Heterarthrus smithi Ermolenko, 1994

Liston, Andrew, Mutanen, Marko & Viitasaari, Matti, 2019, On the taxonomy of Heterarthrus (Hymenoptera, Tenthredinidae), with a review of the West Palaearctic species, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 72, pp. 83-126 : 103

Heterarthrus smithi Ermolenko, 1994

Heterarthrus smithi Ermolenko, 1994: 17-22. Holotype ♀, in Schmalhausen Institute, Kiev (not examined). Type locality: Azerbaidjan, Talysh, near Lerik village.

Remarks.

The type series was collected from Acer ibericum M. Bieb., now usually treated as a subspecies of A. monspessulanum L. From the original description, H. smithi resembles H. leucomela in its large size (compared to other H. aceris group species), with the body length given as 5.5 mm (♀) and 4.5 mm (♂), and the shape of the serrulae of the lancet illustrated by Ermolenko for H. smithi fits well with the illustration for H. leucomela by Altenhofer and Zombori (1987). The extensively pale malar space and lower gena, which distinguish female H. leucomela from some other H. aceris group females, are also shared by H. smithi , as are its conspicuously darkened wings. Most of the other characters given by Ermolenko for H. smithi do not differ from H. leucomela , but are also found in most of the other Acer -feeding Heterarthrus species. However, the penis valve figure of H. smithi by Ermolenko differs considerably from that of H. leucomela figured by Altenhofer and Zombori (1987), e. g. the valvura is much more slender in Heterarthrus smithi . However, we have already expressed our strong doubts on the significance of penis valve characters in Heterarthrus (see under Character states, and discussion of H. cuneifrons ).