Chrysis mesasiatica Semenov, 1912

Rosa, P., 2018, New records of cuckoo wasps (Hymenoptera, Chrysididae) from Russia with taxonomic notes, Far Eastern Entomologist 360, pp. 1-14 : 2-4

Chrysis mesasiatica Semenov, 1912 , nom. resurr., stat. n.

Figs 1–3

Chrysis rutilans var. asiatica Mocsáry, 1889: 448 . Syntypes – ♀♀, Turkmenistan: Ashkabad

(depository unkown), nom. praeocc., nec Radoszkowski, 1889.

Chrysis rutilans var. mesasiatica Semenov, 1912: 194 . Replacement name for C. asiatica

Mocsáry, 1889.

Chrysis (Chrysis) insperata mesasiatica: Linsenmaier, 1959: 129 .

Chrysis rutilans mesasiatica: Vinokurov, 2004: 34 ; 2005: 90.

Chrysis decora: Rosa et al., 2017 b: 135 , part.

3♀, 1♂ MM) [ PRC, MMC]; Stavropol Terr.: Stavropol , Kuma river, 29.VI–3.VII

2003, 2♀ [ PRC] .

DISTRIBUTION. Russia (European part), Iran (Rosa et al., 2013), Kazakhstan

(Radoszkowski, 1890), Turkmenistan (Mocsáry, 1889), Palestine, Turkey (Linsenmaier, 1959), Kyrgyzstan (Tian-Shan) (Tarbinsky, 2002). The collecting data from

Ural and Siberia are doubtful and should be checked; the species is seemingly restricted to dry and coastal habitats.

genital capsule; 3 – idem, ♀; 4 – C. sickmanni Mocsáry , ♀ (Primorskij Terr., Lazovskij

Reserve); 5 – C. uljanini Radoszkowski , ♀ ( Tajikistan, Obigarm); 6 – C. csikiana Mocsáry ,

♀ (Stavropol Terr., env. Kislovodsk); 6A – idem, face in frontal view. Scale bar: 1.0 mm .

REMARKS. The type of Chrysis rutilans asiatica Mocsáry is supposedly lost,

not to be found in Budapest ( Rosa et al. 2017 d), Krakow (Rosa et al., 2015b), or other European collections. Chrysis rutilans mesasiatica was considered as a subspecies of C. insperata Chevrier, 1870 by Linsenmaier (1959), for their affinities in general habitus and male genital capsule ( Figs 1–3 ). Later it was synonymised with

C. decora Mocsáry, 1887 (replacement name for C. superba Radoszkowski, nec

Cresson, 1865) by Kimsey & Bohart (1991), interpretation followed by Rosa et al.

(2017b). Vinokurov (2004, 2005) considered C. rutilans mesasiatica as a valid subspecies, yet without providing any diagnostic analysis. A recent examination of several specimens, collected by M. Mokrousov from Southern Russia and N.

Vinokurov from Caucasus, confirmed that this taxon is clearly different from C.

decora ( the type of C. superba Radoszkowski has been examined in Moscow) .

Chrysis mesasiatica is easily recognizable for its peculiar luster, a shining green and golden-green coloration observed in both sexes ( Figs 1, 2 ) and not found in any other species of the C. splendidula species-group, due to the spaced and shallow punctures. It also differs from C. decora by the shape of the metasomal tergum 3,

with shortened space between pit-row and apical teeth (quite elongate in C. decora ,

see Plate 8 in Rosa et al., 2015a).

Figures

Figs 1–6. 1 – Chrysis mesasiatica Mocsáry, ♂ (Astrakhan Prov., Volskij); 2 – idem,