Forum Entomologi Italiani

Hello,

An idea about this Eulasia from Iran?

Many thanks for your help !

Data : Iran - Shiraz, 5 km W - 12/04/2018 - size < 10 mm

Dominique

Hi Dominique, a definitive answer is not possible.
This belongs to a group of species ranging from Taurus, to Negev, to W Iran, whose most known/widespread representative is Eulasia (Eulasia) nitidicollis, at least according to the current taxonomic treatment. Baraud (1990) described a close species from Iran, Eulasia nitidinatis, based on a single specimen and on rather poor diagnostic characters. Mitter (2004) added another similar species from Iran, E. kordestana, based on a very small series and again missing strong diagnostic characters.
Given what above, the situation is not clear, but my suggestion is to temptatively treat Iranian populations as E. nitidinatis.
Together with other colleagues, we gathered or personally collected a quite large sample (at least compared to those of previous workers) of this group, and maybe we will be able to shed some more light on this complex.

Many thanks Marco

Things are never simple with glaphyrids, especially in Iran.

My specimen is very similar to some nitidinatis from the province of Kermanshah (quite far from Shiraz) that Olivier Olivier had given me.

I have reviewed the key of Baraud to the subgenus Eulasia , and if you tell me that it remains imprecise, I completely agree with your conclusions, provisionally naming this species as nitidinatis.

Olivier Montreuil