Belomicrus rasmonti Schmid, 2021, nov.sp.
Creators: name: Schmid, Christian
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Crabronidae
Belomicrus
Belomicrus rasmonti

description: Belomicrus rasmonti SCHMID- EGGER nov.sp. (figs 7, 14)   
H o l o t y p e: Morocco: 1♀ CS, Oueled Sghir 32.8226N 7.6221E 450 m 29-301. v.2019 Blue pan trap (leg A. Sentil, coll ZSM).  
 D i a g n o s i s: B. rasmonti nov.sp. is characterized by shape of the squamae. It forms a semi-circle with small triangular emargination apically (fig. 7). The species is very similar to B. italicus A. COSTA, 1867 from southern Europe and temperate Asia, and represents without doubt a close related relative. Both species differ by shape of squamae. In B. rasmonti nov.sp. is it longer, appr. 1.5x as long as wide, and the lateral margin is distinctly bent upwards (fig. 7), and in B. italicus 2.6x as wide as long, with a nearly flat lateral margin (fig. 5). Also punctation of scutellum is dense and somewhat coarse in B. rasmonti nov.sp. and with large shiny interspaces in B. italicus. Lateral interspaces are somewhat larger than puncture diameter. Remaining punctation of face and mesosoma is also somewhat denser with dull interspaces, compared to B. italicus with a more sparse punctation and shiny interspaces. The characters of B. italicus base on a female from Sicily (Italy).   
D e s c r i p t i o n o f f e m a l e h o l o t y p e: Body length 4.5 mm. Colour: black, with the following parts reddish-yellowish: basal half of mandible (base whitish, apex black), scape (with black band above), flagellomeres (dorsally somewhat darker), pronotal lobe (whitish instead of reddish), apico-lateral margin of squamae, apex of femora, tibiae and tarsi (with dark band on mid- and hindtibia ventrally, apical margin of tergites I-V, tergite VI and sternite VI completey. Tegula and basal sclerite of fore wing transparent, brown, basal veins of forewing reddish, remaining veins brown. Wings transparent. Morphology: Ventral mandibular margin straight. Clypeus with inverse Tshaped raising, apical margin straight. Gena below near mandibular socket and frons above scape shiny, remaining gena, vertex and mesopleuron with dense and somewhat coarse punctation, dull. Frons, mesoscutum and scutellum with larger and shiny interspaces, punctures in average larger than on gena and on mesopleuron. AS 2-11 somewhat shorter than wide, AS 12 2.0x as long as basally wide. OOL = 1.5x ocellar diameter, between lateral ocellus and eye with orbital foveae. Vertex large, distance between hindocellus and hindmargin of vertex as long as length of scape. Pronotal collar with indistinct medial impression. Mesopleuron below and mesosternum without carinae, mesopleuron in front of midcoxa with shiny triangluar lamella. Squamae apically with small triangular emargination, with obtuse angle, medially with longitudinal carina, lateral margin bent upwards. Mucro apically widened, apex appr. as large as midocellar diameter (fig. 7). Propodeum dull, with fine reticulation and some diagnonal striae. Tergites I-V dull, finely and densely punctured, punctures half in size compared to punctures of mesosoma. Tergite VI shiny with large punctation. All tergites laterally with keel in whole length. Sternites with indistinct and fine punctation, shiny. Lower half of face covered with short silver pubescence apart from clypeus, remaining body with sparse pubescence. Foremetatarsus with 4 pale spines, apical spine as long as tarsal diameter, remaining spines somewhat shorter.  
The male is unknown.  
G e o g r a f i c d i s t r i b u t i o n: Western Morocco, Settat province.  
E t y m o l o g y: The species is named in honour to Prof. Dr. Pierre Rasmont from Mons University in Belgium, a leading expert for bumblebees and other bee genera, and entomological expert of the ICARDA project.
description: Published as part of Schmid, Christian, 2021, Four new species of Belomicrus A. COSTA, 1867 (Hymenoptera, Crabronidae) from Morocco and Southern Spain, pp. 1257-1266 in Linzer biologische Beiträge 52 (2) on pages 1264-1265, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5038972