West Palaearctic Region Research Articles

First record of the genus Haritalodes Warren, 1890 and H. derogata (Fabricius, 1775) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae: Spilomelinae) from Türkiye and its morphological and molecular identification

The genus Haritalodes Warren, 1890 is represented by 12 species worldwide except in the Nearctic and Neotropical regions. Haritalodes derogata (Fabricius, 1775), commonly known as the cotton leaf roller moth, is the most widely distributed species of the genus and is common in the West Palaearctic Region. This species is one of the most serious pests of Malvaceae. The larvae primarily feed on the leaves, and severe population levels may lead to significant yield loss in the primary host, cotton. In a survey in 2023, the shrubs of the Hibiscus sp. were found to be infested by a group of larvae with a very dense population feeding on the leaves in Trabzon Province, Türkiye. The larvae were reared for pupation and adult emergence. Morphological identification according to male and female genitalia as well as sequencing of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase region I (COI) from larvae and adults revealed that the species is H. derogata. This is the first report of the genus Haritalodes and Haritalodes derogata in Türkiye.

The InBIO Barcoding Initiative Database: DNA barcodes of Iberian Bees.

Bees are important actors in terrestrial ecosystems and are recognised for their prominent role as pollinators. In the Iberian Peninsula, approximately 1,100 bee species are known, with nearly 100 of these species being endemic to the Peninsula. A reference collection of DNA barcodes, based on morphologically identified bee specimens, representing 514 Iberian species, was constructed. The "InBIO Barcoding Initiative Database: DNA Barcodes of Iberian bees" dataset contains records of 1,059 sequenced specimens. The species of this dataset correspond to about 47% of Iberian bee species diversity and 21% of endemic species diversity. For peninsular Portugal only, the corresponding coverage is 71% and 50%. Specimens were collected between 2014 and 2022 and are deposited in the research collection of Thomas Wood (Naturalis Biodiversity Center, The Netherlands), in the FLOWer Lab collection at the University of Coimbra (Portugal), in the Andreia Penado collection at the Natural History and Science Museum of the University of Porto (MHNC-UP) (Portugal) and in the InBIO Barcoding Initiative (IBI) reference collection (Vairão, Portugal). Of the 514 species sequenced, 75 species from five different families are new additions to the Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD) and 112 new BINs were added. Whilst the majority of species were assigned to a single BIN (94.9%), 27 nominal species were assigned to multiple BINs. Although the placement into multiple BINs may simply reflect genetic diversity and variation, it likely also represents currently unrecognised species-level diversity across diverse taxa, such as Amegillaalbigena Lepeletier, 1841, Andrenarussula Lepeletier, 1841, Lasioglossumleucozonium (Schrank, 1781), Nomadafemoralis Morawitz, 1869 and Sphecodesalternatus Smith, 1853. Further species pairs of Colletes, Hylaeus and Nomada were placed into the same BINs, emphasising the need for integrative taxonomy within Iberia and across the Mediterranean Basin more broadly. These data substantially contribute to our understanding of bee genetic diversity and DNA barcodes in Iberia and provide an important baseline for ongoing taxonomic revisions in the West Palaearctic biogeographical region.

Description of the female of Dicranomyia oosterbroeki Devyatkov, 2013 with an overview of the Limoniidae (Diptera) fauna of Ihlara Valley, Inner Anatolia

A survey of Limoniidae carried out in Ihlara Valley, Inner Anatolia (Turkey) and its neighbourhood in 2015–2016 revealed 41 taxa. Of these, Dicranomyia (Idiopyga) oosterbroeki Devyatkov, 2013 is new for the West Palaearctic region and D. (D.) longipennis Schummel, 1829 new for Turkey. The genital and wing photos of these two species are presented, including the first description of the female of D. oosterbroeki together with distribution and habitat information of the two species.

First record of Sitona waterhousei Walton in Turkey, near Mount Ararat (Curculionidae, Entiminae)

Sitona waterhousei Walton, 1846, is newly recorded from Turkey. The weevil was collected by sweeping herbaceous plants near Mount Ararat in Igdir, East Turkey. This is the second record for Asia and the easternmost known locality. The distribution of the species apparently consists of a large area in the west Palaearctic region and a small area south of the Greater Caucasus range.

