Solierella insidiosa de Beaumont, 1964

Schmid-Egger, Christian, Fallahzadeh, Majid & Sadeghi, Maryam, 2021, A review of Solierella Spinola, 1851 (Hymenoptera, Crabronidae) from Iran with description of four new species, Zootaxa 4920 (1), pp. 101-113 : 106-107

Solierella insidiosa de Beaumont, 1964

( Figs 5–6 )

Solierella insidiosa de Beaumont, 1964:59 , ♀, ♂. Holotype: ♂, Syria: Ain Hodra near Damascus (A. Mochi coll.) . Paratypes examined.

Remark. Solierella insidiosa was described from Syria based on a few specimens only. The species is close to S. compedita , and recognition of both species is not easy, because of variation in morphology of both species and in colour pattern in S. insidiosa . The senior author examined several species from a wide range including about 40 specimens from Iran, and the variation is better understood now. Solierella compedita and S. insidosa have a different distribution pattern, but overlap in some regions. Solierella compedita has a clear focus on the temperate areas of the Palearctic region. It is common from southern and southern-central Europe to Central Asia, and rare in north Africa and southwest Asia. Solierella compedita on the other hand has a focus to the region South and East of the Mediterranean area, in southern Iran and Arabia. It reaches Europe only in Greece (Peloponnes, Rhodos), Sardinia and southern Spain.

Recognition. The best recognition character between S. compedita and S. insidiosa in both sexes is the sculpture of propodeal enclosure. It has a distinct and coarse comb-like striation with shiny interspaces in S. compedita , whereas the propodeal enclosure is dull with much finer striation in S. insidiosa . Usually in this species, the propodeal enclosure has some short longitudinal striae in basal third only, and remaining surface is indistinctly transversely striate. However, this character varies in both species. Another helpfull character is colour of legs. Solierella compedita has dark legs with short whitish bands or spots. Usually, fore- and midtibiae only have basal spots, and hindtibia has a band in basal half, which is at most half as long as hindtibia. Femora are always black. In S. insidiosa , usually all tibiae have a long yellow or whitish band, which is at least as long as 2/3 of tibial length. The band can be interrupted medially on foretibia.

Identification of S. insidiosa is impeded by the fact that the femora also have a yellow spot in some specimens. This character was not mentioned in the original description of the species, and is characteristic for other species in this lineage. In the examined specimens from Iran, around 80% of examined specimens have a yellow spot on forefemur apically, which is, in most specimens, as large as one or two ocellar diameters. Similar specimens were also found in Israel and North Africa. In other 5% of females from Iran, the midfemur also has a yellow spot apically on the posterior surface. This leg colouration is similar to that of the female of S. longicornis Pulawski, 1964 , which is not recorded from Iran yet, but from Israel, Arabia and North Africa. Specimens of S. insidiosa from Greece, Turkey and Arabia have all black femora. Atbaei et al. (2015) discussed a colour variety of S. compedita , however most previous records that refer to S. insidiosa actually belong to other described species (see below).

Females of S. lonigicornis differ mainly by shape and structure of the propodeal enclosure, which is more finely sculptured and narrower compared to S. insidiosa . The male of S. lonigicornis can clearly be recognized by the long last antennal segment, which is 5–6× as long as previous one.

Geographic distribution: Greece, Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Iran, North Africa and Canary Islands, Sardinia ( Italy), Spain, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Central Asia (based on material, examined by CSE). New to the fauna of Iran.

Distribution in Iran: East Azerbaijan, Fars, Golestan, Hormozgan and Kerman provinces.

Published Records. All formely identified as S. compedita: Atbaei et al. (2015) : Fars Province, Fasa, 7– 17.I.2013; 30.V.–3.VI.2013; 3–7.VI.2013; 7–12.VI.2013, 9♂♂, 9 ♀♀, leg. S. Azadi; south-east of Kherameh , 10– 19.V.2013; 31.V.–12.VI.2013; 18–25.VI.2013, 8♀♀, leg. E. Izadi; north-west of Kherameh , 10–24.I.2013, 1♂, 3 ♀♀, leg. E. Izadi; south of Khonj , 4–9.III.2013; 15–22.III.2013; 22.III.–6.IV.2013; 17–23.IV.2013; 27.IV–11.V.2013; 18–20.V.2013; 16–20.VI.2013, 9♂♂, 24♀ ♀, leg. M. Atbaei; west of Karmostaj , 5.VI.–6.VII.2013, 1 ♀, leg. A. Falahatpisheh; Sadeghi et al. (2018): Fars: Kherameh (Dodej) (29º34‘23‘‘N, 52º59‘42‘‘E), 21.VIII–3.IX 2015, 1 ♂, 1♀; same data, 29.VI–11.VII.2015, 2♀♀; same data, 14–26.VII.2015, 5♀♀; same data, 7–19VII. 2015, 5♀♀; Estahban (Gordeh) (29º09’53’’N, 53º52’56’’E), 10–21.VII.2015, 1♀; Kazeroon (Zavali) (29º32’53’’N, 51º46’23’’E), 30.VI–19.VII.2016, 8♀♀, 11♂♂, same data, 1–25.VII.2016, 1 ♂, Fallahzadeh et al. (2018): 1♀, Hormozgan: Band e Molla (27º25’N; 57º09’E), 10.V.2013, leg. T.Tavakoli; 1♀, same data, 17.V.2013; 1♂, Hormozgan: Sar Kahnan (27º24’N; 57º07’E), 16.VII.2013, leg. T. Tavakoli; 1♂, same data, 18.VII.2013; 1♂, 2♀♀, same data, 20.V.2013; 4♀♀, same data, 24.VI.2013; 1♂, 7♀♀, same data, 31.V.2013; 4♀♀, same data, 4.VI.2013; 1♂, 1♀, same data, 9.VII.2013. All collected in malaise traps, specimens examined by CSE.

New records. 2♀♀ 2♂♂, 12.6.2010 Golestan prov., 70 km E Minudasht; 5♂♂, 19.6.2010 Azer e Sh. Prov [= East Azerbaijan prov.]., 10 km E Shabestdar [= Shabestar] ( OLL), 1♂, 11.v.2019 Kerman prov., Bam 29.089N, 58.327E (leg et. coll. Liebig) .

Figures

FIGURES 5–8. 5. Solierella insidiosa ♀ from Hungary, propodeum. 6. Solierella insidiosa ♀ from Hungary, dorsolateral view. 7. Solierella kermania ♀ holotype, mesopleuron. 8. Solierella kermania ♀ holotype, dorsolateral view.