The genus Macroocula Panfilov in Egypt is reviewed. Seven species were previously recorded from Egypt: M. magna (Invrea, 1965), M. mahunkai Argaman, 1994, M. morawitzi (Radoszkowski, 1888), M. nigriventris (Invrea, 1960), M. nitida (Bischoff, 1920), M. savignyi (Klug, 1829) and M. sinaica (Invrea, 1963). Macroocula brothersi Gadallah & Soliman, sp. nov. (Egypt, Wadi Shab, Red Sea) and M. salehi Gadallah & Soliman, sp. nov. (Egypt, Wadi Shaghab, Aswan) are described and illustrated. The subspecies M. nitida nitida (Bischoff, 1920) and M. nitida patrizii (Invrea, 1932) are raised to species level. An illustrated key and a faunistic list of Macroocula species are given.
The subgenus Eutricharaea Thomson of the genus Megachile Latreille (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) in Egypt is revised. Fifteen species are recognized, of which two are new: Megachile laniventris Praz sp. nov. and M. rufomandibularis Praz sp. nov. In addition, three unclear taxa known from few specimens in one sex are documented to facilitate future work. The following new synonymies are proposed: M. microxantha Cockerell 1937, M. privigna Rebmann 1968, and M. submucida Alfken 1926 are synonymized with M. leucostoma Pérez 1907 (syn. nov.); M. blanda Rebmann 1968 with M. walkeri Dalla Torre 1896 (syn. nov.); M. uniformis Alfken 1934 (not M. uniformis Mitchell 1929) and the replacement name M. minutuloides Alfken 1936 with M. minutissima Radoszkowski 1876 (syn. nov.); and M. tkalcui Zanden 1996 with M. rugipuncta Alfken 1934 (syn. nov.). Lectotypes are designated for M. soikai Benoist 1961, M. rugipuncta, M. tenuistriga Alfken 1938, M. niveascopa Ferton 1908, and M. naevia Kohl 1906. The previously unknown males of M. impressipuncta Alfken 1934 and M. rugipuncta, as well as the undescribed female of M. soikai are described. Illustrated keys for both males and females are provided and DNA barcodes are published for most species.
Cuticular hydrocarbons are present on the surface of all insects and play an important role in the life of insects. Although primarily anti-desiccation agents, cuticular hydrocarbons are emerging as important chemicals in insect communication. Using Cuticular hydrocarbons of insect cuticles is important in taxonomy because they have a wide variety of chemical compounds e.g.; hydrocarbons, monoester waxes, triglycerides, and free fatty acids. So cuticular chemical components are a precise tool for chemotaxonomy, and they can be used as an accompaniment to morphology and genetic characters in phylogenetic studies. Solitary bees (leaf-cutting ) of Anthidium Fabricius, 1804 are economically important in natural and agroecosystems and play an important role in pollinating many domesticated and wild plant species. This study aimed to describe the cuticular chemical profile of males of two species of the genus Anthidium to be applied as a chemotaxonomic tool. The investigation used gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Investigated specie revealed 40 compounds in total, with nine compounds in common. The chemical diversity was higher in, A. tessellatum (30 compounds) while, in A. pulchellum (19 compounds). Males of A. tessellatum were distinguished by twenty-one exclusive compounds, and males of A. pulchellum were characterized by ten compounds. Most abundant compounds and that represented by scarce quantity were recorded for each species.
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