucospis and Micrapion species. Diagnoses and illustrations of types are provided for two of them, L. insularis and L. africana. An extended and modified version of map (Fig.
The study is based on the materials collected from three provinces of Saudi Arabia, Asir, Najran, and Jazan (Table
List of sampling sites with coordinates, altitude, and sampling methods for Leucospidae collected from Southwest of Saudi Arabia.
Locality | Coordinates | Altitude (m) | Method |
---|---|---|---|
Abha, Hay Al-Menhel, vegetable farm | 18°12'N, 42°29'E | 2214 | MT |
Abha, Hay Al-Nusub (Abha Farm Centre) vegetable farm | 18°13'N, 42°30'E | 2226 | MT, SN |
Jazan, Farasan Island, Aziz Yousef Village | 16°40'N, 42°50'E | 3 | MT, SN |
Najran, Al-Shurfa | 17°31'N, 44°15'E | 1342 | MT |
Measurements were made with the use of an ocular micrometer attached to the eyepiece of the microscope and were later converted into micrometers (µm). All the determined and type materials were deposited at the Insect Collections Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India.
The terms mentioned in the text follow
List of abbreviations used in the text: AOL, anterior-ocular length; MOD, midian ocellar diameter; OCL, ocular–occipit length; OOL, ocello–ocular line; POL, posterior ocellar line; psa, parascrobal area; F, antennal flagellomere; PMV, postmarginal vein of fore wing; STV, stigmal vein; GT, gastral or metasomal tergite; MT, Malaise trap; SN, Sweep net.
The following acronym is used for the depository:
BMNH Natural History Museum [formerly British Museum (Natural History)], Department of Entomology, London, UK;
Four species, including one new species, are among the materials examined. These belong to one of two genera, either Leucospis or Micrapion. The family Leucopsidae has seven species in total known from the Arabian Peninsula, and all seven species are keyed below.
Modified from
1 | Clypeus curved convexly at posterior margin and without a median tooth; mandibles thin, setose, and notched at apex; gaster distinctly clavate, basally narrow (Fig. |
Micrapion clavaforme Steffan |
– | Clypeus bilobed at posterior margin and often with a median tooth; mandibles robust, without setae; lower tooth stronger; gaster less clavate (Figs |
2 (genus Leucospis Fabricius) |
2 | Pronotum with three distinct transverse carinae (Figs |
3 |
– | Pronotum with at most two transverse, less-developed carinae (Fig. |
6 |
3 | Ovipositor short, not reaching anterior margin of GT5 (Fig. |
Leucospis africana Cameron |
– | Ovipositor long, reaching at least posterior margin of GT4 or beyond (Figs |
4 |
4 | Discal carina on pronotum weak and straight (Fig. |
Leucospis insularis Kirby |
– | Discal carina on pronotum strong and angulate; metafemur oval with eight or nine ventral teeth, basal tooth triangular and robust; ovipositor hardly reaching posterior margin of GT1 | 5 |
5 | Metafemur with nine ventral teeth (Fig. |
Leucospis ayezae Usman, Anwar & Ahmad sp. nov. |
– | Metafemur with eight ventral teeth (Fig. |
Leucospis elegans Klug |
6 | Pronotum red or orange, except black at base of mesopleuron; middle teeth of metafemur distinctly longer than basal triangular tooth | Leucospis vanharteni Schmid-Egger |
– | Pronotum dark brown, except with a transverse yellow strip posteriorly between preapical and marginal carinae, continuing to lateral panel of pronotum as an oblique marking above ventral depression of panel (Fig. |
Leucospis arabica Gadallah & Soliman |
Holotype
: Saudi Arabia • ♀; Asir, Abha, Hay Al-Nusub; 18°13'N, 42°30'E; 2226 m alt.; 24.vii.2013; H.A. Dawah leg.;
The new species is similar to L. insularis in having a yellow band on the pronotum and scutellum and distinct discal, preapical, and marginal carinae, but the new species differs from L. insularis as follows: discal carina on pronotum strong and angulate (discal carina on pronotum weak and straight in L. insularis); metafemora oval with eight ventral teeth, basal tooth triangular and robust (metafemora slender with nine ventral teeth, basal tooth angular and pointed in L. insularis); pubescence on sides of propodeum and metatibia relatively short and less dense (pubescence on sides of propodeum and metatibia long and more dense in L. insularis) ovipositor hardly reaching posterior margin of GT4 (ovipositor distinctly reaching beyond posterior margin of GT1 in L. insularis).
Colour
(Figs
Head
(Fig.
Mesosoma
(Fig.
Metasoma
(Fig.
