Tephritis mutabilis Merz, 1992

(Figs 15–23)

Material examined. Armenia, Gegharkunik Prov., vicinity of Sevan Town, mountain side facing Sevan Psychiatric Hospital, 1 female and 1 male reared 21.VII.2017 from capitula of Leontodon asperrimus collected on 16.VII.2017, 2 females and 3 males reared 25.VII.2017 from capitula of L. asperrimus collected on 16.VII.2017, coll. D.A. Evstigneev. Russia, Republic of North Ossetia – Alania, Alagir Distr., 3 km below Tsey station of cableway, bank of Tseyadon River, 3 males reared 16.VIII.2020 from capitula of Leontodon sp. collected on 14.VIII.2020 , 6 females and 1 male reared 19.VIII.2020 from capitula of Leontodon sp. collected on 14.VIII.2020, coll. D.A. Evstigneev .

Distribution. Austria, former Czechoslovakia (without further details), France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland (Merz, 1992, 1994), Russia (S. Korneyev, 2016b), Ukraine (S. Korneyev & Klasa, 2016).

Comments. In Russia, the species was known from Adygea in the western Caucasus (Evstigneev & S. Korneyev, 2018) and from Karachay-Cherkessia (S. Korneyev, 2016b, 2016c) and Kabardino-Balkaria (Evstigneev & S. Korneyev, 2018) in the North Caucasus. Here we record it from North Ossetia. Tephritis mutabilis is recorded from Armenia and Transcaucasia at large for the first time. Merz, who described T. mutabilis, reared it from Leontodon hispidus L. (Merz, 1992, 1994). Here, we list the new host plant species, L. asperrimus (Willd.) Endl. The above-mentioned specimens are consistent with the diagnosis of T. mutabilis, including the reticular wing pattern, elongate spermathecae and incised apex of the aculeus (Figs 15–23).