Mayridia formosula Mercet, 1921

Razmi, Mehdi, Karimpour, Younes & Lotfalizadeh, Hossein, 2025, Bushgrass, Calamagrostis epigejos (Poaceae), a natural pool of chalcidoid wasps (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) in Iran, Zootaxa 5696 (2), pp. 151-204 : 163-165

Mayridia formosula Mercet, 1921

Figs 9 , 10

Material examined. 11 ♀♀,, 11 ♂♂: IRAN, West-Azarbaijan Province , Naqadeh, Solduz Wetland, 37º02′ N, 45º35′ E, 1277 m a.s.l., 21 July 2020, 29 April 2021, Y. Karimpour leg., ex Calamagrostis epigejos .

Diagnosis (abstracted from Mercet 1921). Female ( Fig. 9B ): head ochraceous, contrasting with a metallic green mesoscutum and scutellum, with axillae bluish, and gaster violaceous-cuprous with metallic margins ( Fig. 9B ); antenna ochraceous, with scape as long as the first three funicular segments combined; clava equal in length to the preceding three segments; fore wings with two transverse fuscous regions, apical one lighter toward margin and tending to merge with basal region ( Figs 9B , 10E ); mesoscutum shagreened-reticulate, scutellum reticulatesquamose with longitudinal meshes laterally, metathorax nearly smooth ( Fig. 10A–C ); mesotibial spur almost as long as metatarsus.

Females differ from those of the closely related M. pulchra Mercet, 1921 by head coloration, very fine shagreening of the frons without coarse punctures ( Fig. 10D,F ), scarcely darkened apical wing margin, and specific antennal proportions.

Male ( Fig. 9A ): resembles the female in overall coloration but differs by having a predominantly metallic green head, a lighter acropleuron, and a paler gaster; wings hyaline to slightly infuscate without distinct fuscous markings ( Fig. 9A ); antennal proportions diagnostic: scape compressed and shorter than Fu 1; pedicel nearly as long as broad; funicle with Fu 1 the longest, longer than Fu 2, Fu 2 and Fu 3 as well as Fu 4 and Fu 5 equal in length, and Fu 6 the smallest; clava thick, slightly shorter than the two preceding segments combined ( Fig. 9B ).

Distribution. IRAN: West Azarbaijan Province ( Salimi et al. 2025). EXTRALIMITAL: Europe, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Transcaucasia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan ( UCD Community 2023).

Biological association. This species has been documented as a parasitoid of Trionymus aberrans Goux, 1938 ( Hemiptera : Pseudococcidae ) in association with the Poaceae family ( UCD Community, 2023). The concurrent presence of mealybugs and their natural predators on Calamagrostis specimens during field sampling, combined with documented biological associations of this species in the scientific literature, supports previous researchers’ findings concerning its host relationships.

Figures

FIGURE 9. Mayridia formosula Mercet. A. Male in lateral habitus. B. Female in lateral habitus. C. Male antennae. D. Female antennae.

FIGURE 10. Mayridia formosula Mercet. A. Female in dorsal habitus. B. Female mesosoma and metasoma in lateral view. C. Female head and mesosoma in dorsal view. D. Female head in dorsal view. E. Female fore wing. F. Female head in frontal view. G. Female fore wing venation. H. Male head in frontal view.