Spintharina zheztyrnak Rosa & Halada, sp. nov.

(Figs 9A–G)

Material examined. Holotype — ♂, Uzbekistan: Aman-Kutan SSSR, 8.6.[19]59, lgt. J. Niedl (NMLU).

Diagnosis. Spintharina zheztyrnak sp. nov. belongs to the versicolor group, which is characterized by unmodified antennae with elongate first flagellomere. This species can be recognized by the combination of the following characters: cylindrical habitus; elongate first flagellomere; broad hyaline rim along the apical margin of the third tergum; slender, elongate genital capsule, with a long gonostyle; sparse punctation on the mesoscutum, with polished interspaces; and dark blue to green colouration. Other Central Asian species with a well-developed hyaline rim (e.g., Spintharina extrema (Semenov-Tian-Shanskij & Nikol’skaya, 1954) and Spintharina vagans (Radoszkowski, 1877)) have a short first and second flagellomere and belong to the vagans group. The only similar species is Spintharina houskai (Balthasar, 1953) from the Middle East. Both species share a similar genital capsule structure with a tooth at the base of the inner side of the gonocoxa (see Linsenmaier 1959: Fig. 285, pag. 202). However, the genital capsule of S. zheztyrnak sp. nov. is distinguished by its elongate shape and short teeth on the inner side of the gonocoxa. The main external morphological difference is the presence of an acute tooth in front of the tegula in S. houskai, which is absent in S. zheztyrnak sp. nov. Additional differences include the colouration (entirely red in S. houskai) and body sculpture, with regular punctation on the mesoscutum and second tergum, although in both species the punctation is double.

Description. Holotype ♂. Body length 6.7 mm; anterior wing length 3.5 mm.

Head. Vertex and ocellar area with dense, small punctures (0.2–0.3× MOD); frontal carina weak, slightly raised between anterior ocellus and scapal basin, vaguely M-shaped (Fig. 9A); punctures irregular below frontal carina; scapal basin and malar space covered with fine punctures bearing white short seta; malar space short, finely and densely punctate; genal carina weak, extending from temple to mandibular insertion; subantennal distance elongate 1.1× MOD; apex of clypeus straight, slightly arcuate upward with narrow, dark brown rim; clypeus with sparse dots, largely polished; anterior ocellus lidded; posterior ocelli with small lateral deep fovea; postero-lateral to posterior ocelli with large impunctate area, as large as 1× MOD. Narrow distance between anterior ocellus and margin of upper transverse frontal carina = 0.5× MOD. Subantennal distance: 1.1× MOD. OOL 1.9× MOD; POL 2.6× MOD; MS 0.9× MOD; relative length of P:F1:F2:F3 = 1.0:1.3:0.9:0.8.

Mesosoma. Medial pronotal furrow deep, narrow, reaching ¾ of pronotal length; pronotum medially as long as scutellum, with deep, double punctures, small to medium in size (0.1–0.5× MOD); humeral angle laterally with unusual row of small punctures (Fig. 9C); propleuron densely micropunctate; mesoscutum with small, sparse punctures, and wide polished, shining interspaces (Fig. 9B), with dots between punctures; lateral area of mesoscutum similarly sculptured up to lateral margin; notauli formed by deep, black round pits, larger basally, as large as larger punctures, decreasing in size apically; parapsidal signum deep and distinct; mesoscutellum with sculpture similar to that of mesoscutum; scutellar-metanotal suture deep, formed by longitudinally elongate foveae, with wide median fovea; metanotum coarsely punctate posteriorly, with round punctures separated by polished, narrow interspaces; posterior propodeal projections subparallel, with straight posterior margin, as in other species of the versicolor group, not notched posteriorly; mesopleuron with episternal sulcus formed by small, subconfluent foveae, as large as other punctures on mesopleuron, merging with adjacent punctures of mesepisternum (Fig. 9C). Wing venation unmodified. The type is damaged and lacks the left forewing.

Metasoma. Punctation on terga deep and double, with sparse dots on interspaces; punctures at base of second tergum coarse and denser (Fig. 9D); longitudinal median carina faint; third tergum with large, round and deep pits forming pit row (Fig. 9E); apical margin bordered by wide semi-transparent hyaline rim; black spots on second sternum large, covering ¾ of sternum length, and nearly touching medially (Fig. 9G). Genital capsule extremely elongate (Fig. 9F), with long volsella and gonostyle, with two short teeth at base of gonocoxae.

Colouration. Body green to blue, legs green to blue with non-metallic inner side, tarsi light brown, first tarsomere yellowish; tegula metallic green; scape and pedicel green, flagellomeres light brown.

Vestiture. Setae whitish and short (at least 1.0× MOD) on head and metasoma; longer and denser on mesosoma dorsally.

Female. Unknown.

Etymology. The specific epithet zheztyrnak (female name in apposition) refers to a mythological figure of Central Asian folklore.

Distribution. Uzbekistan.