Eumerus longitarsis Peck, 1979

Figs 3H, 5C, 6H, 8C, 14 E–F, 15G–H

Diagnosis

Eyes pilose (Figs 14 E–F, 15H), about 1 ommatidium spaced in males (Fig. 15G); ocellar triangle isosceles; scutum and scutellum shiny metallic, weakly pollinose (Fig. 3H), covered with white pile (Figs 6H, 8C); legs predominantly black; metaleg extremely long and slender; metatibia as long as metafemur; metatarsus distinctly longer than metatibia; abdomen black (Fig. 5C).

Material examined

Paratype

TADJIKISTAN • ♂; “Tadji., Gissar Mt. / us. Takob / Tien Shan h = 1700 m / Peck 23.VII.1976 // Paratypus ♂ / Eumerus / longitarsis Peck [red label]”; ZISP .

Other material

IRAN • 2 ♂♂; “IRAN: Markazi prov., Haftad / Qolleh Protected Area, / Chekab Valley, 2219 m, / 34°07′0.5″N, 050°16′25.3″E, / Malaise trap, 30 May–3 June / 2017, E. Gilasian & M. / Parchami-Araghi // Eumerus longitarsis / Peck, 1979”; HMIM • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; JSA • 1 ♀; “S Iran / Mian Jangal / 30.5– 5.6.1973 // Loc. no. 223 / Exp. Nat. Mus. / Praha”; JSA .

Distribution

Central Asia (Peck 1988; Grković 2019a). New record from Iran.

Remarks

The pile colour of the face varies among the three males collected from the same locality (Haftad-Qolleh Protected Area), of which two have black and one has white pile on the face. The genitalic characters of the three differ to some extent and fail to correspond with the colour of facial pile for a certain definition of the species. We have currently concluded that the differences in the colour of the facial pile likely resulted from intraspecific variations and decided to treat them as members of E. longitarsis . Further collecting from this area has been planned to study the range of the variations in the populations to see whether or not they are identical species.