Poecilotiphia aramaica, Boni, 2008

Boni, M., 2008, Contribution to the knowledge of the Palaearctic Meriini (Hymenoptera, Tiphiidae, Myzininae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 40 (2), pp. 1367-1397 : 1379-1381

Poecilotiphia aramaica nov.sp.

Holotypus - Syria = / Syria sept. 50 km S of Homs 24.V.1996 leg M. Halada ing./.

Paratypi - Jordan = (1) / Jordan, Northern valley /, OLML. Syria = (4) /Siria Mezzé Damasco VI- XI 1955 leg A. Mochi /, MZUF; (1) / Siria – Mezzè Damasco 16. V.1955 /, MZUF; (3) / Syria 22.5.1996 40 km ne damascus leg. Marek Halada / (2) OLML, (1) MZUF; (186) / Syria sept. 50 km S of Homs 24. V.1996 leg M. Halada ing./, (173) OLML, (13) MZUF; (4) / Syria N ar- Raqqa Mishirfen 4.6.2000 K. Deneš jun leg/, OLML; (10) / Syria cen. Homs Palmyra env. 6.6.2000 K. Deneš jun leg/, (9) OLML, (1) MZUF; (5) / Syria cen Homs al-Muharram env. 7.6.2000 K. Deneš jun leg/, (4) OLML, (1) MZUF .

Paratypus - Syria = (1) / Jordan West Jordan valley S. Shum 25-26.4.96 leg. Marek Halada/, OLML.

Male. Holotype. Figs 74-81 . Measurements (mm): body length = 8.5; forewing length = 5.75.

Black, brown, ferruginous, pale yellow. Brown: dorsal flagellum, scape, tip of mandibles, most of femurs, oblong spot on ventral tibiae, most of the veins (but pterostigma and neighbouring veins which are lighter, basal veins which are pale yellow). Semitransparent apical border of N 1 disk.

Ferruginous: ventral flagellum.

Pale yellow: Basal mandible, large transversal preapical stripe and two large spots fusing with it on the sides of N 1; most of tegula and humeral plate; small dirty spot on the postscutellar area; very small spot on the apex of all the X; apex of femurs, most of tibiae; the whole of tarsi; narrow apical stripe on 1 st Tergum, larger than half the height of the elements on 2 nd to 5 th terga, all of them enlarging forwards on the sides (two lateral brown spots along the back profile of the stripe on 2 nd T); three spots on 6 th T and two small lateral spots on 7 th T, with an additive small one on the left lobe of the epipygium; two small lateral preapical spots on 2 nd and 3 rd Sterna, three on 4 th and 5 th sterna.

Punctuation variable like in the vaste majority of the species of the group and not noteworthy, apart a rough p. settled in semicircular rows on posterior declivitous P. The ventral edge of the clypeal disk is completely opaque and darkened, without any well differentiated median lamella.

Tsa show a distinct median notch and are scarcely prominent and detached upon Ssa. The laminated keel along the fore border of N 1 is black in all the specimens. Posterior declivitous P is distinctly concave. Whitish hair throughout. Flattened modified bristles along apical edge of 2 nd to 6 th sterna and 6 th tergum, on the posterolateral corners of 2 nd to 5 th terga. Wings with slight milky reflections, well detectable under incident light.

V a r i a b i l i t y:Sizefrom 6to10.5mm.Theyellowpatternsarequitevariable:two smaller specimens hve completely black 1 st T and the lighter specimens show spots on clypeal disk, Tsa, Sc 1 and Sc 2 too.

Female. Figs 83-86. Measurements (mm): body length 4.25.

Brown, light brown, ochraceus.

Brown: Frons, vertex, shadows on Sc 1 and Sc 2.

Light brown: the remainder of the head but clypeus, Tsa, antennae, most of mesosoma.

Ochraceous: mandibles, clypeus, legs and metasoma. Veins and pterostigma transparent yellowish on the forewing, colourless on the hindwing. Forewing slightly darkened. Punctuation without noteworthy features. Pam three and Pal two segmented. PoG almost as long as FoO, its area convex.

D i s c u s s i o n: This taxon show some similarity in general habitus to P. collarinata , P. pseudofasciculata and P. parvula too. From the latters it is well known by the less prominent Tsa, which do not form any ledge above clypeus and have a clear notch between them, different ventral edge of the clypeus, different shape of N 1 in dorsal aspect and different aedeagus; from P. parvula alone by the shape of the head and 7 th tergum. P. collarinata differs from it by completely oranged flagellum, semitransparent ventral edge of clypeus, frontal aspect of Tsa (fig. 82) which have also a distinct notch between them but they forms a well prominent and detached ledge upon Ssa, shape of the head in frontal and dorsal aspect, more developed laminated keel on N 1 foreborder, very protruding process on Es 1, absence of horizontal area on P, different volsella. From all of them P. aramaica is known by the different 7 th T and milky reflections of the wings.

The female here ascribed even without conclusive proof is well featured by the shape of

the clypeal disk in frontal aspect, the depression along the fore border of the horizontal P and the wing veins, especially of the hindwing which lacks any closed cell apart CC.

Figures

Figs 74-81: Poecilotiphia aramaica nov.sp. Holotype. (74) head, frontal aspect; (75) head, dorsal aspect; (76) lower frons, anteroventral aspect; (77) pronotum, dorsal aspect; (78) pronotum, lateral aspect; (79) basal metameri, dorsal aspect; (80) 7 th tergum, dorsal aspect; (81) gonostylus and volsella. Fig. 82: Poecilotiphia collarinata Paratype: lower frons, anteroventral aspect. Figs 83-86: Poecilotiphia aramaica nov.sp. Paratype. (83) head, frontal aspect; (84) head dorsal aspect; (85) pronotum and Sc1, dorsal aspect; (86) wings.