New additions to the crabronid fauna of the Arabian Peninsula and Saudi Arabia (Hymenoptera: Apoidea (Spheciformes): Crabronidae), new distribution records and new species.

The present study is based on specimens collected in coffee orchards on the mountains in the Jazan Province (southwestern Saudi Arabia) using Malaise traps. The genera Carinostigmus Tsuneki, 1954, and Polemistus de Saussure, 1892 are first recorded for the Arabian Peninsula, each with a single species. Three new species: Bembecinus similis Gadallah & Edmardash, Crossocerus arabicus Gadallah & Edmardash, and Oxybelus coffeae Edmardash & Gadallah are described and illustrated. The previously unknown female of Nysson ohli (Schmid-Egger 2011) (UAE) is discovered, described and illustrated.

Further addition to the crabronid fauna of Saudi Arabia (Hymenoptera: Apoidea (Spheciformes): Crabronidae), with new genera and species records, and the description of two new species.

The present study is based on specimens collected from the Farasan Archipelago (southwestern Saudi Arabia), and Sala Mountain (Jazan) using Malaise traps. Eleven species in six genera and two subfamilies (Bembicinae, Crabroninae) are recorded. The genera Ammatomus A. Costa (with one species), Solierella Spinola (with two species), and Nysson Latreille (with a new species) are first recorded from Saudi Arabia. Tachysphex nitidior de Beaumont, is also first record from Saudi Arabia. Two new species: Miscophus sauditus Gadallah and Edmardash, and Nysson arabicus Gadallah and Edmardash are described and illustrated. All eleven species are new to the Farasan Archipelago. Diagnostic features, previous records to species already known from Saudi Arabia, and overall distributions are given. Illustrations of the recorded species are also provided.

The genera Philanthus Fabricius, 1790 and Philanthinus de Beaumont, 1949 (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae: Philanthinae) in Egypt, with a new record and the description of a new species.

The digger wasps of the genera Philanthinus de Beaumont and Philanthus Fabricius (Crabronidae: Philanthinae) of Egypt are reviewed. One species in Philanthinus and 10 in Philanthus are recorded. Philanthus ammochrysus is newly recorded for the country, and a new species, Philanthus pulawskii Malash, Edmardash and Gadallah is described. The following species and subspecies are doubtful records: Philanthus sulphureus F. Smith, P. venustus (Rossi), and P. triangulum obliteratum Pic. A key to the Egyptian species of Philanthus is provided. Illustrations to all important characters of species under study are also provided.

Parasitoid wasps (Ichneumonoidea) collected from faba bean fields, Kharga Oasis, New Valley, Egypt, with new records and the description of a new species.

A faunistic inventory of ichneumonoid wasps collected from faba bean fields (Vicia faba L.) in Kharga Oasis, New Valley, Egypt is presented. Fourteen species of Braconidae in 11 genera and five subfamilies (Aphidiinae, Braconinae, Euphorinae, Microgastrinae, and Opiinae); and six ichneumonid species in five genera and three subfamilies (Campopleginae, Diplazontinae, and Ichneumoninae) were collected and identified. Among those, three genera Barichneumon Thomson, and Virgichneumon Heinrich (Ichneumoninae, Ichneumonidae), and Centistes Haliday (Euphorinae, Braconidae), and five species: Cotesia icipe Fernndez & Fiaboe, 2017 (Microgastrinae) (Braconidae), Diadegma trochanteratum (Thomson, 1887), and Sinophorus tibialis Sanborne, 1984 (Campopleginae), Barichneumon bilunulatus (Gravenhorst, 1829), and Virgichneumon callicerus (Gravenhorst, 1820) (Ichneumoninae, Ichneumonidae) are new records to the Egyptian fauna. A new species, Trioxys khargaiensis Gadallah & Edmardash (Aphidiinae: Braconidae) is described and illustrated. A faunistic list comprising diagnostic characters and distribution in the Middle East and North Africa is provided. Illustrations of species characters are also provided.

New species and records of braconid wasps from Farasan Archipelago (Jazan), Saudi Arabia, with notes on Diolcogaster mayae Shestakov.

Two new species of the genus Aleiodes Wesmael, 1838 (Braconidae: Rogadinae) and one new species of Avga Nixon, 1940 (Braconidae: Pambolinae), collected from Farasan Islands, Jazan, south-western part of Saudi Arabia, are described and illustrated: Aleiodes farasanensis Gadallah Edmardash, sp. nov., A. subpallidator Edmardash Gadallah, sp. nov. (Rogadinae), and Avga saudita Gadallah Edmardash, sp. nov. The braconid subfamilies Gnamptodontinae, Hormiinae and Pambolinae are recorded here for the first time for the Arabian Peninsula, as well as the genera Adelius Haliday, 1833 (Cheloninae) and Braconella Szpligeti, 1906 (Braconinae). Coccygidium luteum (Brull, 1846) and the genera, Diolcogaster Ashmead, 1900 (Microgastrinae) and Yelicones Cameron, 1887 (Rogadinae) are new records for Saudi Arabia. The hitherto unknown male of Braconella minor Szpligeti, 1906 (Braconinae) is described for the first time. A new form (form D) of Diolcogaster mayae (Shestakov, 1932) (Braconidae: Microgastrinae) from the Farasan Islands is described, illustrated, and compared with the previous forms collected in Iran and other countries.

First contribution to the doryctine fauna (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Doryctinae) of Farasan Archipelago, Saudi Arabia, with new records and the description of a new species.

