Asitus sp.

Asitus sp.

Fig. 5

Material examined. 8 ♀♀, 2 ♂♂: IRAN, West-Azarbaijan Province , Naqadeh, Solduz Wetland, 37º02′ N, 45º35′ E, 1277 m a.s.l., 21 July 2020, 29 April 2021, M. Razmi leg., ex Calamagrostis epigejos GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis (abstracted from Ferrière, 1955; Lotfalizadeh et al., 2020). Female ( Fig. 5): pale yellow with darker colored gaster and antennae, but with slight metallic sheen on some parts and legs predominantly yellow; habitus dorsoventrally flattened; head prognathous, with a flat fronto-facial surface, finely rugose; antennae inserted low on face, just above clypeus; scape short; pedicel longer than first two funicular segments combined; funicular segments moniliform, gradually widening toward apex; clava long and distinctly segmented; mesosoma finely reticulate; pronotum divided into two subtriangular parts; notauli absent; scutellum wider than long, about 1.5× as wide as long, anteriorly reaching base of tegula; fore wings large, hyaline, with relatively long marginal fringe, especially along posterior margin; stigmal vein short; postmarginal vein very short.

Remarks. Asitus remains taxonomically understudied, with only one formally described species currently recognized worldwide— Asitus phragmitis ( Ferrière, 1955) . This species differs from A. phragmitis and from Asitus sp. reported from common reed ( Phragmites australis ) ( Poaceae ) by Lotfalizadeh et al. (2020) in several diagnostic characters, and in our opinion probably represents a new species. Confirmation of its status will be addressed in a future comprehensive study.

Distribution. IRAN ( Lotfalizadeh et al. 2020), West Azarbaijan Province ( new record). EXTRALIMITAL: Caucasus, Europe, Pakistan, USA ( UCD Community 2023).

Biological association. Of this genus, Asitus phragmitis ( Ferrière, 1955) is a recognized parasitoid of Pseudococcidae ( Hemiptera : Coccomorpha) infesting Phragmites ( Lotfalizadeh et al., 2020; UCD Community, 2023). For this particular species, field observations of mealybugs ( Pseudococcidae ) during host plant collection suggest that a member of this insect family likely serves as this parasitoid’s host.