Smicronyx syriacus Faust 1887

4. Smicronyx (s. str.) syriacus Faust, 1887

(Fig. 1, 9, 16)

Material examined. Har Hermon: Har Dov, 33°15’N 35°40’E, 300 m, 6.vi.2013, L. Friedman (1, SMNHTAU); Har Hermon, 1900m, 21.v.1979, D. Furth (1, SMNHTAU); Har Hermon, 1700m, 17.viii.2005, L. Friedman (1, SMNHTAU), 17.v.2009, L. Friedman (1, SMNHTAU); Newe Ativ, 33.265o 35.735o 6.vi.2015, I. Zonstein (1, SMNHTAU); Majdal Shams, 21.v.2001, V. Kravchenko (1, SMNHTAU); Golan Heights: Nabi Hazuri, 33°15’N 35°44’E, 790 m, 13.x.2013, L. Friedman (1, SMNHTAU); Merom Golan, 12.vi.2000, V. Chikatunov (1, SMNHTAU); Merom Golan, Bental Reservoir, 33o09’N 35o47’E, 25.v.2005, L. Friedman (1, SMNHTAU); Ma’agar Bental, 33o08’N 35o47’E, 7.v.2007, L. Friedman (7, SMNHTAU); Qazrin, 15.vii.2000, L. Friedman (1, SMNHTAU); Qazrin, 32o59’N 35o42’E, 9.v.2006, L. Friedman, (1, SMNHTAU); Upper Galilee: Metulla, 20.ix.1931 (1, PPIS); ‘ Iyyon Nature Reserve, 1.v.2006, L. Friedman (1, SMNHTAU); Tel Dan, 20.viii.2005, V. Kravchenko, V. Chikatunov (1, SMNHTAU); Tel Dan, 168 m, 33°15’N 35°39’E, 19.x.2009, L. Friedman (1, SMNHTAU); Dan, 25.v.2005, L. Friedman (2, SMNHTAU); Dan, Bet Ussishkin, 33o14’N 35o39’E, 14.v.2012, L. Friedman (1, SMNHTAU); Senir, 7.x.1993, J. Halperin, on Fraxinus (1, SMNHTAU); ‘En Gonen Nature Reserve, channel, 19:30–21:00, 18.viii.2014, L. Friedman (3, SMNHTAU); Ne’ot Mordekhay, 17.i.2006, L. Zarabi (1, SMNHTAU); Nahal Keziv, 28.ix.1999, M. Finkel, V. Kravchenko (2, SMNHTAU); Har Meron, 27.vi.1997, A.

