Miscophus insolitus Andrade, 1953

Schmid-Egger, Christian & Straka, Jakub, 2019, Miscophus Jurine, 1807 (Hymenoptera, Crabronidae) in Central, Northern, and Eastern Europe, Zootaxa 4571 (3), pp. 334-346 : 341-342

Miscophus insolitus Andrade, 1953

( Figs. 1 , 26 )

Miscophus insolitus Andrade, 1953:27 , female. Holotype: female, Cyprus: Yermasoyia Hills (Coimbra). Andrade, 1960:76 (revision); de Beaumont, 1967:334 ( Turkey). Miscophus beaumonti Balthasar, 1953:49 , female. Holotype: female, Cyprus: Yermasoyia River (NMPC). Synonymized with

Miscophus insolitus by Andrade, 1960:76. Holotype examined by CSE, synonymy confirmed. Miscophus insulicola Balthasar, 1953:44 , male. Holotype: male, Cyprus: Zakaki (NMPC). Examined by CSE, syn. nov. Miscophus percitus Mokrousov, 2004:505 , female, male. Holotype: male. Russia: Nizhniy Novgorod Oblast: Dzerzhinsk

(ZMMU). Paratype examined by CSE, syn. nov.

Diagnosis. M. insolitus belongs to the M. mimeticus species group with ACM continuous in females ( Andrade 1960). Females are unique in Europe by this characteristic. Males differ from M. bicolor species group by a prolonged medial point of sternum VIII, with two apical teeth. Sternum VIII has four or less similar apical teeth in the M. bicolor group. Within the M. mimeticus species group, M. insolitus males and females are characterized by an impunctate and shiny episcrobal area of mesopleuron in combination with a short pubescence on propodeal dorsum. The similar M. affinis Pulawski, 1964 with a wide range from North Africa to Central Asia, has long pubescence on propodeal dorsum concealing integument. Other similar species occur in North Africa and are not treated here. For more detailed description see Andrade (1960, female) and Mokrousov (2004, detailed description of male and female).

Geographic distribution. Cyprus, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Turkey, Turkmenistan.

Material examined: CYPRUS: 1 ♀ Moni 19.viii.1952 [ Miscophus insolitus me, Andrade det. 1954] , 1 ♀ Yermasoyia 1.ix.1951 ( MZL) ; 1 ♂ Zakaki ( NMPC, holotype of Miscophus insulicola Balthasar ) . KAZAKHSTAN: 1 ♀ 20km SE Aksay env. 19.v.1992 ( OLL) . MONGOLIA: 1 ♀ 8.vii.2005 S Govi, Altain, 20 km SSE Ongi ; 3 ♀♀ 25.vii.2005 70 km NNW Tsetserlang ( OLL) ; 1 ♀ 8.vii.2004 95 km S Bayankhongor 45’20’N 100’48’E ; 3 ♀♀ 9.vii.2004 75 km S Bayankhongor 45’31’N 100’53’E ; 6 ♀♀ 2.vii.2004 137 km NE Arvaykheer 47’20’N 103’40’E ; 1 ♀ 8.vii.2004 95 km S Bayankhongor 45’20’N 100’48’E ( JSPC) . RUSSIA 1 ♀ 1 ♂ 23.v.2006; 1 ♀ 14.vii.2001 (paratype of Miscophus percitus ), Nizhni Novgorod Prov., Dzerzhinsk , industrial zone, 56.29N 43.93E (leg. et coll. Mokrousov) . TURKEY: 1 ♀ 27.vi.1997 Turkey east, Muradya ( CSE) . TURKMENISTAN: 1 ♀ 26.iv.1993 Ashabad env. ( OLL) .

Comment. Miscophus insolitus was described from Cyprus and later its occurence in Turkey was established by de Beaumont (1967). Miscophus beaumonti and M. insulicola from Cyprus, both described by Balthasar (1953), have been examined and are conspecific with M. insolitus . We were also able to examine two females (one paratype) and a male of M. percitus from the type area, which agree with examined females of M. insolitus . We cannot confirm recognition characteristics described by Mokrousov (2004). Especially the striation of the propodeal dorsum is variable, and figure 67 in Andrade (1960: 27) is not suited for species recognition. The ACM is similar in the type of M. percitus and in M. insolitus . Consequently, M. percitus is a junior synonym of M. insolitus . Miscophus insolitus covers a large distribution area from Cyprus and Turkey to Russia and Mongolia. The possibility that specimens from Cyprus differ genetically from mainland specimens and represent a different clade (see M. mavromoustakisi and M. cappadocicus ) is not excluded. However, specimens of M. insolitus from the mainland and from Cyprus are similar, and there is no hint for a species differentiation in contrast to M. mavromoustakisi and M. cappadocicus (see above). Specimens from Mongolia differ in some minor characteristics from western and central Palaearctic species (see Schmid-Egger, in prep. for further details), however, they are treated as conspecific. The only available genetic barcode of M. insolitus origins from a Mongolian female, so further genetic barcodes from more western specimens may differ.

Figures

FIGURES 1–5. 1. Miscophus insolitus ♀, face. 2. Miscophus niger ♀, face. 3. Miscophus helveticus ♀, gena. 4. Miscophus helveticus ♀, foreleg. 5. Miscophus minutus ♀ paratype, antenna.

FIGURES 23–28. Male, sternite VII. 23. Miscophus helveticus. 24. Miscophus concolor. 25. Miscophus albufeirae. 26. Miscophus insolitus. 27. Miscophus niger. 28. Miscophus ater.