Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics
Volume:7 Issue: 4, Oct 2021

The genus Thrips Linnaeus (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) with 37 species, is the largest genus in Thripinae from Iran. However, Thrips coloratus Schmutz was excluded from Iranian thrips because of its misidentification. Here, this species is recorded from Iran for the first time based on two specimens collected on the flowers of clover (Fabaceae) from Ilam province.

A three-year survey of species in the Superfamily Pentatomoidea was conducted during March and November of 2018 through 2020 in Tartous Province, Syria. The identified specimens belonging to four families; i.e. Pentatomidae (21 species), Scutelleridae (2 species), Dinidoridae and Cydnidae each with one species. This is the first faunistic study on the Pentatomoidea in the coastal area of Syria, Tartous. The results represented the first records of Tritomegas sexmaculatus (Rambur, 1839) and its host plants in Tartous, here considered as a newly recorded species for fauna of Syria.

The genus and species of fungus-feeding thrips, Tylothrips osborni (Hinds), are newly recorded from Turkey based on two apterous females collected from wheat. Taxonomic characterization of the genus and species is provided and illustrated. This is the sixth record in Europe of this American species, and the significance of this disjunct distribution is discussed.

The leafhopper genus Euscelis Brulle in Iran comprises three species: Euscelis alsia Ribaut, E. incisa Kirschbaum and E. lineolata Brulle. The fourth species, E. distinguenda Kirschbaum is here recorded for the first time from Iran. Diagnostic characters of the species, as well as a male-based key for the identification of the known Euscelis in Iran are provided.

Pelopidas thrax (Hübner) (Lep.: Hesperiidae) is a widespread species in southwest Iran. We aimed to use geometric morphometric techniques to investigate the sexual dimorphism and allometric effects associated with the wings of P. thrax. Fore- and hind wings of 40 and 39 individuals, respectively, of each sex which were collected from Ahvaz city were digitized and analyzed.  Sexual dimorphism was observed in size and shape of fore- and hind wings of P. thrax and was graphically illustrated. Multivariate statistics confirmed significant differences in shape of fore- and hind wing between sexes. Centroid size of both wings showed greater values in females than males and visualized by boxplots. Various multivariate regressions of shape coordinates on centroid size were significant and visualized by the thin plate splines. Allometry explained shape variance in each case between 0.8% to 19.6%. The analysis demonstrated different allometric patterns for sexes in both fore- and hind wings. Significant shape differences between wings of males and females were still remained after removing allometric effects. The variation that is not related to size could be attributed to specific behaviors such as flight speed and performance in each sex. However, specific experiments are needed to confirm the association of the wing shape variation expressed in this study with the flight traits.

We provide new findings on the distribution of 13 species of the family Gasteruptiidae (Hymenoptera, Evanioidea) collected at 17 sampling localities in Fars and Hormozgan Provinces, south of Iran. The specimens were collected using Malaise traps during 2013–2019. Two species, Gasteruption sericeipes Kieffer, 1911 and G. syriacum Szépligeti, 1903 are new additions to the Iranian wasp fauna. Furthermore, 10 species are new provincial records. With the present additions, the total number of gasteruptiids recorded from Hormozgan, Fars and Iran is currently raised to 2, 14 and 29 species, respectively. For each species, provincial distribution in Iran and overall distribution, as well as the flight period, are presented and discussed together with the available references.

Diaphanes lutescens was originally described by Walker, 1858, using specimens from Sri Lanka. The systematics and biology of this species has been unexplored since it was first described in the early eighteenth century. This paper provides a detailed description of systematics and biology of the identified male, female and larvae of D. lutescens with their areas of incidence and habitat types in Sri Lanka. Females and larvae were identified when they were associating with males in the same habitat. Remarks of their flashing patterns and flying behaviour are addressed.

Males of the subgenus Eofoersteria Mathot (Hym., Mymaridae, Camptoptera Foerster) are diagnosed, described, and illustrated for the first time, based on examination of specimens from Tamil Nadu and from photographs of the male paratype of Camptoptera matcheta Subba Rao from Karnataka. New distributional records of C. (Eofoersteria) manipurensis (Rehmat & Anis) from Karnataka and Kerala states of India are documented.

The genus Sphex Linnaeus (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae) is studied from India and key to Indian species is provided. The state-wise distributions of four species of Sphex are augmented here. A new synonymy is proposed: Sphex zubaidiyacus Augul, 2013 = S. obscurus (Fabricius, 1804).

It has been argued that the copulatory structures of the weevil genus Sitona Germar have their equivalents in the opposite sex. Hence, the male intromittent organ represents a species-specific key to unlock the corresponding genital tract of its mate, and the female internal genitalia displays several positions that match the functional armature and surface prominences of the endophallic internal sac from the conspecific male. However, this claim can lead to a major challenge due to the perceived lack of variation in the females copulatory organs across the species of a large genus, Sitona.  Therefore, a special case can be very helpful for modeling an elaborate correspondence of male and female genital traits in this group. One of the most intricating and unusual forms of the genitalia in the tribe Sitonini that is assumed to be the representative of an advanced type of the “lock-and-key” relationship belongs to S. fairmairei. A pair of peculiar “bursal plugs” along with the two slender accessory pouches were revealed inside the female bursal lumen of this species that were considered to operate in concert with the unusual ejaculatory pump and anchoring device of the male transfer apparatus respectively, in the process of insemination. The Modification of the pumping device and the way that the endophallic armature threads along the female spermathecal duct in S. fairmairei were compared to another species, S. cylindricollis. Our results provide evidence on how the biomechanics of copulation can drive the evolution of a “cooperative lock-and-key” isolating mechanism in the genital traits of the weevil genus Sitona, as well as the significance of a clear understanding about the reciprocal morphologies of male and female copulatory organs.