Miscophus kharazii Schmid-Egger & Ghaderipour, 2025

Schmid-Egger, Christian, Ghaderipour, Zahra, Talebi, Ali Asghar, Mehrabadi, Mohammad & Madjdzadeh, Seyed Massoud, 2025, New species of Miscophus Jurine, 1807 from Iran (Hymenoptera, Crabronidae), Zootaxa 5588 (1), pp. 185-193 : 191-192

Miscophus kharazii Schmid-Egger & Ghaderipour sp. nov.

( Figs 18–21 )

Holotype: IRAN ♀ 10.viii.2010 Tehran province, Shahriar , 35.667N 50.948E 1168 m, A. Mohammadi ( ZSM).

Paratype: 1♀, same data as holotype, 24.viii.2010, A. Nadimi ( TMUC) .

Diagnosis: Miscophus kharazii belongs to the M. nicolai species group and can be recognized by the spinulation of the forebasitarus. It has a row of short black spines, which are shorter than tarsal diameter, and lacks long spines ( Fig. 21 ). Propodeal dorsum is distinctly longer than wide ( Fig. 20 ), first terga are red. At first glance, the species resembles M. lusitanicus de Andrade, 1952 , but the latter has three long spines on forebasitarsus.

Description of female: Body length: 7.0 mm. Color: Black. Mandible reddish apart black apex and base. AS 1 reddish below, AS 2 with small reddish spot apically below. Legs black, tibiae and tarsi partly dark red. T1–2 and S1–2 dark red. Wing venation brown. Lower face, mesosoma laterally and propodeal dorsum with scattered silvery pubescence. Morphology: Medial part of ACM laterally with rounded inconspicuous corner ( Fig. 19 ). Frons densely grainlike punctate, mesonotum, scutellum and episcrobal area punctate with shiny interspaces, punctures 0,5–1 × diameter apart. Lower mesopleuron punctate, with some striae in between. Terga densely punctate, interspaces shiny. Forebasitarsus laterally with a dense row of white setae and six black spines in between, spines as long as setae, and 0,3 × as long as tarsal diameter, apical spine somewhat longer. Propodeal dorsum 1,1 x as long as wide, with distinct median keel, laterally with indistinct diagonal striation, with dense erect pilosity, directed forwards.

Male: Unknown.

Distribution: Tehran province in Northern Iran.

Etymology. The species is named in honor of Prof. Aziz Kharazi from Tehran University for his significant contribution to biological control of insects.

Remarks: Shahriar County is located on the southern foothills of the Alborz Mountains. The region has a hot and dry climate. The average annual precipitation is 216 mm, and the average annual temperature is 17.6°C. Shahriar is one of the country’s key agricultural centers, with extensive fruit orchards (including plum, apricot, fig, grape, and pomegranate), as well as summer crops and other cultivated plants ( Fayyaz et al., 2015).

Figures

FIGURES 17–22. 17. Miscophus binaludensis ♀ holotype, foreleg. 18–22. Miscophus kharazii ♀ holotype. 18. Lateral view. 19. Face. 20. Propodeal dorsum. 21. Foretarsus, ventral view. 22. Binalud mountain, collecting place of Miscophus binaludensis.