Urophora dirlbeki Mohamadzade sp. nov.

(Figs. 10–18)

Korneyev & White 1993: Urophora sp. 2.

Type material. Holotype ♀: Iran: Yazd Province, Taft, Sanich, 2600 m, 31°34.715' N, 54°01.256' E, swept from flowerheads of Onopordum acanthium L., 06.v.2010, Mohamadzade (JAZM).

Paratypes: Iran: 9♂, 2♀, same collection data as holotype; 24♂, 9♀, Yazd Province, Khezrabad, 1670m, 31°52.688' N, 54°57.412' E, reared from flowerheads of O. acanthium, collected: 06.v.2010, emerged: 27.v.2010; 10♂, 2♀, Yazd Province, Taft, Tezerjoon, 2150m, 31°38.134' N, 54°10.017' E, 23.iv.2010; 13♂, 14♀, Yazd Province, Taft, Deh bala, 2600 m, 31°33.475' N, 54°07.139' E, 23.iv.2010; Mohamadzade (JAZM; some paratypes are deposited in MHNG, SIZK, ZISP and SMNC).

Diagnosis. U. dirlbeki is a moderately large fly, with strongly reduced wing pattern and yellow femora, similar to U. impicta . It differs by the shape of the aculeus apex, which has two pairs of distinct preapical steps ( U. impicta has one pair of preapical steps and the apex shorter) and also has a different host plant. The length and shape of the aculeus tip are similar in U. dirlbeki and U. terebrans, but the latter species has banded wings and narrower yellow margins on the scutum. The two latter species also share the same host plant species.

Description. Head. Length: height: width ratio = 1: 1.15: 1.45. First flagellomere yellow, twice as long as wide. Compound eye 1.2 times as high as long. Gena as high as length of first flagellomere (Fig. 11). Legs yellow, only fore femur with black stripe posterodorsally (Fig. 10). Wing hyaline. Distance between crossveins r-m and dm-cu 1.3 times as long as crossvein dm-cu (Fig. 10). Terminalia. Aculeus apex with 2 pairs of distinct preapical steps, as in Figs. 12 & 13. Tergite 5 of male as long as two preceding tergites, with long setae on posterior margin. Epandrium and lateral surstylus rounded in posterior view and glans long and slender and poorly sclerotized (Figs. 16–18).

Measurements. Holotype ♀: BL = 9.5, WL = 5.2; ♂: BL = 4–4.9mm (average 4.6), WL = 3.7–4.9 mm (average 4.3); ♀: BL = 8.2–9.3mm (average 8.8) WL = 4.5–5.3mm (average 4.9), (n=10), AL = 3.4–4.5 mm (average 3.9), AL/WL = 0.75–0.85 (average 0.8) (n = 5).

Etymology. This species is named in honor of Dr. Jan Dirlbek, Czech dipterist, in recognition of his contribution to the study of Middle Eastern Tephritidae .

Host plant. Adults were reared from capitulae of Onopordum acanthium L.