Enicospilus cruciator Viktorov, 1957

Johansson, Niklas, Ameri, Ali, Riedel, Matthias, Talebi, Ali Asghar & Ebrahimi, Ebrahim, 2021, Contribution to the Ophioninae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) of Iran with the description of 16 new species and an illustrated key to the Eremotylus of the Western Palaearctic, Zootaxa 5023 (2), pp. 151-206 : 159-160

Enicospilus cruciator Viktorov, 1957

Enicospilus cruciator Viktorov, 1957: 205 . Lectotype ♂ and paralectotype ♀ from Russia in ZIN, examined.

Enicospilus tarsalis Hedwig, 1957: 105 syn. nov. Holotype ♂ from Iran in SMNS, examined.

Material examined: IRAN: Holotype ♂, Belutschistan, Iranshar, 800 m, 10. bis 21. Jul. 1954. Richer & Schäuffele leg. ( SMNS); 3♀♀, 1♂, Hormozgan province, Minab, Raveng, 27˚4’37.36"N, 57˚10’22.09"E, 34 m. a. s., 4 May 2016, Afsari/ Mozh. leg. ( HMIM); 1♂, 1♀, East Azerbaijan Province, Tabriz, 38˚5’52.80"N, 46˚13’24.68"E, 10 Sep. 2015, 1314 m. a. s., Malaise trap, Pirooz leg. ( HMIM); 2♀♀, 1♂, Sistan-Baluchstan Province, khash, Kousheh, 28˚37’38.7"N, 61˚00’56.3"E, 1715 m. a. s., Agu. 16–30, 2015, 2583 m. 22 Apr. 2012, Afs./ Mogh./ Moj leg. ( HMIM); 1♀, Zanjan Province, Khorramdarreh, Hidaj, 29 Jul. 1992, 1750 m. a. s., Parch./ Badii leg. ( HMIM); 2♀♀, 1♂, Zanjan Province and abad, 47˚59’21.87"E, 36˚48’27.73"N, 24 Jun. 2019, Sweepnet, A. Amiri leg. ( HMIM); 1♂, 2♀♀, Khorasan Province, Shomali-Ghuchan-Chakane, dga/Pahne, 1780 m. a. s., 11–12 Jun. 2009, Mof. leg. ( HMIM); 1♀, Golestan Province, Damghan-Sari Rd., Kiassar, 23 Jun. 2000, 1600 m. a. s., Mof./Deuve/ Bar. leg. ( HMIM); 2♀♀, East Azerbaijan Province, Mianeh, Bozghush, 29–30 Jul. 1992, 2250 m. a. s., Parch./ Badii leg. ( HMIM); 1♀, Gilan Province, Lowshan, Bivarzin, 27–28 May 1997, 900 m. a. s., Safz./Badii/ Naz.V. leg. ( HMIM); 1♂, 6♀♀, Golestan Province, 70 km E. Minudasht, 37˚26"E, 55˚99"N, 1050 m. a. s., 12 Jun. 2010, Mi. Halada leg. ( OÖLM); 1♂, Esfahan, Qohrud mts , Zefre, 2700 m. a. s., 18 Jun 1999, V. Major leg. ( OÖLM); 1♂, Khorasan Province, 10 km W. Raz, Koppe Dag, 37˚54"N, 56˚55"E, 1200 m. a. s., 18 Jun. 1999, Mi. Halada leg. ( OÖLM). 1♂, Mazandaran Province, 15 km. S. Alamdeh, 36˚26"N, 51˚54"E, 530 m. a. s., 7 Jun. 2014, J. Halada leg. ( OÖLM).

Remarks: Enicospilus cruciator is closely related and similiar to Enicospilus merdarius (Gravenhorst, 1829) , but distinguished by the wider face in anterior view, the more buccate temples and the distinct gap between the lateral ocelli and the inner margin of the compound eye. A common and widespread species in Iran. Horstmann (1981, p. 74) synonymized Enicospilus tarsalis (Hedwig, 1958) with E. ahngeri Kokujev. The first author has studied the type in SMNS and it is not conspecific with E. ahngeri , but a male of the species commonly known as Enicospilus cruciator Viktorov, 1957 . As both E. tarsalis and E. cruciator were published the same year, 1957, this raises the question of priority. Research shows that Enicospilus tarsalis was published in June of 1957 (Martin Heklau, SMNS pers. comm.) while the journal issue in which E. cruciator was described was registered in the ZIN-library 8 april 1957 (Andrey Khalaim, ZIN pers. comm.). Therefore Enicospilus tarsalis Hedwig, 1957 is removed from synonymy with E. ahngeri and instead to be regarded as a junior synonym of E. cruciator Viktorov. The males of E. ahngeri and E. cruciator are similar, especially in the southern parts of the Western Palaearctic where E. cruciator usually have extensive pale yellow markings on the mesosoma, but E. ahngeri is distinguished by the completely absent central sclerite (transparent but evident in E. cruciator ) and the larger punctures on the mesosternum.