Tephritis valida (Loew, 1858)

(Figs 32–39)

Material examined. Armenia, Vayots Dzor Prov., Yeghegis Vill., between Yeghegis River and asphalt road passing through village, 4 females and 3 males reared 28.VII.2019 from capitula of Inula helenium collected on 21.VII.2019, 3 females reared 8.VIII.2019 from capitula of I. helenium collected on 21.VII.2019, coll. D.A. Evstigneev. Russia: Republic of North Ossetia–Alania: Tarskoe bog, 2 km W of Tarskoe Vill., 42.96311°N 44.72636°E, 800 m, 11.IX.2018, net-sweeping, 1 female, coll. A.A. Przhiboro; Vladikavkaz, artificially destroyed bank of Terek River, 1 female and 2 males reared 15.VIII.2020 from capitula of Inula helenium collected on 6.VIII.2020, 1 female and 7 males reared 19.VIII.2020 from capitula of I. helenium collected on 6.VIII.2020, coll. D.A. Evstigneev; Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, 3 km SE of Verkhnyaya Balkariya Vill., “bog 2” on slope at left bank of Kurnoyatsu River, 43.09834°N 43.47776°E, 1810 m, Sphagnum fuscum habitat, net-sweeping, 24.IX.2018, 1 female, coll. A.A. Przhiboro.

Distribution. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Moldova, Russia (S. Korneyev, 2016c), and Ukraine (S. Korneyev & Klasa, 2016; S. Korneyev, 2016c).

Comments. Here T. valida is listed for the first time from North Ossetia and Kabardino-Balkaria. Inula helenium L. was recorded as the host plant of T. valida (S. Korneyev, 2016c; S. Korneyev & V. Korneyev, 2019). The senior author reared T. valida in Armenia and North Ossetia from the same plant species. The diagnostic characters of this species are illustrated in Figs 32–39. The wing pattern is typical of this species (Figs 32–33), in particular, consisting of isolated dark spots at the apical parts of R 4+5 and M; the apex of the aculeus is obtuse, with a faint apical impression (Fig. 37). The glans of the phallus of T. valida (Fig. 34) is illustrated for the first time; it is large, with a long membranous part (vesica).