Review of the ant genus Technomyrmex Mayr, 1872 in the Arabian Peninsula (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

The taxonomy of the dolichoderine ants of the genus Technomyrmex Mayr, 1872 is revised for the Arabian Peninsula. Six species are treated, T. albipes (F. Smith, 1861), T. difficilis Forel, 1892, T. briani Sharaf, 2009, T. vexatus (Santschi, 1919), T. montaseri Sharaf, Collingwood & Aldawood, 2011, and T. setosus Collingwood, 1985. The successful tramp species T. difficilis Forel, 1892 is recorded for the first time from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and Yemen, representing new records for the Palearctic Region. Technomyrmex vexatus (Santschi, 1919) is a new species record for Yemen. The queen caste of the rare endemic species, T. briani Sharaf, 2009 is described for the first time. A neotype for KSA endemic T. setosus Collingwood 1985 is designated based on a specimen collected from the type locality, the Asir Mountains, KSA, including new information on habitats and distribution. A male cast of Technomyrmex, possibly of T. setosus, is also described. An illustrated key based on the worker caste of the Arabian species of Technomyrmex is given. New geographical records and a distribution map for the treated species are presented

First occurrence of the ant genus Brachymyrmex Mayr, 1868 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The formicine ant genus Brachymyrmex Mayr, 1868 is recorded for the first time from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and from the Arabian Peninsula by the species B. cordemoyi Forel, 1895. A brief description and automontage images of the species are presented with ecological and biological notes

Contribution to the knowledge of the genus Dicronychus (Coleoptera: Elateridae) from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Al Dhafer, Hathal M., Platia, Giuseppe (2013): Contribution to the knowledge of the genus Dicronychus (Coleoptera: Elateridae) from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Zootaxa 3734 (1): 15-22, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3734.1.

Figure 9 from: Soliman AM, Gadallah NS, Al Dhafer HM (2018) An illustrated key to the Saudi Arabian species of the genus Macroocula Panfilov, 1954, with the description of a new species and the previously unknown female of M. andreai Pagliano (Hymenoptera, Bradynobaenidae, Apterogyninae). ZooKeys 742: 35-56. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.742.22854

The Saudi Arabian species of the genus Macroocula Panfilov (Bradynobaenidae, Apterogyninae) are keyed and illustrated. Eleven species were previously recorded from Arabian fauna: M. andreai Pagliano (♂), M. atuberculata Soliman & Gadallah (♂), M. khorimensis Soliman & Gadallah (♂), M. magna (Invrea) (♀), M. mahunkai (Argaman) (♂), M. nitida (Bischoff) (♂, ♀), M. ohli Pagliano (♂), M. riyadha Gadallah & Pagliano (♂), M. savignyi (Klug) (♂, ♀), M. sinaica (Invrea) (♂) and M. zulfiensis Soliman & Gadallah (♂). A new species, Macroocula asirensis Gadallah & Soliman, sp. n. (♂) from Saloos Al-Manzar, Wadi Yebah and Wadi Targ (Asir region) and the previously unknown female of M. andreai from Wadi Reem (Jazan region) are described and illustrated

The genus <i>Enicospilus</i> Stephens, 1835 (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Ophioninae) in Saudi Arabia, with twelve new species records and the description of five new species

The species of the genus Enicospilus Stephens, 1835 in Saudi Arabia are reviewed. Six species have previously been recorded from Saudi Arabia: E. brevicornis (Masi, 1939), E. capensis (Thunberg, 1822), E. nervellator Aubert, 1966, E. perlatus Shestakov, 1926, E. psammus Gauld &amp; Mitchell, 1978 and E. oculator Seyrig, 1935. Five new species are described and illustrated in this paper: Enicospilus arabicus Gadallah &amp; Soliman sp. nov., E. mirabilis Soliman &amp; Gadallah sp. nov., E. pseudoculator Gadallah &amp; Soliman sp. nov., E. shadaensis Gadallah &amp; Soliman sp. nov. and E. splendidus Rousse, Soliman &amp; Gadallah sp. nov. Twelve species are newly recorded for the fauna of Saudi Arabia, thus raising the total number to 23 species: E. bicoloratus Cameron, 1912, E. divisus (Seyrig, 1935), E. dubius (Tosquinet, 1896), E. grandiflavus Townes &amp; Townes, 1973, E. odax Gauld &amp; Mitchell, 1978, E. oweni Gauld &amp; Mitchell, 1976, E. pacificus (Holmgren, 1868), E. pallidus (Taschenberg, 1875), E. rundiensis Bischoff, 1915, E. senescens (Tosquinet, 1896), Enicospilus sp. 1 and Enicospilus sp. 2 cf. bicoloratus Cameron, 1912. The unknown male of E. odax is described for the first time. The COI barcodes of 17 specimens were sequenced, compared to the existing data and uploaded to the BOLD Systems database. An illustrated key and an annotated faunistic list of all species of Enicospilus in Saudi Arabia are also provided. Finally, we discuss the biogeographical and ecological significance of the Enicospilus fauna in Saudi Arabia.</p

