Apterogyna mlokosevitzii Radoszkowski, 1879

Mokrousov, M. V. & Lelej, A. S., 2016, To The Taxonomy And Behavior Of Apterogyna Mlokosevitzii Radoszkowski, 1879 (Hymeno- Ptera: Bradynobaenidae), Far Eastern Entomologist 324, pp. 17-21 : 17-20

Apterogyna mlokosevitzii Radoszkowski, 1879

Apterogyna Mlokosevitzii Radoszkowski, 1879: 151 , ♀, ♂. Lectotype (designated here): ♂, Azerbaijan, Baku [ZISP].

Apterogyna nigra Dover, 1924: 255 . Holotype: ♂, Pakistan, Quetta [Natural History Museum, London, Great Britain]. Synonymized with Apterogyna mlokosevitzii by Pagliano, 2002: 81.

Apterogyna volgensis Panfilov, 1954: 149 . Holotype: ♀, Russia, Stalingrad [now Volgograd] [ZMMU], syn. n. Lelej, 1978: 71; Panfilov, 2001: 156; Andreev, 2004: 153; Prisyazhnyuk et al., 2008: 244; Pirogovskij, 2014: 189; Grebennikov, 2015: 173.

Apterogyna mlokosewitzi (!): Radoszkowski, 1885: 42; André, 1899: 75, 86; Dover, 1924: 256; Invrea, 1951: 151, 153, 170; 1953: 271; 1962: 132; Pagliano, 2002: 81; Standfuss & Standfuss, 2003: 281. Incorrect subsequent spelling.

Apterogyna mlokosevitzi (!): Morawitz F., 1894: 327. Incorrect subsequent spelling.

Apterogyna mlokosiewitzi (!): Bischoff, 1920: 40; Skorikov, 1935: 283; Panfilov, 1954: 148. Incorrect subsequent spelling.

Apterogyna dorsostriata: Skorikov, 1935: 283 .

Icalantica mlokosewitzi (!): Argaman, 1994: 48 (new combination); Komarov, 2004: 45.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. Type material. Lectotype of Apterogyna mlokosevitzii (designated here), ♂, "Bacu [=Azerbaidjan, Baku] // к. Ф. Моравица // Apterogyna Mlokassewiczi Radoszk. Typ. [handwritten by F. Morawitz] // A. dorsostriata det. Skor. // Apterogyna mlokosiewitzi Rad D. Panfilov det. 1952 // Lectotype Apterogyna mlokosevitzii Rad. design. Mokrousov et Lelej 2016 // Apterogyna mlokosevitzii Rad. Mokrousov det., 2016". Holotype of A. volgensis , ♀, Stalingrad (now Volgograd), Gornaja Poliana, 11.VIII 1951 (L. Zhiltsova) [ ZMMU]. Other material. Armenia: 4♀, 19♂ (Arax valley, Vagharshapat [= Etchmiadzin], Sevan [= Helenovka], Arzakan, Shatin, Yerevan [= Erevan], Mountains of Armenia ) [ ZISP] . Azerbaidjan: 3♀ (Tazakend, Ordubad, Bank vill.) [ ZISP]. Georgia: 1♀ (Kakheti Prov., David Gareji monastery) [ MC] . Russia: 19♀, 3♂ (Astrakhan Prov.: 13 km S Liman, B. Bogdo mount.; Dagestan, 9 km SSE Kochubey; Kalmykia: 20 km E Khulhuta, 3 km SE Idjil, 3 km S Tsagan-Nur, 4 km NE Yashkul’, 22 km E Yashkul’; Volgograd Prov.: 2 km W Peskovatka ) [ MC, ZMMU] ; Tadjikistan: 3♀ (near Khorugh [= Khorog], Panj [= Baumanabad, = Sarai-Kamar ]) [ ZISP] . Turkmenistan: 12♀, 6♂ (Ashgabat [= Ashkhabad], 25 km SE Ashgabat, Firjuza, Gyaurs, 15 km S Isgender [= Iskander], Chikishlyar [= Tschikischljar], Esenguly [=Gasan- Kuli], Garrygala [= Kara-Kala, = Makhtumkuli], Turkmenbashi [= Krasnovodsk], Yarty-Kala, 180 km S Merv, Yoloten [= Iolotan]) [ ZISP] . Uzbekistan: 2♀, 2♂ (Kagan, Karshi, near Kattakurgan [= Kumak ]) [ MC, ZISP] .

