Holotachysphex mochii (de Beaumont, 1947 )

Schmid-Egger, Christian, Fallahzadeh, Majid, Khosroabadi, Mahdi & Ljubomirov, Toshko, 2016, A new species of Holotachysphex de Beaumont, 1940 (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Crabronidae) from Iran with identification key to species, Zootaxa 4169 (1), pp. 187-193 : 190

Holotachysphex mochii (de Beaumont, 1947)

(figs 9–10)

Tachysphex mochii de Beaumont, 1947:676 . Holotype: female, Greece: Rhodes: no specific locality (A. Mochi coll.). Tachysphex pentapolitanus de Beaumont, 1960:241 . Holotype: female, Libya: Cyrenaica: Barce (BMNH). Synonymized by Pulawski, 1992:235.

Tachysphex schwarzi Pulawski, 1967:408 . Holotype: male, Turkey: Mersin: Mut (M.. Schwarz coll., Ansfelden). Synonymized by Pulawski, 1972:818.

Diagnosis. The species is charaterized by the simple mandibular margin combined with the appressed setae on the frons. The gaster is black or partly red. The clypeal lobe is enlarged, with rounded apex, and laterally convex. For further description see Pulawski (1992).

Color variability. The male and female from Turkey have a completely black abdomen and black femora (tibae and tarsi partly reddish, sternum II with some reddish shimmer, apical tergal bands transparent), whereas both males from Jordan have abdominal segments I–II (I–III), parts of fore- and midfemora, all hindfemora, tibiae and tarsi light red. Both forms are the same structurally. Pulawski (1992) mentions only red coloured females and the males he examined were all black. However, there is no evidence that the color forms are different species, and the red form is probably only a variation of H. mochii .

Geographic distribution. Libya, Israel, Jordan, Greece (Rhodos), Cyprus, Iran.

Material examined. TURKEY: 1 female 2.vii.2000 Gevas / Van Gölü , 1 male 26.vi.2000 Elazig (CSE) . JORDAN: 2 males Ajlun, 30 km W Arash (OLL) . IRAN: 1 male and 3 females 3.– 7.vi. Fars, Fasa 28°54´29´´N ; 53°39´35´´E; 1343 m; 1 female 31.v.–12.vi. Fars, southeast of Kherameh 29°28´44´´N ; 53°20´21´´E; 1594 m (Jahrom Branch, Islamic Azad University).