Taxonomy of 'Euconnus complex'. Part XXIV. Intermediate forms between Psomophus, Eupentarius and Euconnus s. str. in the East Palaearctic fauna unify problematic subgenera (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Scydmaeninae)

Within the West Palaearctic region, the subgenera Psomophus and Eupentarius can be easily distinguished from Euconnus s. str. based on the antennal, pronotal and male genital structures. However, in other regions, described and undescribed species of Euconnus can be found that show intermediate features between these three subgenera. This problem is analyzed based on fourteen exemplary species that occur in the East Palaearctic region, mainly in Japan. It is concluded that there are intermediate forms between a trimerous antennal club, previously treated as the primary diagnostic feature of Psomophus, and a tetramerous club, typical of most species placed in Eupentarius and Euconnus s. str. The shape of the pronotum, the median pronotal antebasal pit, and the bifurcate aedeagal apex, thought to be typical of Eupentarius, were also found to vary among apparently closely related species. Consequently, Psomophus syn. n. and Eupentarius syn. n. are placed as junior synonyms of Euconnus s. str. The following species are redescribed or described: (1) Euconnus callidus group: E. chinensis Franz (China: Fujian), E. multiinsularis sp. n. (Japan: C & N Ryūkyū); (2) species sola E. rectitibia sp. n. (Japan: Honshū, Kyūshū); (3) Euconnus kirin group: E. kirin sp. n. (Japan: Honshū), E. yaimanus sp. n. (Japan: S Ryūkyū), E. uchinaanchu sp. n. (Japan: C Ryūkyū); (4) Euconnus pseudotrimerus group: E. pseudotrimerus sp. n. (Japan: Honshū), E. urauchianus sp. n. (Japan: S Ryūkyū); (5) Euconnus taiwanus group: E. taiwanus Franz (Taiwan and newly recorded from Japan: S Ryūkyū), E. fukiensis Franz (China: Fujian), E. bibaculatus sp. n. (Japan: S Ryūkyū), E. cryptoiriomotensis sp. n. (Japan: S Ryūkyū), E. oitaensis sp. n. (Japan: Kyūshū), and E. banana sp. n. (Japan: C Ryūkyū). A synonymic checklist of subgenera of Euconnus and a preliminary illustrated key to subgenera are given.

Two new species of Alainites (Ephemeroptera, Baetidae) from the Mediterranean biodiversity hotspot.

The mayfly genus Alainites Waltz & McCafferty, 1994 encompassed 20 species and was represented across the West Palaearctic region by six species. Based on morphological (nymphal characters) and molecular (mitochondrial COI sequences) evidence, two new species are described: A.bengunn sp. nov. from Sardinia and A.gasithi sp. nov. from Israel. Both species are confined to narrow distribution ranges, in line with most of their congeners from the region. The key nymphal traits are discussed and identified to distinguish species in the group.

A new species of Acrolocha from North Iran (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Omaliinae)

A new species of the Holarctic omaliine genus Acrolocha Thomson, 1858 from Gilan province, Northwest Iran, is described, illustrated, and distinguished from other West Palaearctic congeners. The genus now includes a total of 16 species, seven of which are distributed in the West Palaearctic region.

Present and future of the knowledge about the genus Eumerus Meigen, 1822 (Diptera: Syrphidae) in the Iberian Peninsula

The genus Eumerus Meigen, 1822 (Diptera: Syrphidae) is one of the most diverse hoverfly genera in the west Palaearctic Region with 140 confirmed species and 80 occurring in the European continent. It is also highly diverse in the Iberian Peninsula plus the Balearic and Canary Islands with 43 species. Recent works on this genus have increased the number of species endemic to the Iberian Peninsula up to five. Nowadays, taxonomy, distribution and biology of the Iberian Eumerus taxonomy are still far to be fully understood. The aim of this work is to present an updated overview of the Eumerus taxonomy and diversity in the Iberian area, addressing main topics pending of resolution in the genus.

