Meria arabica (GUÉRIN 1837), Gorbatovsky

Boni, M., 2008, Contribution to the knowledge of the Palaearctic Meriini (Hymenoptera, Tiphiidae, Myzininae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 40 (2), pp. 1367-1397 : 1369-1370

Meria arabica (GUÉRIN 1837)

Myzine arabica GUÉRIN 1837: 577 , n.10,. Lectotypus: /Arabie Olivier /, MHNP!, established by GORBATOVSKY 1981.

Meria thoracica GUÉRIN 1839 Lectotypus (here designated in order to ensure the name’s proper and consistent use): /Museum Paris Arabie Olivier / / Tachus. arabic./ / Meria thoracica Guer. Voy. Coq. et mag. zool. IX / (autographic?) / Lectotypus Meria thoracica Guérin design. Gorbatovsky 1988/ / Meria arabica (Guér.) Gorbatovsky det. 1988 /, MHNP. Figs 35-37. Syn. nov.

Meria arabica - BONI BARTALUCCI (2001: 10-12, figs 35-45,).

Meria arabica - BONI BARTALUCCI (2004: 384-385, fig. 63, only).

Meria thoracica - BONI BARTALUCCI (2001: 12-15, figs 46-50, only.

E x a m i n e d s p e c i m e n s:

: Jordan = (1) / Jordanien al Mazraq Dead Sea 16.4.2002 lgt M. Snizer/, OLML. Syria = (1) / Syria cen. Homs palmyra env. 6.6. 2000 K. Deneš jun lgt/, MZUF

: Jordan = (1) / Jordanien al Mazraq Dead Sea 16.4.2002 lgt M. Snizer /, OLML; (1) / jordan s Vadi Rum 4.5.1996 leg Marek Halada /, OLML. Iran = (4) /SW Persia Escalera 1900-61/, BMNH; (2) / IRAN Khuzestan Haft tapeh 300 km N di Abadan Rivr fiume Dez 29.VI-1.VII.1965 Giordani Soika-Mavromoustakis ", MZUF. Syria = (25) / Syria N ar-Raqqa ar-Rasafa env. 5.6.2000 K. Deneš jun lgt/, (23) OLML, (2) MZUF; (55) / Syria cen. Homs Palmyra env. 6.6.2000 K. Deneš jun lgt/, (48) OLML, (6) MZUF; (1) / Syria cen. Homs al muharram env. 7.6.2000 K. Deneš jun lgt/, OLML

The female specimen at MHNP appears to be unique. Nevertheless GUÉRIN did not specify about number of specimens examined, so me too I deem more advisable to designated it as Lectotype.

V a r i a b i l i t y the specimen from Syria is darker than lectotype, lacking light stains on N 1 disk. The propodeal disk show transversal wrinkles along its sides. The median furrow is well expressed [it is well expressed in the lectotype too, the drawing by BONI BARTALUCCI (2001: fig 46) being a little inexact].

D i s c u s s i o n: Most of the male specimens from Syria show a little darker (black to brown black) basic colour than Lectotype and Persian specimens, nevertheless some of them too have metameri light brown coloured. The yellow colour is somehow variable especially on N 1 disk. The basic body colour of the male specimens from Khuzestan is brown and slightly differ from the lectotype of M. arabica in the lateral profile of the N 1 disk in dorsal aspect; four of them also have more haired volsella compared with Syrian specimens.

A lot of specimens, males and females belonging undoubtly to the same taxon (a couple taken in copula from Egypt), come from Israel to Egypt and Sudan where no typical specimens have been so far found; they have the same main character states as the lectotype of M. arabica ; nevertheless they show few but stable differences from the lectotypes above quoted. The specimens from Jordan seem to be intermediate among them. Probably we are facing distinct populations, even sub species, from segregated areas by some unknown barriers, but it is still untimely to come to a decision about .

GORBATOVSKY never published the designation of M. thoracica lectotype neither the synonymy M. arabica = M. thoracica. Misinterpretation about the identity of the females of M. diplochora (see the relative item) induced me to split M. arabica from M. thoracica and couple them with females and males which actually instead have to be referred to other taxa. Among the specimens collected in Syria exists the female identical to M. thoracica lectotype, seized together with the quoted males identical to M. arabica lectotype, a datum which underlines the aforesaid misinterpretation and strengthens the Gorbatovsky‘s intuition "in litteris" about the synonymy M. arabica = M. thoracica. The females previously ascribed to M. arabica (BONI BARTALUCCI 2004: 384-385) on the unique ground of identical labels with the males here quoted from SW Persia have to be removed because of the discovery of hitherto undescribed males (see M. elamita ) at BMNH having the same labels with all of them. It appears more natural to perform new arrangements, deeming the combinations here proposed more reliable than previous ones. Nevertheless it would be very unwary to consider them conclusive and unalterable.