Solierella graeca, Schmid & Arens, 2017

Schmid, Christian & Arens, Werner, 2017, A new species of Solierella SPINOLA, 1851 from Greece (Hymenoptera, Crabronidae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 49 (1), pp. 937-940 : 937-939

Solierella graeca SCHMID- EGGER & ARENS nov.sp.

Holotype: Greece: male 10.vii.2001, Peloponnes, Kotili, Oros Likeo, Gipfelregion / 1100-1400 m (leg. Arens, coll ZSM).

Paratypes: Greece: 2 males 23.vi.2016 Chelmos-Gebirge, Felsweg östl. des Xerokambos / 1500 m ; male 12.vii.2008 Oros Parnon, Ag. Petros, Meg. Tourla 1600-1700 m; male 24.vi.2008 Oros Killini, Ano Trikala, oberhalb EOS-Hütte II/ 1600 -1900 m (all leg. Arens).

D i a g n o s i s: The male is unique by 12 AS and by a black pronotum, in combination with black forefemora and by a shiny propodeal enclosure. Interspaces on mesonotum are as large or somewhat larger than puncture diameter, and hypoepimeral area is punctless and shiny. Another species (male) with 12 AS and black pronotum is A. andradei DE BEAUMONT, 1957 from northwest Africa and Sicily. It can be distinguished by a densely punctured hypoepimeral area and by a large yellow spot on forefemur. Remaining species with 12 AS in males all have pronotum with yellow band.

D e s c r i p t i o n: Holotype male: Body length 3.8 mm. Colour: Black, yellowishbrown are: antenna below (brown above), apical half of mandible, tegulae, wing venation, base and apex of tibia, tarsi. Ivory white are: pronotal lobe, metanotum, spot on hindtibia basally (as long as 0,2x tibial length). Lower face covered with sparse silver pubescence, somewhat denser along inner eye margin. Morphology: Apical clypeal margin with triangular tooth. Frons grainlike sculptured with indistinct punctation. Antenna with 12 AS, last AS as long as previous one. Scutum, scutellum and lower mesopleuron with dense punctation, interspaces shiny, punctures 1-1.5 diameters apart. Propodeal enclosure shiny, with some basal and longitudinal striae, apicially with transverse striae. Hypoepimeral area shiny, laterally with a few punctures.

Variation: Paratypes between 3.2 and 4.0 mm. Two of them are also darker: pronotal lobe black, legs mostly black with brown tarsi, tibiae lacks basal and apical pale spots, white band of metanotum is medially interrupted by narrow black spot.

The female is unknown. H a b i t a t S. graeca nov.sp. is obviously a mountain species on the Peloponnese. All specimens have been found on the ground in alpine meadows or mountain pastures (e.g. Fig. 3 ), in two cases under small conifers.

G e o g r a f i c d i s t r i b u t i o n: Peloponnese in southern Greece.

E t y m o l o g y: The species is named after its origin Greece.

Figures

Fig. 3: Der Fundort von Solierella graeca nov.sp. am Osthang des Chelmos-Gebirges in etwa 1500 m Höhe, östlich und etwas unterhalb des Xerokambos.