A remarkable finding of Centroptilum Eaton, 1869 (Ephemeroptera: Baetidae) in Georgia, Turkey and Iran: one new species evidenced by morphology and DNA

The genus Centroptilum Eaton, 1869 is widely distributed in the West Palaearctic region, but poorly diversified as it previously only encompassed two valid species, C. luteolum (Müller, 1776) and C. pirinense Ikonomov, 1962. The discovery of a new congener, C. volodymyri Martynov, Godunko and Palatov, sp. nov., is therefore remarkable; the new species is described based on larvae collected in Georgia, Turkey and Iran in 2012–2019. This new species can be distinguished by the structure of the cuticle with flattened, stretched shallow, triangular and semilunar-shaped corrugations; scales and their bases densely scattered on body surface; features of the mouth parts, including the presence of an expanded laterally labrum, in combination with segment III of maxillary palp and superlinguae of hypopharynx rounded apically, without any pointed projections at the tip; numerous small teeth scattered proximally in two rows along inner margin of the pretarsal claw; the shape of denticulation along the posterior margin of the abdominal terga, and the number of prominent posterolateral spines on tergum VII; and the shape of gills II–VII, with a distinctly concave posterior margin. Together with a morphological description, data on the distribution and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (COI) barcode sequences of the species are provided. The species delimitation of C. volodymyri Martynov, Godunko and Palatov, sp. nov. and C. luteolum is tested using COI barcode sequences. The data obtained show that the new species can be distinctly recognised as a separate lineage. The habitat preferences associated with the different parts of the area of C. volodymyri Martynov, Godunko and Palatov, sp. nov. are described and compared. Distribution of C. volodymyri Martynov, Godunko and Palatov, sp. nov. confirms the connections between Caucasian and Asian fauna of Ephemeroptera, as already demonstrated in various families and genera. Short notes on the distribution of mayfly species common to the Caucasus, north-western Iran and Central Asia are presented. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:1D2B7557-0DEC-4ACD-8CA3-A6B50FCC4A51.

The Inland Water Copepod Fauna of a Traditional Rural Landscape in a Mediterranean Island (Crustacea, Copepoda)

Although the Mediterranean area is a well-known hotspot of biological diversity, the crustacean assemblages inhabiting inland waters of the Mediterranean islands are to date unevenly known, and detailed information is missing for most taxa and areas. In the frame of this paper, we provide a checklist and a characterization of the copepod fauna of the lentic water bodies occurring in a traditional rural landscape of Sicily, where the co-existence of agriculture, woodlands, and pastoral activities lead to the presence of a wide range of different aquatic habitats. Overall, 22 copepod species belonging to the orders Calanoida, Cyclopoida, and Harpacticoida have been found in the 92 surveyed sites, stressing the conservation value of the area. In the study area, species widespread in the west Palaearctic region co-exist with strictly Mediterranean elements and a small but biogeographically significant group of species with northern or Balkan affinities, which support the role of the investigated area as a refugium for species that colonised Sicily during Pleistocene climate fluctuations and are now restricted to the more wet parts of the island. A single non-native species has been found, and its distribution is currently limited to permanent, man-made reservoirs.

Taxonomic study of the genus Microplitis Förster, 1862 (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Microgastrinae) from Iran

The genus Microplitis Förster, 1862 (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Microgastrinae) was studied from northern Iran. Specimens were collected using Malaise traps during 2010–2011. A total of 13 species were collected and identified, of which six species are recorded for the first time from Iran: M. cebes Nixon, 1970, M. docilis Nixon, 1970, M. eremitus Reinhard, 1880, M. kaszabi Papp, 1980, M. pallidipennis Tobias, 1964 and M. varipes (Ruthe, 1860). Two species M. kaszabi and M. pallidipennis are new records for the west Palaearctic region. A new species, Microplitis alborziensis Abdoli & Talebi sp. nov., is described and illustrated. The number of species of Microplitis in Iran is now raised from 17 to 24. A faunistic list, an identification key to all known Iranian species and brief diagnoses and illustrations for all species that have been collected in this study are provided. The validity of the new species is supported by DNA barcoding.

A revision of Geostiba of the West Palaearctic region. XXVII. New species from Georgia and Kyrgyzstan, and additional records (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae)

A revision of Geostiba of the West Palaearctic region. XXVII. New species from Georgia and Kyrgyzstan, and additional records (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae)

Revision of the Baeoglena species of the West Palaearctic Region (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae)

