Mylabris (Mylabris) apicenigra Sumakov, 1915

Figs. 1 D, 7A–G

Mylabris quadripunctata apicenigra Sumakov, 1915: 24; 1930: 38; Mader, 1927: 858; Reichardt, 1934: 215, 230. Mylabris (Mylabris) apicenigra, Kuzin, 1954: 354; Bologna, 2008: 397.

Type locality. “Perse, Turkestan (?), Asie Min.” (Sumakov, 1915).

Type specimens. Not examined but probably preserved at ZIN. Sumakov (1915: 24, note 39) cited 6 specimens of this species received by Bodemeyer under the name of M. apicenigra Escherich, which actually is a nomen in litteris, and consequently that of Sumakov is the first description.

Description. Body length: 12–16 mm; setae uniformly black, but mixed golden and black on legs; frontal red spot posteriorly bilobed; antennomeres uniformly black, III ca. 1.5 times as long as IV, XI slightly more than twice as long as wide (Fig. 7 A); pronotum without evident fore transverse depression; elytra yellow only with one black apical fascia, variable in width (very narrow to wide) (Fig. 7 B); pronotal punctures middle in size, well distinct posteriorly and almost confluent in fore third; mesosternum as in Fig. 7 C; male gonoforceps very slender in lateral view (Fig. 7 E), and fused ventrally in basal third (Fig. 7 D); aedeagal (Fig. 7 F) distal hook closed to apex, the proximal one positioned relatively far from apex, and bigger than the distal one; endophallic hook evidently curved.

Distribution. Iran, Syria, Turkey.

Taxonomic remarks. This species was sometimes confused with Mylabris (Micrabris) inculta (Escherich, 1899), which has gray or golden body setation, while M. apicenigra has only black setae. It could be confused also with M. (Mylabris) concolor Marseul, 1870, from which is easily distinct by the characters indicated in the key (see above).

Distribution. S and E Turkey, N Syria, Iran, S Turkmenistan.