Figs. 1–6. Ancylopus melanocephalus. 1 in First Record of a Handsome Fungus Beetle (Coleoptera: Endomychidae) from the Arabian Peninsula

Figs. 1–6. Ancylopus melanocephalus. 1) Male, habitus; 2) Female, habitus; 3) Aedeagus, dorsal view. 4) Aedeagus, lateral view; 5) Aedeagus, ventral view; 6) Abdomen and abdominal terminal segment, male.Published as part of &lt;i&gt;Torkey, Ashraf M. El &amp; Dhafer, Hathal M. Al, 2015, First Record of a Handsome Fungus Beetle (Coleoptera: Endomychidae) from the Arabian Peninsula, pp. 824-827 in The Coleopterists Bulletin 69 (4)&lt;/i&gt; on page 825, DOI: 10.1649/0010-065x-69.4.824, &lt;a href="http://zenodo.org/record/10114075"&gt;http://zenodo.org/record/10114075&lt;/a&gt

Amphimela raydahensis Torkey & Dhafer, 2015, sp. nov.

&lt;i&gt;Amphimela raydahensis&lt;/i&gt; sp. nov. &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Type specimens:&lt;/b&gt; HOLOTYPE &male;: &ldquo; Saudi Arabia, Asir Province, Abha, Garf Raydah, 18&deg;11.749&rsquo;N 42&deg;23.345&rsquo;E, Alt. 1614 m, 21.II.2014, LT, leg. Al Dhafer H., Fadl H., Abdel-Dayem M., El Gharbawy A., El Torkey A.&rdquo; (KSMA).&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;PARATYPES: Saudi Arabia, Asir, Abha, Garf Raydah, 18&deg;11.884&rsquo;N 42&deg;24.435&rsquo;E, 2387 m, 27.IV.2014, LT, leg. Al Dhafer H., Fadl H., Abdel-Dayem, M., El Gharbawy A., El Torkey A. (&male;, KSMA); Saudi Arabia, Asir, Abha, Garf Raydah, 18&deg;13.347&rsquo;N 42&deg;24.133&rsquo;E, 2717 m, 27.IV.2014, LT, leg. Al Dhafer H., Fadl H., Abdel-Dayem M., El Gharbawy A., El Torkey A. (&male;, KSMA); Saudi Arabia, Asir, Abha, Garf Raydah, 18&deg;11.766&rsquo;N 42&deg;24.315&rsquo;E, 2285 m, 27.IV.2014, LT, leg. Al Dhafer H., Fadl H., Abdel-Dayem M., El Gharbawy A., El Torkey A. (&female;, KSMA).&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Description&lt;/b&gt;. Body shape sub-elliptical elongate (LB = 7.5 mm); reddish-brown with almost apical half of elytra, and humeral callus black (Fig. 3), clearly convex; maximum pronotal width at base (WP = 2.5 mm); maximum elytral width at basal half (WE = 3.3 mm).&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Head with frons and vertex very densely punctate (Fig. 9); orbital line obvious; interantennal space wider than length of first antennomere; eyes large, sub-elliptical; clypeus short, sub-rectangular; labrum sub-rectangular, with apical margin rounded; mandibles reddish-brown with apical points black; antennae filiform, reddish-brown, clearly shorter than body length (LAN = 2.97 mm; LAN/LB = 0.396 mm; LAN/(LE+LP) = 0.26 mm); length of antennomeres 0.38, 0.15, 0.2, 0.23, 0.28, 0.28, 0.28, 0.28, 0.28, 0.28, and 0.33 mm, respectively (right antenna).&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Pronotum slightly transverse (LP = 1.5 mm; WP/LP = 1.67 mm), clearly convex, basally slightly wider, with maximum width at base (WP = 2.5 mm); lateral margin bordered; anterior and posterior margins very finely bordered; anterior angles protruding; posterior angles slightly pointed (Fig. 14); densely punctate, with slightly larger and deeper punctures laterally than on disc. Scutellum triangular, with fine border, with fine punctures.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Elytra reddish-brown, with apical half black (sometimes black band extended forward laterally near basal margin of elytra); slightly elongate (LE = 10 mm; LE/LP = 6.67 mm), slightly narrower from middle to apex, laterally moderately parallel, apically rounded, covering pygidium; elytral punctures striate, sparse and fine; intervals wide, with fine small micropunctures; humeral callus protruding.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Legs reddish-brown, with dark reddish-brown claws; covered apically and basally by pubescence; tibiae, especially hind tibiae, dorsally moderately but not deeply channeled (Fig. 15); All tarsi with a pad of fine setae ventrally. Ventral surface reddish-brown; abdomen slightly convex, sparsely punctate and pubescent (LV 2.5 mm), last abdominal sternite bisinuate and truncate medially (Fig. 12). Median lobe of aedeagus in ventral view subparallel, with a slightly oval groove underside (LA 2.05 mm) and apically with acute rounded tip; in lateral view, median lobe slightly curved, (Figs. 16, 17 and 18).&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Variability.&lt;/b&gt; Paratypes similar in habitus and markings to the holotype. Measurements of two males (Fig. 5): LB = 6.45 &amp; 6.85 mm; LP = 1.15 &amp; 1.4 mm; WP = 2.45 &amp; 2.5 mm; LE = 4.4 &amp; 4.75 mm; WE = 3 &amp; 3.3 mm; LV = 2.4 &amp; 2.5 mm; LA = 1.8 &amp; 2 mm). Some specimens slightly darker in colour (reddish brown). Females generally slightly smaller than males (measurements of female (Fig. 4): LB = 6.4 mm; LP = 1.3 mm; WP = 2.4 mm; LE = 4.6 mm; WE = 3.0 mm; LV = 2.5 mm (Fig. 13); LS = 0.74 mm). Spermatheca hook-shaped with well sclerotized duct (Fig. 19).&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Distribution.&lt;/b&gt; Southwestern Saudi Arabia (Garf Raydah Nature Reserve).&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Habitat.&lt;/b&gt; This species was collected by black light traps at different elevations (1,614-2,717 m a.s.l.). This area was dominated by &lt;i&gt;Juniperus procera&lt;/i&gt; Hochst ex. Endl., &lt;i&gt;Olea europaea africana&lt;/i&gt; (Burm.f.) Green, and &lt;i&gt;Opuntia ficus-indica&lt;/i&gt; (L.) Miller (Figs. 2 a, b and c).&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Etymology.&lt;/b&gt; The species is named after the geographical location of the types.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Diagnosis.&lt;/b&gt; The new species is most similar to two Afrotropical species, &lt;i&gt;A. citri&lt;/i&gt; known from Ghana and &lt;i&gt;A. quadrinotata&lt;/i&gt; described from Uganda, but can easily be distinguished by the following key.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; 1 Elytra reddish-brown, apical half black (Figs. 3, 4)......................................... &lt;i&gt;Amphimela raydahensis&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;- Elytra with two or four reddish-brown spots................................................................2&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; 2 Elytra bluish-black, with two large reddish-brown spots sub-basally behind humeral callus (Fig. 8). Body of moderate size, LB = 5.4 mm................................................................................ &lt;i&gt;Amphimela citri&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; - Elytra bluish-green with four large reddish-brown spots (Fig. 7). Body small, LB = 3.3 mm........ &lt;i&gt;Amphimela quadrinotata&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;Published as part of &lt;i&gt;El Torkey, Ashraf M. &amp; Al Dhafer, Hathal M., 2015, Amphimela raydahensis sp. nov. from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae: Alticini), pp. 430-440 in Zootaxa 4028 (3)&lt;/i&gt; on pages 435-438, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4028.3.8, &lt;a href="http://zenodo.org/record/245254"&gt;http://zenodo.org/record/245254&lt;/a&gt