The subgenus Baeoglena Thomson, 1867 of the speciose aleocharine genus Oxypoda Mannerheim, 1830 has been subject to considerable taxonomic confusion rendering a reliable identification of material from regions other than Central Europe and the Canary Islands virtually impossible. Based on a revision of abundant material from various major public and private collections, seven species are distributed in the West Palaearctic region exclusive of the Canary Islands. Two new species are described and illustrated: Oxypoda (Baeoglena) rectacia spec. nov. (East Mediterranean, from South Greece to the Middle East) and O. (B.) derecta spec. nov. (West Caucasus, Northeast Anatolia). Diagnoses and illustrations of the genitalia are provided for the remaining five species. The following synonymies are established: Oxypoda nova Bernhauer, 1902 = O. giachinoi Pace, 2001, syn. nov.; O. hispanica Fagel, 1958 and its replacement name O. inexpectata Fagel, 1965 are removed from synonymy with O. praecox Erichson, 1839 and synonymized with O. fusina Mulsant & Rey, 1875. Oxypoda recondita Kraatz, 1856 and O. dalmatina Bernhauer, 1905 are excluded from Baeoglena and moved to the subgenus Bessopora Thomson, 1859. Lectotypes are designated for Oxypoda nova Bernhauer, 1902, O. caucasica Bernhauer, 1902, and O. kuehnelti Scheerpeltz, 1963. An outline of the taxonomic history, a diagnosis of the subgenus, a checklist, and a key to species are provided. A zoogeographic analysis revealed some remarkably discontinuous distributions and parapatric distribution patterns which are plausibly explained only with interspecific competition among Baeoglena species. The distributions of the subgenus as a whole and of the individual species in the West Palaearctic region are mapped.
 
 Taxonomic acts
 Oxypoda rectacia spec. nov. – urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:8E5A6F28-9AD3-474E-99F8-9CBA0F85C4DC Oxypoda derecta spec. nov. – urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:4C73E05F-20F7-4697-A4BA-D9E030B28A27

<p><strong>An overview of the Chrysididae (Hymenoptera) of the Red Sea Farasan </strong><strong>Archipelago (Saudi Arabia)</strong></p>

A survey of the Chrysididae (Insecta: Hymenoptera) of the Farasan Archipelago (Red Sea) was undertaken, mainly using Malaise traps and sweep nets from 2012 to 2017. Twenty-eight species belonging to eight genera were identified and recorded in this study (four of which are new records for the south-western Saudi Arabia). We have described four new species: (Hedychridium azizi sp. nov., Chrysis farasanensis sp. nov., Chrysis decolorata ssp. nov., Trichrysis flavicornis sp. nov.) A list of all species of Chrysididae recorded from the major Farasan Island is provided. The Chrysididae population of the Farasan Archipelago is composed mainly of species of South West Palaearctic Region. The presence of a few Afrotropical species is evidence of their expansion in the nearby Southern Arabia. Key word: Chrysididae, cuckoo wasp, Saudi Arabia, Jazan, Farasan Island, new species

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS IMPACT AND INCIDENCE OF PARASITISM OF PSYLLAEPHAGUS BLITEUS RIEK (HYMENOPTERA ENCYRTIDAE) ON POPULATIONS OF GLYCASPIS BRIMBLECOMBEI MOORE (HEMIPTERA APHALARIDAE) IN MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATIC AREAS

The red gum lerp psyllid, Glycaspis brimblecombeiMoore (Hemiptera, Aphalaridae), is an Australian native sap-sucking insect pest of eucalypts that has been first reported for the West Palaearctic Region in 2008 and, in 2010, it hasbeen found also in Italy. Subsequently its primary parasitoid, Psyllaephagus bliteus Riek (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae),was also detected within the main European and North African infested areas, where no release of the parasitoid was everperformed. This study, carried out in 30 Eucalyptus camaldulensis plantations located along the coast, on the hills andthe mountains in Mediterranean climatic areas of Sicily (Italy), aimed to determine the influence of environmentalparameters on the incidence of both, the psyllid infestation level and the parasitization activity. P. bliteusreached high-est average levels in summer samplings and resulted widespread in Sicily at all detected altitudes without statisticallysignificant differences. P. bliteus parasitization is the main factor lowering G. brimblecombei infestation; this result,together with the accidental and contemporaneous arrival of the host and its parasitoid, could explain the absence of highdamage level on eucalypts in Sicily. The most significant metric factors positively influencing G. brimblecombei infes-tation are the percentage of daily hours above 80% of relative humidity and the average maximum temperature, obvi-ously related to other, but less significant climatic factors. The altitude affects both infestation and parasitization, but sin-gle sites could explain significantly more, so that the local conditions where the samplings were carried out have to beconsidered as the main responsibles for the variability in the obtained results. In any sampled Sicilian site, from sea levelto 540 m a.s.l., both the psyllid and its parasitoids show a good adaptation to climatic conditions, confirming that areasfitting for E. camaldulensisgrowth fit also for P. bliteus activity, and proving that Mediterranean climate, differently fromsome inland areas of California, does not obstacle its parasitic activity.

