Pareumenes (Pareumenes) arabicus Giordani Soika, 1981

Pareumenes (Pareumenes) arabicus Giordani Soika, 1981 , stat. nov.

( Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 )

Pareumenes sansibaricus arabicus Giordani Soika, 1981: 116 View in CoL , ♀ —“ Dhofar: 700 m., Ayun Pools ” (NHMUK).

Diagnosis. Placed in the subgenus Pareumenes due to the lateral carina of propodeum forming a sharp triangular lobe, the propodeal valvula forming a long lobe strongly exceeding the apex of the propodeum, and the elongate and petiolate T1 with a basal angle, it is recognized from the other species of the subgenus by the mostly impunctate and velvety body, the narrow and deep apical emargination of clypeus, the largely smooth posterior depression of propodeum, the thin and not flattened lobes of the lateral carina of propodeum, the more elongate T1 (2.3–2.6× as long as apically wide) with a deep pit near the posterior end, the decolorate and lamellar apical margin of T1, the strongly reflexed apical margin of T2 forming a translucent lamella, and the white but barely silvery pubescence.

Material examined. HOLOTYPE OF PAREUMENES SANSIBARICUS ARABICUS : ♀ labeled “HOLOTYPE [circular label with red border] // DHOFAR 700 m. / Ayun Pools / 10.10.1977 / K.Guichard // HOLO / PARATYPUS [PARA cancelled with pen] / P. sansibaricus / arabicus / A. Giordani Soika [red label] // B.M. TYPE / HYM / 18.1244 // [QR code] / NHMUK015610164 ” ( NHMUK). OMAN: Dhofar, 5 km N Aydam , R 45, 820 m, 6.X.2021, leg. M. Halada, 1♂ ( CSE).

Distribution. Oman, Yemen? ( Giordani Soika 1981; Guichard 1986; Gusenleitner 2013) ( Fig. 13H View FIGURE 13 ).

Notes. Gusenleitner (2013) reports the species as occurring in Yemen but not in Oman, where it was recorded by Giordani Soika (1981) and Guichard (1986). Probably Gusenleitner meant Oman instead of Yemen, although the presence in Yemen is plausible.

Giordani Soika (1944, 1979, 1981) used a broad concept of Pareumenes sansibaricus and divided this species into six subspecies differentiated only by pattern. Examination of a pair of P. sansibaricus arabicus , including the female holotype, however revealed further differences from the nominotypical subspecies: apical emargination of clypeus narrower and deeper with acute lateral teeth, apical margin of T2 reflexed and forming a yellowish translucent lamella, pubescence of head and mesosoma white but not metallic. Given the morphological and chromatic differences and the geographical isolation of P. sansibaricus arabicus in the Arabian Peninsula, this taxon is elevated to the species-rank.