The doryctine wasp species (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) of Farasan Archipelago (Saudi Arabia) are studied here for the first time. Six species are reported, of which Mimodoryctes arabicus Edmardash, Gadallah & Soliman is described and illustrated as a new species. Neoheterospilus sp. is most probably a new species but further collecting should be done to obtain the female. Four species are new records for Saudi Arabia as well as for the whole Arabian Peninsula: Dendrosotinus ferrugineus (Marshall, 1888), Hecabalodes anthaxiae Wilkinson, 1929, Mimodoryctes proprius Belokobylskij, 2001, and Rhaconotus (Rhaconotus) carinatus Polaszek, 1994. The newly recorded species are re-described and illustrated.

First record of Hormiini Förster, 1863, and Macrocentrinae Förster, 1863 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) for the fauna of Egypt, with the description of a new species.

The tribe Hormiini Förster, 1863, and subfamily Macrocentrinae Förster, 1863 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) are recorded for the first time for the Egyptian fauna. Hormiini is represented by five species in two genera, Avga Nixon, 1940, with a single new species, A. sinaitica Edmardash Gadallah; and Hormius Nees, 1819  (4 species), H. moniliatus (Nees, 1811), H. propodealis (Belokobylskij, 1989), H. sculpturatus Tobias, 1967, and H. similis Szépligeti, 1896. One species of Macrocentrinae, Macrocentrus collaris (Spinola, 1808) is also reported here. The specimens were collected from different localities of Egypt.

MOSQUITO IDENTIFICATION AND MOLECULAR XENOMONITORING OF LYMPHATIC FILARIASIS IN SELECTED ENDEMIC AREAS IN GIZA AND QUALIOUBIYA GOVERNORATES, EGYPT.

Lymphatic filariasis is a vector-borne health problem that has been focally endemic in Egypt for centuries. The chief vectors of transmission are Culicinae species. Control measures in the form of mass drug administration of DEC citrate treatment have been implemented in Nile delta for almost a decade. This study aimed to identify the prevalent mosquito species in endemic areas in Giza and Qualioubiya governorates and to monitor Wuchereria bancrofti infection by detecting the parasite DNA in collected mosquitoes. Adult mosquitoes were collected using light traps hung indoors. Microscopic examination was performed to identify and examine the morphologic characters of mosquitoes. Female Culex mosquitoes were subjected to semi-nested PCR to detect filarial DNA targeting repetitive DNA sequences (pWbl2 repetitive region) specific for W. bancrofti. The results revealed 3 species of mosquitoes Culex pipiens, Culex pusillus and Culex quinquefasciatus with the predominance of Culex pipiens (85.7%). Wuchereria bancrofti DNA was not detected in any of the collected mosquito pools. With progress of elimination programme in Nile Delta, follow up studies with larger sample size are recommended as the predominance of Culex pipiens the main lymphatic filariasis vector remains a risk of transmission in such areas.

A review of the family Eulophidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) of Egypt, with thirty three new records.

A checklist of Eulophidae (excluding Entiinae) is presented based primarily on a total of 155 specimens collected from 23 localities in Egypt during the period of April 2012 to June 2014, mostly by sweep net. Altogether, 55 species in 22 genera and 3 subfamilies (Entedoninae, Eulophinae and Tetrastichinae) are recorded, of which 6 genera (Dicladocerus Westwood, Euplectrus Westwood, Entedon Dalman, Neotrichoporoides Girault, Sigmophora Rondani and Sympiesis Förster) and 33 species (60%) are newly reported for Egypt. The valid name and world distribution of each species are given; local distributions and host records for species previously recorded from Egypt are also given. Most of the species have a distribution characterized as Palaearctic, Afrotropical, or Indo-Malayan. About 4% are cosmopolitan in distribution.

First record of Stephanidae (Hymenoptera, Stephanoidea) for the fauna of Egypt.

The family Stephanidae (Hymenoptera, Stephanoidea) is recorded for the first time for the Egyptian fauna, with one species, Foenatopus bisignatus Aguiar & Jennings, 2010. A single specimen was collected among Acacia raddiana trees infested with Agrilus roscidus Kiesenwetter (Coleoptera, Buprestidae), which represents a likely new host record.

Eucharitidae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea), a family new to the fauna of Saudi Arabia, with the description of the previously unknown male of Eucharis (Psilogastrellus) affinis Boucek.

The family Eucharitidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) is recorded for the first time for the fauna of Saudi Arabia based on Hydrorhoacaffra (Westwood) and Eucharis (Psilogastrellus) affinis Boucek. The record of Hydrorhoacaffra suggests that Al-Baha and Asir provinces should be considered as part of the Afrotropical rather than the Palaearctic region. The previously unknown male of Eucharisaffinis Boucek is described and figured. Macrophotographs of the species are provided.

A review of the family Eucharitidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) of Egypt.

The species of Eucharitidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) of Egypt are reviewed. Three species of Eucharis Westwood are reported, Eucharis (Eucharisca) bytinskisalzi Boucek, E. (Psilogastrellus) cuprea (Blanchard) and E. (Psilogastrellus) punctata F6rster. Primary type material of E. bytinskisalzi and E. cuprea is illustrated through macrophotography and a key to separate the three species is provided. Eucharis bytinskisalzi is listed as a new record for the Egyptian fauna.

The subfamily Cheloninae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) from Egypt, with the description of two new species.

A key to the chelonine species (Braconidae) (both recorded and recently collected) from Egypt is given. It includes 16 species, of which five species are new to the Egyptian fauna and two (Phanerotoma (Phanerotoma) elbaiensissp. n. and Phanerotoma (Bracotritoma) pontisp. n.) are new for science. A faunistic list and the description for the two new species are added.