Measurements (holotype, mm): head width:length:height, 1.4:0.7:1.2; AOL, 0.14; MOD, 0.12; OCL, 0.03; OOL, 0.19; POL, 0.38; sh [scrobe height], 0.51; sw [scrobe weight], 0.4; psa, 0.33; ceh [compound eye height], 0.82; mls [malar space], 0.28; antennal segments length:width — radicle, 0.13:0.16; scape, 0.64:0.2; pedicel, 0.24:0.17; F1, 0.16:0.16; F2, 0.22:0.2; F3, 0.25:0.24; F4, 0.25:0.25; F5, 0.25:0.27; F6, 0.25:0.28; F7, 0.28:0.22; F8, 0.24:0.32; clava, 0.56:0.33; pronotum, 0.56; mesoscutum, 0.72; scutellum, 0.61; dorsellum, 0.16; propodeum, 0.24; fore wing length:width, 4.4:1.35; hind wing length:width, 3.1:7; metacoxa, 0.96:0.85; metafemur, 1.24:0.64; metatibia, 1.12; metatarsus, 1.12; petiole, 0.16:0.37; gaster, 2.8; GT1, 0.9; GT3, 0.1; GT4, 0.4; GT5, 0.7; GT6, 0.2; ovipositor, 1.4; hypopygeum, 0.8.
Male. Unknown.
Unknown.
Saudi Arabia: Asir.
The species name after Ayeza Tarique, daughter of the authors SUU and PTA.
Leucospis arabica
Gadallah & Soliman in
8♀, 9♂. Saudi Arabia • Jazan, Farasan Island, Aziz Yousef Village; 16°40'N, 42°50'E; 3 m alt.; 6♀, 9♂ (each on cards; 2 females, 1 male with one pair of wings on slide under 1 coverslip, slide No. HYM.02, 03, 11), 15.v.2017; S.K. Ahmad leg.; 2♀ (on cards); 13.v.2017; H.A. Dawah leg.;
The examined specimens were collected from the type locality and differ from the holotype in size. The females were 5–15 mm long and males 2–10 mm long. In both sexes, the size of the yellow patch on the metafemur varies minute to broad.
Unknown.
Saudi Arabia: Jazan (Farasan Islands) and Egypt (Sinai Peninsula).
Leucospis elegans
Klug, 1834: 26. Holotype, female (
2♀, 1♂. Saudi Arabia • Jazan, Farasan Island, Aziz Yousef Village; 16°40'N, 42°50'E; 3 m alt.; 2♀ (on cards, one pair of fore wing of one female specimen on slide under 1 coverslip, slide No. HYM.04; one pair of fore wing and antenna of other female specimen on slide under 2 coverslips, slide No. HYM.05), 15.v.2017; S.K. Ahmad leg.; 1♂ (on card, one pair of fore wing and antenna on slide under 2 coverslips, slide No. HYM.10), 1.ii.2015; H.A. Dawah leg.;
This is the first record of L. elegans from Saudi Arabia. However,
Unknown.
Afrotropical, Palaearctic, Oriental (
Leucospis africana
Cameron, 1907: 204. Lectotype, female (BMNH), designated by
Serapista denticulata (Smith) (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae) (
Afrotropical: 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 (
Leucospis insularis Kirby, 1900: 13. Holotype, female (BMNH), Yemen (Socotra Island), examined (illustrations only).
Leucospis insularis is only known from the type locality Socotra Islands (Yemen).
Unknown.
Afrotropical: Socotra Islands (Yemen) (
Micrapion clavaforme
Steffan, 1948: 85, female. Lectotype, female (
3♀, 2♂. Saudi Arabia • Asir, Abha, Hay Al-Menhel; 18°12'N, 42°29'E; 2214 m alt.; 2♀ (one on card; one on card with one pair of fore wing on slide under 1 coverslip, slide No. HYM.01), 20.xii.2014; H.A. Dawah leg.; Najran • Al-Shurfa, Saleh Maqbol Farm, 17°31'N, 44°15'E; 1342 m alt.; 1♀ (on card, one pair of fore wing on slide under 1 coverslip, slide No. HYM.09), 17.ix.2014; H.A. Dawah leg.; Asir, Abha, Hay Al-Nusub, 18°13'N, 42°30'E; 2226 m alt.; 2♂ (one on card; one on card with one pair of fore wing on slide under 1 coverslip, slide No. HYM.07), 3.vi.2015; H.A. Dawah leg.;
Females and males were collected in the present study from two sites in Saudi Arabia. They agree fairly well with the original description of M. clavaforme and the diagnoses by
Solitary bees: Ceratina Latreille (
Afrotropical: (
We thank Dr Mohammad Hayat and Dr Shahid Bin Zeya (
The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
No ethical statement was reported.
This study was supported by Qassim University.
SK Ahmad and HA Dawah carried out sampling identified the family Leucospidae, conceived the idea of the research and, helped in preparing the map work. SU Usman and PT Anwar identified the genus and species and, prepared the manuscript. H Lotfalizadeh provided various information and literature on the Leucospidae and, critically revised the MS. FR Khan helped in preparation of the manuscript and provided several information about the Arabian fauna of chalcid wasps. The entire work was carried out under the mentorship of PQ Rizvi.
Syed Kamran Ahmad https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6211-2345
Syeda Uzma Usman https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2578-2515
Farmanur Rahman Khan https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8906-709X
Hossein Lotfalizadeh https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7927-819X
Hassan A. Dawah https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5642-7247
Parvez Qamar Rizvi https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2965-1806
Prince Tarique Anwar https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1682-0033
All of the data that support the findings of this study are available in the main text.