Paramesodes iraniensis, Webb & Viraktamath, 2009

Webb, Michael D. & Viraktamath, Chandra A., 2009, 2163, Zootaxa 2163, pp. 1-64 : 43

Paramesodes iraniensis sp. nov. ( Fig. 52)

Length: male 4.2–4.4mm (x 4 specimens)

Sordid yellow; vertex with a narrow dark brown submarginal band, thereafter to anterior margin pale yellow; fore wing veins margined with brown.

Male pygofer with dorsal margin narrowly rounded basally, in dorsal view ( Fig. 52p); lateral process narrow, weakly and evenly curved from base to apex in lateral view, extending well beyond pygofer lobes. Aedeagus weakly curved dorsally in lateral view; dorsal (anterior) margin abruptly narrowing near midlength in lateral view ( Fig. 52h).

Type material examined. Holotype ♂, Iran: Minab , 22.ix.2002 ( BMNH) . Paratypes: 3 ♂, same data as holotype ( BMNH) .

Remarks. In Wilson’s (1983) key the new species runs to couplet 7 but has characters in common with both halves of the couplet i.e. the pygofer dorsal margin is narrowly curved as in lineaticollis (first part of the couplet) and the aedeagal processes are without a distinct medial bend in lateral view (second part of the couplet). From lucaniae with a similar overall shaped aedeagus it differs in having the pygofer process shorter and less strongly curved dorsally and the aedeagus differs from all species in having the dorsal (anterior) margin abruptly narrowing near midlength in lateral view.