Bembecinus similis, GADALLAH & EDMARDASH, 2024

Bembecinus bytinskii DE BEAUMONT, 1954 View in CoL (= Bembecinus similis syn. nov.)

Bembecinus bytinskii DE BEAUMONT, 1954: 255 View in CoL . ♀ ♁. Holotype: ♁, Israel: Naharia (Tel Aviv). Bembecinus similis GADALLAH & EDMARDASH, 2024: 550 View Cited Treatment , ♀. Saudi Arabia: Jazan Province: Fifa

Mountain (Efflatoun Bey collection, Kairo). Syn. nov.

R e m a r k: GADALLAH et al. (2024) described a new Bembecinus species by a single female from southern Saudi Arabia. Based on the detailed description and the attached photos, however, it can be recognized that the specimen belongs to B. bytinskii . This species is very widespread on the Arabian Peninsula and common in some places and variable in color, and the holotype of B. similis represents a dark form of it but not a valid species in my opinion. Bembecinus bytinskii belongs to the B. tridens species group sensu SCHMID- EGGER (2004).

I could also examine a female of B. bytinskii from the type area of B. similis , the Jazan Province in Saudi Arabia. It has the same tendency towards reduced yellow coloration as both specimens shown in GADALLAH et. al (2024), a "typical" female of B. bytinskii from Jazan and the type specimen of B. similis , The following differences to females from Oman and the United Arab Emirates become apparent: clypeus with a black spot in the middle in all three females from Jazan province (always completely yellow in all other examined females), band on T1 medially narrowed, almost or completely interrupted (much thicker and continuous), yellow coloration on the mesonotum restricted to the lower lateral corner only, spots on the scutellum and metanotum restricted or absent (there always with lateral spots, or band).

Therefore, this form of B. bytinskii differs undoubtedly in the coloration of the species living further north and east (but all females from Jazan, not only the holotype of B. similis ). However, in my opinion, the characteristics do not justify its classification as a valid species. This is because there are no morphological characters in the females that would be necessary for differentiation, and color variation is a common phenomenon in Bembecinus species. The described deviation at AS 12 cannot be understood from the illustrations. It looks more like an artifact. Males, which are much richer in characters, were not described. Bembecinus similis is therefore synonymized here with B. bytinskii .