Diploplectron iranicum Jacobs, 2025

Jacobs, Hans-Joachim, 2025, Review of the Palaearctic species of Diploplectron W. Fox, 1893 (Hymenoptera, Astatidae), Contributions to Entomology 75 (2), pp. 371-379 : 371-379

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.3897/contrib.entomol.75.e169240
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:DB9BCC0D-BED0-488E-A4D7-FA4351C17D21
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17986081
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/7762EDEE-1C9A-5210-B37B-9B36990B4043
treatment provided by	by Pensoft
scientific name	Diploplectron iranicum Jacobs
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Diploplectron iranicum Jacobs sp. nov.

Holotype.

♂, Iran, Kerman prov., Ghobira 20 km E, 1780 m, 30.10'N, 56.59’Е, 05.06.2010, Mi. Halada ( OLML) . Paratypes. 1 ♂, 1 ♀ with same data as holotype ( OLML) .

Diagnosis.

Male. The male of D. iranicum sp. nov. is distinguished from the other Palaearctic species of Diploplectron by the extensive yellow colouration on terga I – II. It differs from D. alexandri , D. asiaticum and D. palaearcticum by the ventrally yellow apical antennomeres, the yellow frontal spot and the shorter malar space. It differs from D. asiaticum by the roundly protruding and upwards bent middle clypeal lobe and due to the absence of a transverse sulcus at the mandible base; from D. palaearcticum and D. alexandri by the brown pterostigma and from D. palaearcticum additionally by the mostly brown forewing veins. It is additionally distinguished from D. pulawskii by pale setae of the antennomeres I – III.

Female. The female of D. iranicum sp. nov. is distinguished from D. palaearcticum and D. asiaticum by a longer marginal cell of the forewing and by a shorter malar space, from D. palaearcticum additionally by mostly brown forewing veins. It differs from D. pulawskii by white setae of antennomeres I – II and by white bristles on mid and hind coxa.

Description.

Male. Body length 5.0– 5.5 mm, dorsal view Figs 17 View Figures 17–22 , 19 View Figures 17–22 , lateral view Figs 18 View Figures 17–22 , 20 View Figures 17–22 ( holotype, paratype). Head and mesosoma black, frons with small yellow spot below anterior ocellus (Fig. 33 View Figures 23–34 ). Metasoma dark brown, tergum I with pale yellow band or nearly confluent spots, II with small pale yellow spots variable in size, small at holotype, large and nearly confluent at paratype. Pygidium reddish. Mandible black, apex reddish, with tuft of pale setae medially, simple. Malar space about 1.1–1.5 × as long as diameter of anterior ocellus. Antenna black, antennomeres ( VIII) IX – XII ( XIII) ventrally yellow or pale brown, I – III with pale setae. Clypeus smooth and shiny; middle clypeal lobe linguiform protruding, anterior margin rounded and bent upwards; separated from lateral lobes by deep sulcus. Lateral clypeal lobes finely transverse striated. Face finely micro-sculptured, glabrous. Frons and vertex smooth and shiny, frons distinctly convex (Fig. 33 View Figures 23–34 ). Gena smooth and shiny, occiput with long white setae. Mesoscutum, mesoscutellum, mesopleuron and metapleuron smooth and shiny; anterior surface of mesoscutum and mesopleuron with white setae, those on mesopleuron longer than diameter of anterior ocellus. Propodeal dorsum micro-reticulated, lateral and posterior area smooth and shiny. Lateral surface of propodeum coriaceous; declivity with deep triangular basal impression, smooth and shiny; both with long white setae. Tergum I and sterna with short white setae. Coxae and trochanters black, femora black with reddish apex; tibiae brown with yellowish basal spot, fore tibia with reddish-yellow inner surface; tarsi reddish-brown, hind tarsus darker. Mid and hind coxa with pale bristles. Fore and hind femur ventrally with white setae, shorter than maximal femur diameter. Forewing hyaline, with light brownish tinge. Tegula, basal sclerites, base of forewing veins and subcosta before the pterostigma pale yellow, other veins and pterostigma brown. Anterior margin of marginal cell about 1.3–1.5 × as long as posterior height (Fig. 5 View Figures 1–16 ).

Female. Body length 5.5 mm, paratype dorsal view Fig. 21 View Figures 17–22 , lateral view Fig. 22 View Figures 17–22 . Head and mesosoma black, pygidial plate reddish. Mandible reddish with dark brown tip. Clypeus smooth and shiny, anterior margin of middle clypeal lobe with two small teeth. Malar space very short, about 0.5 × as long as diameter of anterior ocellus. Face finely micro-sculptured, glabrous. Frons and vertex smooth and shiny, frons distinctly convex. Antenna black, antennomeres I – II with pale bristles, III with very short pale setae. Frons, vertex and occiput smooth and shiny, frons with indistinct and very scattered punctures (Fig. 34 View Figures 23–34 ). Mesoscutum, mesoscutellum and mesopleuron smooth and shiny, mesoscutum anteriorly with scattered punctures. Propodeal dorsum micro-reticulated. Lateral surface of propodeum micropunctate, posteriorly with some longitudinal carinae. Declivity smooth and shiny, with triangular basal impression. Propodeum, except dorsal surface, with white setae. Pygidial plate with nearly straight lateral margins, surface coriaceous. Terga shiny, with transverse micro-striae. Sterna with short white setae. Coxae and trochanters black, femora black with reddish apex; tibiae brown with reddish base, fore tibia with reddish-yellow inner surface; tarsi reddish-brown, hind tarsus darker. Mid and hind coxa with pale bristles. Fore and hind femur ventrally with brownish setae, longest ventral setae of hind femur about as long as maximal femur diameter. Fore basitarsus with four short rake spines, apical spine about two thirds as long as tarsomere II. Forewing hyaline, with light brownish tinge. Tegula brown with yellow posterior margin; basal sclerites, base of forewing veins and subcosta before the pterostigma pale yellow, other veins and pterostigma brown. Anterior margin of marginal cell about 1.3 × as long as posterior height (Fig. 6 View Figures 1–16 ).

Distribution

(Fig. 35 View Figure 35 ). Iran (type locality).