Freidberg (1, SMNHTAU); Zefat [Safad], 6.viii.1959, J. Halperin, on Pinus halepensis (1, SMNHTAU); Nahal ‘Ammud, 17.x.1972 (1, SMNHTAU), 31.x.1972 (1, SMNHTAU), all D. Furth, 15.viii.2007, L. Friedman (1, SMNHTAU); Lower Galilee: Qiryat Tiv’on, 7.iv.1957, M. Sternlicht, on Quercus ithaburensis (1, PPIS); Jordan Valley: Park haYarden, 17.v.2009, L. Friedman (2, SMNHTAU); Kare Deshe, 25.ix.1965 (1, SMNHTAU), 1.xi.1965 (1, SMNHTAU), all Y. Palmoni; Nahal Yehudiyya Spill [Btecha], 18.viii.1971 (1, SMNHTAU), 17.x.1971 (1; TAUI), all A. Goldstein; Teverya [Tiberiade] (1, MNHN, Hoffman coll.); Deganya A’, 3.iv.1943, Y. Palmoni (1, SMNHTAU); Deganya A’, Bet Gordon, 25.vi.1967, Y. Palmoni (1, SMNHTAU); Afiqim, 7.vii– 7.viii.1970, Y. Palmoni (1, SMNHTAU); Samaria: Hare Gilboa’, Merav, Har Avinadav, 32°28’N 35°26’E, 420 m, 20.iii.2012, L. Friedman (1, SMNHTAU); Nahal ‘Iron [Wadi Ara], 4.vi.1984, J. Halperin, on Crataegus (1, SMNHTAU); Ein el-Bida, 10.xii.1926, Y. Palmoni (1, SMNHTAU); Berakha, 1kmS, ‘Amassa Spring, 595m, 10.vi.2015, L. Friedman, on Pistacia atlantica (12, SMNHTAU); Berakha, 2kmS, Nabi Isma’il Terebinth Nature Reserve, 620m, 6.iii.2015, L. Friedman (1, SMNHTAU); Qedumim, Nahal Te’ena, 17.viii. 2 0 15, L. Friedman, on Amygdalus (8, SMNHTAU); Qedumim, 2.iv.1999, L. Friedman (1, SMNHTAU); Shekhem, 8.v.1986, Q. Argaman (2, SMNHTAU); Yizhar, Salman Farsi Nature Reserve, 818m, on Quercus calliprinos, 11.vi.2013 (1, SMNHTAU), 1.x.2013 (1, SMNHTAU), 13.xi.2014 (3, SMNHTAU), all L. Friedman; Yizhar, 14.v.2014, J. Haran (5, JHcoll, 1 specimen sequenced from this series, voucher code: 2648-HAR_24063_JHA11.16662. Deposited at Curci); Elon More, ‘En Kefir, 542 m, 14.viii.2013, L. Friedman (1, SMNHTAU); Elon More, Har Kabbir, Mizpe Kabbir, 745m, 11.vi.2013, on Quercus calliprinos (1; TAUI), 14.viii.2013 (6, SMNHTAU), 13.xi.2014 (1, SMNHTAU), all L. Friedman; Mizpe Kabbir, Har Kabbir, 750 m, 14.v.2014, J. Haran, on Cuscuta palaestina Boiss parasite of Sarcopoterium spinosum Spach (10, JHcoll); Nahal Qana Reserve, 120m, 6.5kmSW Qarne Shomeron, 32o08’N 35o02’E, 9.vii.2007, L. Friedman (1, SMNHTAU); Nahal Qana Reserve, 290m, 5kmSW Qarne Shomeron, 32o08’N 35o02’E, 9.vii.2007, A. Freidberg (1, SMNHTAU); ‘ Ez Efrayyim, 13.iii.1998, L. Friedman (1, SMNHTAU); Umm Safa Nature Reserve, 1.x.2013, L. Friedman, on Quercus calliprinos (1, SMNHTAU); ‘ Ateret, Springs, 1.x.2013, L. Friedman (1, SMNHTAU); ‘ Eli, 16.viii.2015, L. Friedman, on Amygdalus (10, SMNHTAU); Northern Coastal Plain: Haïfa (3, Abeille de Perrin coll., 1, Desbrochers coll., MNHN); Binyamina, 14.x.1933, E. Rivnay, on citrus (1, PPIS); Southern Coastal Plain: Rehovot, 8.ix.1920, I. Aharoni, ex fruit galls on Olea europaea (2, SMNHTAU); Ashdod, 1.x.1991, J. Halperin, on Ficus sycamorus (2, SMNHTAU); Nizzanim Nature Reserve, Nahal Evtah, 28.vii.2008, A. Freidberg (1, SMNHTAU); Dead Sea Area: Jericho, J. Sahlberg, “var-Paratypus Smicronyx rufipennis f. hierichontica “, K. Daniel (1, ZSM); ‘Enot Samar, 21.vii.1998, A. Freidberg (1, SMNHTAU); Foothills of Judea: Shoham, 31.iii.2006, L. Friedman (1, SMNHTAU); Park Canada, 4.xi.1996, L. Friedman, on Quercus ithaburensis (1, SMNHTAU); ‘ Adullam, 17.i.2002, Y. Mandelik (1, SMNHTAU); Nahal Sansan, 22.iii.2002, Y. Mandelik, V. Chikatunov (1, SMNHTAU); Sedot Mikha, 22.iii.2002, Y. Mandelik, V. Chukatunov (1, SMNHTAU); Judean Hills: Matta’, 19.iv.2007, I. Shtirberg (1, SMNHTAU); Gush ‘ Ezyon, Giv’at ‘ Oz, SE Migdal ‘ Oz, 950 m, 22.vii.2013, on Quercus calliprinos, L. Friedman (2, SMNHTAU); Judean Desert: Nahal Perat [Wadi Qelt], 15.viii.2002, V. Kravchenko, V. Chikatunov (3, SMNHTAU); ‘Arad, 7kmE, 2.vi.1972, M. Goren (1, SMNHTAU); Central Negev: Park Yeroham, 13.iv.2007, L. Friedman, on Atriplex halimus (1, SMNHTAU); Ma’agar Yeroham, 491m, 26.iii.2015, T. Novoselsky (1, SMNHTAU); Nahal Nizzana, Rt. 171, W Bor Hemet, 13.vi.2013, L. Friedman (1, SMNHTAU). Israel: Palaestina, Reitter (2, SMNHTAU).

Biology. This species was collected on Cuscuta palaestina Boiss., which is often a parasite of Sarcopoterium spinosum Spach (Rosaceae, JH obs.). Adults have also been collected when beating oaks (LF obs.). Months of collection: all year round.

Distribution. Smicronyx syriacus is widely distributed around the Mediterranean basin and in Central Asia (Caldara 2013). In Israel, it is distributed mostly in the northern Mediterranean part of the country; a few specimens collected in the desert would appear to be from disturbed areas with ruderal vegetation.

Discussion. This species is recognizable by the shape of its short and thick scape. The general appearance is close to S. jungermanniae, but scale cover is usually more contrasted, consisting of a dense cover of dark brown scales, with white spots on shoulders and an apical transversal line. The aedeagus is short, laterally subparallel (Fig. 9).