Diploplectron palaearcticum Pulawski, 1958

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.17986085
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/DB0A10C9-9AE0-52FC-AE07-E5D5DD5572E4
treatment provided by	by Pensoft
scientific name	Diploplectron palaearcticum Pulawski, 1958
status

Treatment

Diploplectron palaearcticum Pulawski, 1958: 473, ♂, ♀. Holotype ♀. Egypt, Sinai, Wadi Mitla ( USNM). – Pulawski, 1964: 81, ♀, ♂; additional description.

Diploplectron palearcticum View in CoL (misspelling or unjustified emendation): Roche 2007: 53; holotype ♀ in Al Azhar University Cairo, ♀ redescription. – Schmid-Egger 2014: 547–549; photo, in key of Arabian Dryudella View in CoL . – Pulawski 1925: 4; catalogue.

Material examined.

Egypt. Fayed , 04.1943, Priesner, 1 ♀ ( OLML) . Israel. Arava valley, Hyw 90 at km 149 , - 60 m, 30.42.90'N, 35.11.15'E, 04.05.1995 O. & M. Niehius, 1 ♀ ( CSE) . — Morocco. Rachidia 80 km S, Rissani 20 km W, 04.04.1996, O. & M. Niehuis, det. Pulawski, 1 ♀ ( CSE) . — Saudi Arabia. Riyad r., S of Riyadh , 24.425'N, 46.653'E, 06.03.2024, M. Halada, 1 ♂, 1 ♀ ( CSE) . – Riyad r., Ulya 100 km NW Riyadh, 25.281'N 46.021'E, 09.03.2024, M. Halada, 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀ ( CSE) . — Tunisia. Tataouine, 11.04.2001, M. Halada, 1 ♀ ( OLML) . — United Arab Emirates. Jebel Hafit , 24.07'N, 55.75'E, 03.03.2011, van Harten, det. Schmid-Egger, 1 ♀ ( CSE) . – Liwa Oasis 5 km E Mezairaa , 23.12'N, 53.84'E, 09.01.2011, leg. et det. Schmid-Egger, 1 ♂ ( CSE) . – Sarhaj Desert Park , 25.17'N, 55.42'E, 22.11.2004, van Harten, det. Schmid-Egger, 1 ♀ ( CSE) . Wadi Maidaq , 25.18'N, 56.07'E, 29.04.2009, van Harten, 1 ♀ ( CSE) .

Description.

Male. Body length 4.0– 4.5 mm, lateral view Fig. 23 View Figures 23–34 , dorsal view Fig. 24 View Figures 23–34 . Black, pygidium sometimes brownish. Antenna dark brown, antennomeres I – III inner side with long black setae, IV – XI with narrow brownish tyloids. Coxae and trochanters black, femora black with reddish apex; fore tibia and tarsus reddish-brown, tibia and tarsus of mid and hind legs mostly darker brown. Mandible black, reddish mesally, simple. Malar space about three times as long as diameter of anterior ocellus. Middle clypeal lobe smooth and shiny; anterior margin linguiform prolonged, apex slightly bent upwards (Fig. 12 View Figures 1–16 ). Lateral clypeal lobes with oblique striae, separated from middle lobe by deep sulcus. Face finely micro-striated; frons smooth and shiny, with very scattered punctures (Fig. 25 View Figures 23–34 ). Vertex and occiput smooth and shiny, the latter with very scattered punctures and pale setae. Mesoscutum shiny, anterior surface finely coriaceous, with short pale setae, posterior surface smooth with very scattered punctures. Mesoscutellum variable; smooth and shiny or more or less finely reticulated. Mesopleuron smooth and shiny, posteriorly with scattered punctures, ventrally with brownish setae. Propodeal dorsum micro-reticulated, posterior margin smooth and shiny. Lateral surface of propodeum with strong punctures, interspaces distinctly micro-punctate. Declivity smooth and shiny, with scattered punctures. Propodeum, except propodeal dorsum, with pale setae. Metasomal terga with transverse micro-striation; sternum II with some erect pale setae. Ventral setae of fore and hind femur about half as long as maximal femur diameter. Forewing hyaline; tegula, basal sclerites and wing veins pale yellow; pterostigma pale yellow or pale brown with yellow border. Anterior margin of marginal cell about 0.7 × as posterior height (Fig. 4 View Figures 1–16 ).

Female. Body length 4.0– 4.5 mm, lateral view Fig. 26 View Figures 23–34 , dorsal view Fig. 27 View Figures 23–34 . Head, mesosoma and metasoma black. Antenna dark brown to black, antennomeres I – III with black bristles. Coxae and trochanters black, femora black with reddish apex, fore tibia and tarsus reddish-brown, tibia and tarsus of mid and hind legs darker brown with reddish base. Mandible reddish with dark brown tip. Malar space about two times as long as diameter of anterior ocellus. Middle clypeal lobe smooth and shiny, anterior margin with three short teeth (often difficult visible), separated from lateral lobes by deep sulcus, without tooth between middle and lateral lobes (Fig. 13 View Figures 1–16 ). Lateral clypeal lobes with oblique striae. Face very finely micro-sculptured, frons smooth and shiny with very scattered punctures (Fig. 28 View Figures 23–34 ). Vertex smooth and shiny, beside posterior ocelli with dull impression about twice as long as diameter of anterior ocellus. Occiput smooth and shiny, with white setae. Mesoscutum, mesoscutellum and mesopleuron smooth and shiny; ventral surface of mesopleuron with greyish setae. Propodeal dorsum finely granulate. Lateral surface of propodeum and declivity coriaceous, with distinct longitudinal carinae. Propodeum, except dorsum, with sparse whitish setation. Metasomal terga shiny. Sternum II and posterior margins of terminal sterna with dark setae. Fore basitarsus with four long rake spines, apical spine about twice as long as tarsomere II. Mid and hind coxa with black bristles. Ventral setae of fore and hind femur at least about as long as maximal femur diameter. Forewing hyaline; tegula, basal sclerites and at least costa and subcosta yellow, remaining forewing veins yellowish or pale brown. Pterostigma yellow or pale brown with yellow border. Marginal cell very short, anterior margin about 0.3–0.5 × as long as posterior height.

Distribution

(Fig. 35 View Figure 35 ). Egypt (type locality) ( Pulawski 1964, Roche 2007), Israel ( Beaumont et al. 1973), Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates ( Schmid-Egger 2014).