Brachycoleus steini Reuter 1877

Brachycoleus steini Reuter, 1877 (table 1, fig. 1, B; 2, B; 3, C; 4, B)

M a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d. Albourz Province: Azad Bar (36°08ʹ38˝ N, 51°15ʹ27˝ E, 2590 m), 8– 10.07.1995; Kandovan tunnel (36°09ʹ01˝ N, 51°18ʹ38˝ E, 2982 m), 3– 4.07.1995. East Azarbaijan, near Mianeh (37°24ʹ31˝ N, 47°45ʹ42˝ E, 1048 m), 18.06.2005 (Linnavuori, 2009).

D i a g n o s i s. The largest species of the genus. Black with yellow drawing. Pubescence on the bright area is bright and black on black areas. Head black, with a yellow spot on the eye. Ocular index in male l.95 while in female 2.0–2.05. Antenna black, first antennal segment 0.66× as long as wide of head; second antennal segment black, in male 1×, in the female ~ 0.9× as long as the width of pronotum. Collar bright. Pronotum black, lateral and posterior margin narrowly yellow, rear section with two longitudinal yellow stripes and a central elongated spot. Scutellum black in the rear part, with a more or less extensive yellow spot. Clavus with black longitudinal spot. Inner angle of the corium and the outer edge just before the rear corner yellow. Cuneus yellow, its apex black. Legs reddish yellow. Base of the legs black. Tarsi black. The hair on the tibia is as long as the spins.

Length: 9.2–10.0 mm (male), 8.0– 8.9 mm (female).

C o m m e n t s. This species has been collected on Centaurea sp. in hilly steppes (Linnavuori, 2007) and Scolymus hispanicus (Linnavuori, 2009). It has been reported from Albourz provinces (Heiss, Linnavuori, 2002). It is a Pontomediterranean species, found in Spain, Italy, Sicily, in the Balkan Peninsula, Hungary and Eurasia Minor (Wagner, Weber, 1964)