Revision of the Cousya species of the West Palaearctic Region (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae)

Species of the genus Cousya Mulsant & Rey, 1875 and five previously unrevised species of Ocyusa Kraatz, 1856 of the West Palaearctic region including Middle Asia are revised. In total, 19 species of Cousya are recognized, with one additional species of which no material was available of doubtful identity and generic affiliations. Three or four additional species remain unnamed for want of males. Only two species, O. maura (Erichson, 1837) and O. picina (Aube, 1850), remain in Ocyusa. Four species are newly described: Cousya acrisn. sp. (South Greece, South Turkey, Cyprus, Lebanon); C. struyvein. sp. (South Spain); C. paulin. sp. (Southwest Turkey); C. sufflatan. sp. (Greece: South Peloponnisos). Redescriptions are provided for Cousya and ten of its species. All the Cousya species and most of the species moved to other genera are illustrated. Eleven synonymies are proposed: Cousya bicolor (Bernhauer, 1900) = C. mirabilis Assing, 2011, n. syn.; C. defecta (Mulsant & Rey, 1875) = C. humicolaFagel, 1965, n. syn.; C. longitarsis (Thomson, 1867) = C. rugipennis (J. Sahlberg, 1890) n. syn. (previously a synonym of Oxypoda funebris Kraatz, 1856), = C. peeziScheerpeltz, 1957, n. syn.; C. nigrata (Fairmaire & Laboulbene, 1856) = C. cephallenica (Scheerpeltz, 1931), n. syn., = C. nitidiventrisFagel, 1958, n. syn., = C. lakloukensisFagel, 1965, n. syn.;C. schuelkeiAssing, 2007 = C. planicollis Assing, 2011, n. syn.; C. bimaculata (Fauvel, 1899) = C. vaulogeri (Bernhauer, 1936), n. syn.; Oxypoda flavicornis Kraatz, 1856 = Ocyusa beieriScheerpeltz, 1931, n. syn.; Ocyusa pellax Peyerimhoff, 1919 = Oxypoda argusNormand, 1935, n. syn. Six new binomina are established: Cousya dissoluta (Eppelsheim, 1888), n. comb. (ex Ocyusa); C. praecox (Eppelsheim, 1888), n. comb. (ex Ocyusa); Oxypoda pictaMulsant & Rey, 1875, n. comb. (ex Cousya);Oxypoda pellax (Peyerimhoff, 1919), n. comb. (ex Ocyusa);Oxypoda heydeni (Eppelsheim, 1879), n. comb. (ex Ocyusa);Tectusa uhligi (Pace, 1987), n. comb. (ex Cousya). The material labelled as types of Cousya uhligi is composed of three species, all of them belonging to Tectusa Bernhauer, 1899. One of them is Tectusa pirinican. sp. (Bulgaria: Pirin Planina). Four Bulgarian species of Tectusa, including T. pirinica, are illustrated. “Ocyusa” apicalisNormand, 1935 is not congeneric with the type species of Ocyusa and treated as Oxypodina incertae sedis. A neotype is designated for Ocyusa defectaMulsant & Rey, 1875. Lectotypes are designated for Cousya peeziScheerpeltz, 1957, Ocyusa eppelsheimiBernhauer, 1902, O. araxisBernhauer, 1902, O. bicolorBernhauer, 1900, Homalota dissolutaEppelsheim, 1888, H. praecoxEppelsheim, 1888, and Ocyusa ferdinandicoburgiRambousek, 1909. A catalogue and a key to the Cousya species of the West Palaearctic region are provided. The species of Cousya are assigned to two species groups, the C. nigrata group (eleven species) and the C. crocea group (eight species). While the species of the C. nigrata group are fully winged and widespread, those of the C. crocea group are partly incapable of flight and have restricted distributions; six of them have been recorded only from their respective type localities. The distributions of all the Cousya species are mapped. Available evidence suggests that at least the species of the C. nigrata group reproduce in autumn (most species in a subterranean habitat), have their preimaginal development in winter and early spring, emerge from the pupa and disperse in spring, and spend the warmer seasons either in estivation or in a subterranean habitat. A biased sex ratio (males rarer than females) was observed in two species. It is particularly pronounced in C. nigrata: only 15 % of the sexed specimens are males. Not a single male was found in the north of its range, suggesting that the species is parthenogenetic in this region.

