Ophion turcomanicus Szépligeti, 1905

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 : 192

Ophion turcomanicus Szépligeti, 1905

Figs 15F‒G

Ophion turcomanicus Szépligeti, 1905: 521 . Lectotype ♀ and paralectotype from Turkmenistan in HMHN, examined.

Ophion asiaticus Kokujev, 1906: 167‒168 . Lectotype ♀ from Iran in ZIN, examined.

Ophion obscuratus var. heratensis Hedwig, 1961:291 . Syn. nov. Holotype ♀ from Afghanistan in SMNK, examined.

Material examined: IRAN: Lectotype ♀ of Ophion asiaticus , Western Iran ( ZIN); 1♀, Teheran Province, Shahriar, Khoshnam , 19‒20 May 1991, Ebra./ Badii leg. ( HMIM); 1♀, Sistan-Baluchstan Province , Khash , Kousheh , 28˚37’38.7"N, 61˚00’56.3"E, 1715 m. a. s., 16‒30 Aug. 2015, 2583 m. 22 Apr. 2012, Afs. / Mogh. / Moj leg. ( HMIM); 1♀, Khorasan Province, Torbat-e-Haydarieh area , Zharf v., 14 May 2007, 1600 m. a. s., A. Klimenko leg. ( MR); 1♀, Khorasan Province, SE part, Q’aen area, Khunik pass, 33˚33’N, 59˚08’E, 2100 m. a. s., 25 May 2009, A. Klimenko leg. ( MR); 1♀, Chaharmahal & Bakhtiari, Kuhrang, Hiregan, 32˚20’N, 50˚26’E, 2305 m. a. s., 6 Jun. 2005, Haj / Ebra leg. ( HMIM); 1♀, W. Azerbaijan Province, Rezaieh, Ghushchi, 9 Jun. 1975, Abai leg. ( HMIM); 1♀ (“obscuratus heratensis” Hedwig 1961), Khorasan Province, Western part, Bojnurd area , Gerivan N, 37˚17’N, 57˚13’E, 12 May 2009, A. Klimenko leg. ( MR) (this specimen has very large ocelli and less prominent pleurosternal angles).

Remarks: Similar to Ophion eremita Kokujev but distinguished by the less numerous flagellomeres (44‒50) (44 and 46 in the studied types of O. turcomanicus , 50 in the type of O. asiaticus ), the often complete, but rather weak carination of propodeum, which usually have at least the anterior and posterior transverse carinae present and the area superomedial discernible. The mandibles, which are often worn, are similar to Ophion slaviceki with an acute angled gap without internal angles and thereby differing from the mandibles of O. eremita , which usually have distinct internal angles in a right-angled gap. On average also smaller than O. eremita . The here studied specimens display a considerable amount of variation which may indicate cryptic species. O. turcomanicus and O. eremita belong to an aggregate of similar and closely related desert and steppe species also including Ophion geyri Habemehl, 1921 and a couple of undescribed species. Of particular interest is a single female in coll. MR with unusually large ocelli and weakly defined pleurosternal angles. This specimen corresponds with the holotype of Ophion obscuratus var. heratensis Hedwig, 1961 housed in the SMNK. It is here treated as a variety of Ophion turcomanicus , but if this form is found to be a valid species, it has to be assigned a new name given the fact that it was described as a variety in 1961.

Figures

FIGURE 15. A–E: Ophion pravinervis Kokujev ♀ (MR). A) Fore wing; B) mesosoma, lateral view; C) scutellum and propodeum dorsal view; D) head, anterior view; E) head, lateral view. F–G: Ophion turcomanicus Szépligeti, ♀ (MR). F) Head, anterior view; G) hind tarsal claws. Photos: Niklas Johansson.