Figs. 10–11. 10 in First Record of a Handsome Fungus Beetle (Coleoptera: Endomychidae) from the Arabian Peninsula

Figs. 10–11. 10) Location of Gabal Shada Alalaa Nature Reserve in Saudi Arabia; 11) Habitat of Ancylopus melanocephalus with Acacia gerrardii in southwestern Saudi Arabia.Published as part of &lt;i&gt;Torkey, Ashraf M. El &amp; Dhafer, Hathal M. Al, 2015, First Record of a Handsome Fungus Beetle (Coleoptera: Endomychidae) from the Arabian Peninsula, pp. 824-827 in The Coleopterists Bulletin 69 (4)&lt;/i&gt; on page 826, DOI: 10.1649/0010-065x-69.4.824, &lt;a href="http://zenodo.org/record/10114075"&gt;http://zenodo.org/record/10114075&lt;/a&gt

Toxophora Meigen 1803

Genus TOXOPHORA Meigen Toxophora Meigen, 1803: 270. Type species: Toxophora maculata Meigen, 1804, by subsequent monotypy of Meigen, 1804: 273. Hosts: Nests of solitary bees and wasps (Yeates & Greathead 1997). Toxophora aegyptiaca Efflatoun, 1945 Toxophora aegyptiaca Efflatoun, 1945: 187. Type locality: Egypt & Sudan. Distribution: AF: Egypt [as ”Gebel Elba”], Oman, Sudan. PA: Egypt, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabian localities: Riyadh: Wadi Hanifa (Riyadh Gov.). Dates of collection: March.Published as part of El-Hawagry, Magdi S. & Al Dhafer, Hathal M., 2019, The family Bombyliidae in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Diptera: Brachycera: Asiloidea), pp. 59-94 in Zootaxa 4590 (1) on page 63, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4590.1.3, http://zenodo.org/record/265154