Meria diplochora, Boni, 2008

Boni, M., 2008, Contribution to the knowledge of the Palaearctic Meriini (Hymenoptera, Tiphiidae, Myzininae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 40 (2), pp. 1367-1397 : 1373-1374

Meria diplochora nov.sp.

Holotypus - Mali = /N. MALI 350 m Tilemsi 20.X-2.XI.81 G. Popov/ / Meria arabica (GUÈR) Gorbatovsky det/, BMNH!

Paratypi: Mali = (4) /N. MALI 350 m Tilemsi 20.X-2.XI.81 G. Popov/, BMNH. Arabia = (2) /S. Arabia Abu Arish 24.3.80 KMG/, BMNH. Oman = (1) /Oman J. Nuwarrah 24.3.2000 leg. Gillet/, MZUF.

Paratypi: Mali = (4) /N. MALI 350 m Tilemsi 20.X-2.XI.81 G. Popov/, BMNH. Arabia = (2) /S. Arabia Abu Arish 24.3.80 KMG/, BMNH. Oman = (5) /Oman J. Nuwarrah 24.3.2000 leg Gillet/, (4) OLML, (1) MZUF.

Female (Holotype) Figs 28-34 . Measurements (mm): body length = 8.5.

Black, brown, ferruginous, pale yellow.

Brown and transparent brown: clypeus; mandibles; flagellum; postscutellar area of N 3; Lst 2; St 3; areas on lateral P; most of X 1 and X 2; shadows on 6 th tergum and 4 th to 6 th sterna. Light brown: most of the legs; Tsa; scape; veins of the wings. Semitransparent yellowish: tegulae; large apical stripe of N 1 disk. Bright ferruginous: N 1 disk but apical stripe; the whole of metasoma. Pale yellow: two lateral spots on the anterior corner and two smaller ones at posterior upper corner of N 1 disk; two large spots, becoming smaller from 2 nd to 5 th terga. Forewing light yellow, hind wing colorless. Yellowish hair. Punctuation like in M. tripunctata; only on Lst 2 and near it the p. is more dense than it happens in M. thoracica type too, where there are large smooth areas. Evident wrinkles on lateral propodeal disk.

D i s c u s s i o n: In a previous paper ( BONI BARTALUCCI 2001) the female and male specimens here quoted were ascribed to Meria thoracica GUÉRIN 1839 since the females were considered identic to the lectotype of the GUÉRIN‘ s taxon. Their more careful examination revealed that it was a wrong conclusion. First of all the description of the 1 st tergum was uncorrectly referred to the lectotype of M. thoracica, which has not any darker area on 1 st tergum, instead of to females here quoted. The shape of the head of the females here described is definitively different from M. thoracica ‘s lectotype ; the ratio LA/A in frontal aspect is about 1,12 (while in M. thoracica is about 1.16, fig. 35). The basal Pam is isometric to all the others (about 1.2/1.5 times in M. thoracica, fig. 35). N 1 disk is different too, having less rounded sides and less straight apical border. Notauli and parapsidal lines on Sc 1 are diverging outwards (parallel to the main axis of the body in M. thoracica). The "fenestra" of pterostigma is very small and strongly angled with fore edge of the wing (in M. thoracica the fenestra is greater and subparallel to it, fig. 37). At last M. diplochora females lack the couple of white spots on 1 st tergum, present in M. thoracica.

V a r i a b i l i t y One specimen from Mali and specimen from Oman lack yellow stains on N 1 disk, another one has additional light brown dorsal mesosoma (propodeal disk included). Specimens from Arabia lack yellow stains on N 1 disk and 5 th tergum.

Male. There are very few doubts about the conspecifity of the specimens here quoted; their relative description under M. thoracica ( BONI BARTALUCCI 2001: 14-16, figs 51-62) should be referred here.

V a r i a b i l i t y The male specimens from Mali have more extended yellow parts than those from Arabian peninsula. One specimen show yellow spots on basal flagellomeri too, besides yellow anterior genae between FoO and eyes, a stripe on vertex along cOc, most of Es 2, posterior and lateral P, two spots on Sc 1, most of Sc 2 and postscutellar area.

All the males show ferruginous colour on the four basal metameri. Specimens from Oman show small brown stains on the sides just before the yellow stripe of basal terga.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: Sahel to Southern Arabian peninsula.

E c o l o g y: Unknown.

D e r i v a t i o n o m i n i s Fromthe Greek διπλόος = double and χώρος = region, because inhabiting two continents.

Figures

Figs 28-34: Meria diplochora nov.sp. Holotype. (28) head, frontal aspect; (29) Pam; (30) mesosoma, dorsal spect; (31) Last2 and neighbouring area; (32) forewing, particular; (33) basal metameri; (34) 1st metamerus, ventral aspect. Figs 35-37: Meria thoracica lectotype. (35) head, frontal aspect; (36) Pam; (37) forewing, particular.