Brachystegus samadashanensis Al-Jahdhami & Schmid-Egger 2025, sp. nov.

Brachystegus samadashanensis Al-Jahdhami & Schmid-Egger sp. nov. (Figs 8–11, 33) Holotype: OMAN ♀ 25.vi.2018, Al Mudhaibi, Samad Ashan, Aswareg 22.82 N, 58.15 E. leg. AJ (ZMHU). Paratypes. 2♀ same data as holotype, leg. AJ (AJ / CSE); 1 ♂ collected on 16.vii.2020, same location as holotype leg AJ (AJ). Diagnosis: Brachystegus samadashanensis is characterized by a transverse carina of the clypeus, by a black antenna (apex of male antenna red), by yellow spots on the pronotum and the foreleg, and by tergal yellow spots, widely separated from each other. T 5–6 in females and T 6–7 in males are black. Another Palearctic species with a black antenna and yellow spots on the pronotum is B. scalaris Illiger, 1807 from Europe and western Asia. It differs by an all red foreleg and by a yellow spot on the scutellum. The appressed silver pubescence of the head and mesosoma is denser in B. samadashanensis than in B. scalaris. Brachystegus schneideri, also described from nothern Oman, is another similar species. It is larger on average (see description) and has a red antenna and a mostly red pronotum. The male (the female is unknown) differs also from Brachystegus samadashanensis by continuous or shortly interrupted yellow bands on T 2–6. Description of female holotype: Body length: 8.5 mm. Color: All black, apical half of mandible, tegula, wing base and legs reddish, apex of mandible dark red, coxa black except apex, forefemur on outer surface in apical half and entire foretibia with yellow spot/band. First AS dark red. Pronotum laterally with yellow spot. T 1–4 with large lateral spots, black space inbetween as wide or wider than spots. Face and mesosoma covered with dense silver pubescence. Morphology: Clypeus in apical forth with conspicuous edge, area under edge at right angle to basal clypeus surface, somewhat longer than diameter of lateral ocellus. ACM medially truncate. Lower face with prominent median keel. Sculpture of face and mesosoma comb-like, hidden under pubescence. Metanotum with cross-carina. T1 with dense medium-sized punctures, interspaces shiny, remaining terga with grainlike dense fine punctation. T6 with some rugae. Description of male: Body length: 8.0 mm. Agreeing in general aspects with female and in morphology also with B. schneideri. Antennal apex red, antenna below somewhat reddish, black above. Cross-carina of clypeus hidden under long silver pilosity, difficult to recognize. Spots on T5 small, black space inbetween 2.5 × as wide as spot diameter. T6–7 black, T7 with narrow lateral tooth, and wide medial tooth, apically rounded, nearly truncate. Distribution: Northern Oman (Fig. 33). Etymology: The species is named after its collecting locality, Samad Ashan, a town in Northern Oman. Remark: The type locality is placed south of the Alhajer (=Al Hajar) mountain in the gravel desert, whereas all collecting places of the similar B. schneideri are located north of the Alhajer mountain on the coastal plain, partly with sandy places. This indicates that the two species have different ecological requirements and explains why they occur so close together geographically.