DISTRIBUTION. Russia (Volgograd Prov., Astrakhan Prov., Kalmykia, Dagestan), Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan,? Pakistan.

REMARKS. The syntypes of Apterogyna mlokosevitzii include at least two females and two males, because body length in description 7–9 mm for female and 10–12 mm for male which are originated from Caucasus ( Radoszkowski, 1879). One male (syntype) is deposited in ZISP and designated here as lectotype. The previous designation of lectotype (as holotype) by G. Pagliano (2002: 81) is invalid according to Article 74.7 of ICZN (1999). G. Pagliano has not examined the syntypes of A. mlokosevitzii and regarded the specimen from Khodzhakala or Chikishlyar ( Turkmenistan) collected by I. Pomeranzev ( Morawitz, 1894) [after 1880, later than description of A. mlokosevitzii ] as holotype.

Quite possible that another paralectotypes of A. mlokosevitzii are deposited in the Museum für Naturkunde der Humboldt-Universität, Berlin, Germany where the part of O.I. Radoszkowski collection was stored .

The female of Apterogyna volgensis Panfilov, 1954 differs from that of A. mlokosevitzii by denser pubescence and broader mesosoma ( Panfilov, 1954). These characters are the part of variability A. mlokosevitzii . Thus, A. volgensis Panfilov, 1954 is a new junior subjective synonym of A. mlokosevitzii Radoszkowski, 1879 .

BIOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR. The hosts of Bradynobaenidae still unknown. The information about the bradynobaenid species which was ectoparasitoid of Solifugae (Arachnida) and pupation within the shelter of the host in North America (Goulet, Huber, 1993) is quite debatable. Indeed the distribution of Solifugae and Bradynobaenidae very similar in both the New and Old World.

For the checking of host relations between Solifugae and Apterogyna species the experiment was made. One specimen of solifuge Galeodes araneoides (Pallas, 1772) (Galeodidae) was collected in Volgograd Province and placed in the terrarium where solifuge prepared burrow. Somewhat later in the opposite corner of terrarium the aptrerogyne female (collected in Volgograd Province) was placed also. After a while, aptrerogyne began to explore new territory, demonstrating behavior similar to hunting. During experiment aptrerogyne does not respond to solifuge in burrows, not trying to go inside the burrows. In some cases, aptrerogynes were eaten by solifuge. The experiment was repeated several times with different sizes of solifuges, but without positive result.

Observations of the behavior of A. mlokosevitzii in nature was carried out in 2012–2015. Apterogyne are most often found in well warmed sites with heavy clay soil (edges of dirt roads, slopes of hills and ravines). Rarely apterogyns were registered on sandy soils. In some localities, A. mlokosevitzii is common species, especially in the second half of the summer and autumn.

The apterogyn females are active in daylight hours, and contrary to the velvet ants ( Mutillidae ), they are rare in the evening time before sunset. Females are quickly running on the soil keeping the metasoma stop and dig the soil,

in vertical position. From time to time they usually in places with no visible burrows. Occasionally they down metasoma and carry it on the ground making a belly oscillatory motion. Finding burrows and cracks in the ground, apterogyne only briefly run into them, quickly crawl back to the surface and continue to survey. Double cases were noted when apterogyne long examined cow feces and went deep into the kaprophagous trenches. In these cases, females were lost and it was impossible them to dig out.

Based on our experiments and observations in nature we propose the hypotheses, that most likely the hosts of Apterogyna is scarabaeid larvae likely to the biology of related Scoliidae and Tiphiidae . One specimen of A. mlokosevitzii was collected by P. A. Petrischeva (Yoloten, Turkmenistan) in the nest of rodents.

The males visited the flowers Alhagi pseudalhagi (Fabaceae) .