The subfamily Cratocentrinae (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae): reappraisal of their morphological characters and review of the West Palaearctic species, with the description of two new species.

The Cratocentrinae (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae) of the West Palaearctic region are reviewed. A reappraisal of the morphological characters used for their recognition and phylogeny is provided as is a key to separate the genera and species of the region. Their distribution in the West Palaearctic is updated and the subfamily is reported for the first time in Europe. Cratocentrus inermus Delvare sp. nov. and Philocentrus papillus Abul-Sood Gadallah sp. nov. are described. A neotype is designated for Philocentrus argenteopilosus (Cameron), which is revalidated and transferred to Philocentrus comb. nov. stat rev.

A revision of Sunius XVI. Two new species from Iran and Iraq (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae)

Two species of Sunius Stephens, 1829 are described and illustrated: S. reuteri spec. nov. (North Iraq), the first record of the genus from Iraq, and S. concurvatus spec. nov. (South Iran). Additional records of six previously described species are reported from the West Palaearctic region. Updated distribution maps are provided for S. khnzoriani (Coiffait, 1970) and S. fulgocephalus (Coiffait, 1970). The genus is currently represented in the Palaearctic region by 138 described species and two subspecies.
 Nomenclatural Acts
 
 Sunius reuteri spec. nov. – urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:2E7291CB-C82F-4970-80A2-CD2134094330
 Sunius concurvatus spec. nov. – urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:08E5F974-F9DA-4C0A-8733-CD51AF218238

Revision of the West Palaearctic Polistes Latreille, with the descriptions of two species - an integrative approach using morphology and DNA barcodes (Hymenoptera, Vespidae).

The genus Polistes is revised for the West Palaearctic region based on morphology and DNA barcodes. The revision includes all known West Palaearctic species, raising the number of species in Europe to 14 and to 17 for the West Palaearctic realm. DNA barcodes were recovered from 15 species, 14 of which belong to the subgenus Polistes, and one, P. wattii, to the subgenus Gyrostoma. An integrative taxonomic approach combining morphology and molecular data (DNA barcoding) was employed to resolve longstanding taxonomic problems in this group. Two species, P. austroccidentalis van Achterberg & Neumeyer, sp. n. (= P. semenowi auctt.) from W and SW Europe and P. maroccanus Schmid-Egger, sp. n. from Morocco are described as new. Polistes bucharensis Erichson, 1849, and P. foederatus Kohl, 1898, were restored from synonymy. The following new synonyms are proposed: P. sulcifer Zimmermann, 1930, and Pseudopolistes sulcifer var. similator Zirngiebl, 1955, under P. semenowi Morawitz, 1889, syn. n.; Polistes iranus Guiglia, 1976, Polistes gallica var. ornata Weyrauch, 1938 and Polistes gallicus muchei Gusenleitner, 1976, under P. bucharensis Erichson, 1849, syn. n.; Polistes omissus var. ordubadensis Zirngiebl, 1955, and P. hellenicus Arens, 2011, under Polistes mongolicus du Buysson, 1911, syn. n. An illustrated key includes all species and additionally three species from the subgenera Aphanilopterus Meunier, 1888 and Gyrostoma Kirby, 1828 (including a Nearctic species recently introduced to Spain and two species occurring in Egypt, the Arabian Peninsula, and SW Asia). A phylogenetic analysis using Bayesian inference provides insights into phylogenetic relationships within the genus Polistes.

Addition to the checklist of IUCN European wild bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea)

SummaryThe present study is an update to the first Red List of European Bees published in 2014. The additional records are based on (i) comprehensive review of literature; (ii) new data provided by bee specialists in response to the publication of the first Red List; (iii) new developments in taxonomy of European bees including description of new cryptic species; (iv) new specimens from recent field collections. While the first Red List included a list of 1965 wild bee species with 75 genera, we found 86 additional species, while two more genera have been erected (Seladonia and Vestitohalictus), giving an updated total of 2051 species and 77 genera. The authors discuss the artificial framework of the study considered by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to produce the first Red List and they propose the more meaningful West Palaearctic biogeographical region. For this whole region, a first estimation gives 3408 wild bee species in 105 genera. The next taxa have been erected from subspecies to species status: Andrena (Euandrena) limosa Warncke, 1969, stat. n., Andrena (Plastandrena) oligotricha Mavromoustakis, 1952, stat. n.