Brachymeria argenteopilosa

Brachymeria argenteopilosa (Radoszkowski, 1876)

Chalcis argenteopilosa RADOSzkOWSkI, 1876: 150. ORIgINAL DESCRIpTION ♀. EgYpT. = Chalcis persica MASI, 1924: 190 –192. Syn. nov. ORIgINAL DESCRIpTION ♀. IRAN. Brachymeria argenteopilosa (RADOSzkOWSkI): BOUčEk 1956: 228.

Brachymeria persica MASI, 1951: 44; LOTFALIzADEH et al. 2012: 73.

Material examined. Type material. Chalcis persica. Holotype ♀, by monotypy, labelled ''Persia merid. 1862-63 Coll. G. Doria [manuscript] / ' Chalcis persica Ms. ♀ typus! Kerman 1863 - G. Doria' [manuscript] / ' Brachymeria persica (Masi) Z. Bouček det. 1971' [in Boucek's handwriting]. Other material. INDIA: Hyderabad Patancheru x.79 E. Bennays / Brachymeria argenteopilosa Z. Bouček det. 1980' (1 ♀). IRAN: Alborz, Chalos, Arangeh, loc. 1, 27.xi.2012, (1 ♀) (in CIRAD: GDEL0363); Kordan, Deh Varde, loc. 2, 20.vi.2012, (1 ♂) (in JIAU); Fars, Larestan, loc. 3, 09.iv.2112, (1 ♂) (in JIAU).

Comment. GD did not examine the type of C. argenteopilosa but discovered a series of specimens identified as such by Bouček in NMP.

Distribution. Widely distributed in the Oriental (India), Palaearctic (Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt) and Afrotropical regions (southwards to Tanzania). Within Iran this Brachymeria has hitherto been reported from southern Iran (Masi 1924, 1951; Lotfalizadeh et al. 2012: as B. persica). The present record of this species from northern Iran extends the distribution of this species to the Iranian plateau.