Tmethis pulchripennis (Serville, 1838)

(Figs. 17, 103, 121–122, 214–215)

Tmethis pulchripennis asiaticus Uvarov 1943: 66 .

Tmethis pulchripennis asiaticus Uvarov, 1943: Karabağ 1958: 114; Weidner 1969: 156; Demirsoy 1977: 36; Otte 1994: 162; Sevgili & Çıplak 2000: 234.

Tmethis pulchripennis asiaticus Uv.: Ramme 1951: 410, 427. Tmethis sp.: Karabağ et al. 1980: 14.

Tmethis pulchripennis (Serville, 1838): Massa 2013: 440, 441.

Material examined. As Tmethis pulchripennis pulchripennis: LIBYA: Libyen, Driana, 30 km nö Benghasi, 4.1942, 2♂ (leg. Kirchberg) ; Cyrenaica, 1♂ (leg. Ruhmer) (MfN).

As Tmethis pulchripennis asiaticus Uvarov, 1943: PALESTINE: Khedeira, costal zone, 30.5.1921, 1♂ (Holotype) (leg. P. A. Buxton) (NHMUK) ; TURKEY: Urfa and environs, 7.1931, 1♂, 1♀ (Paratypes) (NHMUK); Mardin, 5.5.1966, 1♂ (leg. A. Demirtola); Adıyaman, Besni, Akkuyu Mezrası, 23.6.1972, 1♀ (AİBÜEM); LEBANON : Libanon, Baalbek, 30.5.1961, 1♂ (leg. Kasy & Vartian) (NMW) ; ISRAEL: Jerusalem, Linnaea V., 1♂, 1♀ (AİBÜEM); Israel, Arad, 4.6.1963, 1♀ (leg. Pener & Blondheim); Lahalo, 28.4.1963, 2♂ (leg. Pener et al.) (det. Hollis); Haluza, 15.6.1982, 1♂ (leg. et det. Fishelson) (NHMUK); Golan Höhen, Umg. El Quneitra, Österr. Un-Baon, Camp Faouar, 33.09.45 N, 35.37.30 E, 1981, 1♀ (NMW) ; Golan Höhen, Umg. El Quneitra, 33.14 N, 35.47 E, 1978, 1♂ (NMW) ; IRAQ: Assur, Mesopot., 1910, 2♀ (leg. Pietschmann); Mosul , 25.5.1910, 1♀; Hinler, Djeolalabe, 11.6.1910, 1♀ (leg. Pietschmann) (NMW) ; SYRIA: Ladakia, 1♂ ; Syria, 20 km N.O. v. Damaskus, 16– 23.5.1961, 1♀ (leg. Kasy & Vartian) (NMW); PALESTINE: Wadi Ghuzze, 25.11.1930 – 30.4.1931, 1♂ (leg. N. Scott) (NHMUK); JORDAN: Jordan Valley, Khor Fasayil, 10.6.1951, 7♂, 5♀ ; Jordan, Ghor Damiya, Basat Thmeila, 2.4.1951, 2♂, 2♀ ; 14.6.1951, 1♀; Ghor Damiya, Ain Khanaizir, 2.6.1951, 2♀; Jordan, Wadi Sbu’eib, 10.4.1951, 1♂ (all leg. A. R. Waterston) ; Mafraq, 1956, 1♂ (W. H. Reay) (det. Ragge as T. pulchripennis); IRAN: Naft-i-ghah, Somar , 6.5.1973, 2♂ (leg. A. A. Soltani) (all in NHMUK).

Remarks. Massa (2013: 441) synonymized Tmethis pulchripennis asiaticus Uvarov, 1943 with the nominotypical subspecies because of the high variability of T. pulchripennis . It is a fact that most of the Asian specimens have yellow tibia as in T. pulchripennis asiaticus . But in some populations it is possible to see the specimens with yellow and reddish orange tibia even in the same habitat. e.g. While the male has yellow hind tibia, the female with orange red hind tibia both of which collected from Jaffa, Israel (NMW) or one of the three females from Syria has red hind tibia (MfN) or two females collected from Israel with reddish-orange hind tibia in the NHMUK and one female from Palestine has also slightly reddish orange hind tibia (NHMUK). However the Libyan specimens examined here are recognizable as the nominotypical subspecies by the smaller size and the distinct red hind tibia (different shades of red from the Asian specimens with reddish hind tibia) from T. p. asiaticus . Therefore I prefer to give the materials separately for further research.