S. Mahunka szerk.: Folia Entomologica Hungarica 50. (Budapest, 1989)
Brachyleptus aurosus Reitter, 1885 = Brachyleptus tomentiventris Reitter, 1896, syn. n. = Brachyleptus reltterl Gangibauer, 1899 Geographical distribution: From Greece to Turkey, Turkmen SSR, Central Iran, Caucasus, Syria, Israel, Jordan and North Egypt (Jelinek 1980; Alfieri 1976; Audisio unpublished data). Biological notes: Larvae and adults on fruits and flowers of many Papaveraceae respectively, chiefly on Papaver spp. and Glaucium corniculatum (L.) Rudolph. Female ovipositor long and narrow, abruptly narrowed at two thirds of its length, widened distad and narrowed again in its apical fourth (Fig. 5); apex very peculiar, slightly tetralobed but distinctly divaricated (Fig. 5). The taxon B. tomentiventris Reitter, 1896, by Jelinek (1980) reputed to represent a distinct species but my opinion, that it is identical with B. aurosus Reitter, 1885 since both taxa share identical ovipositors (Fig. 5), and the differences in male genitalia illustrated by Jelinek (1980) are not constant. Both the degree of male genitalia sclerification and the body colouration seems to be clinally variable in populations of the two taxa. B. tomentiventris Reitter, 1896 must'therefore be regarded as junior synonym of B. aurosus Reitter, 1885. The species seems to be somewhat isolated from both B. quadratus (Sturm) and from the following species, while not distanctly placed in a phylogenetic system. Brachyleptus auripubens Reitter, 1896 Brachyleptus auripuben s, Reitter, 1896, sp. prop. - Brachyleptus notativentris Reitter, 1902, syn. n. Geographical distribution: Inner and Southern Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Israel. Examined material: Turkey, vil. Hatay, Nur Daglari (= Amanus Mountains), dint. Akbéz, without further data '"Syria, Akbès"), 1 <j) lectotype and 2 oo paralectotype s of Brachy leptus auripubens Reitter, 1896 (P. Audisio des., 1987; in the Hungarian National Museum, Budapest); ibidem, 1 ^ paralectotype 'P. Audisio des., 1987; in the National Museum of Natural History, Paris); ibidem, 1 <j> (in the author's collection, Rome); ibidem, 2 <?o* (paralectotypes of Brachyleptus notativentris Reitter, 1902; in the Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest); Turkey, Adana, 2. V. 1967, Wittmer leg., 1 S (National Museum, Praha); Turkey, vil. Adana, Tekirbeli, 1300 m, 9. VI. 1986, on Papaver argemone L., M. Bologna leg., 1 <j> (in the author's collection); Turkey, vil. Kahramanmaras, 30 km NE Elbistan, 1500 m, 18. VI. 1986, on Papaver rhoeas L. (Papaveraceae), P. Audisio leg., 1 (in the author's collection); Turkey, vil. Nevsehir, Goreme, 1300 m, 20. VI. 1986, on Papaver rhoeas L., P. Audisio leg., 1 <j> (in the author's collection); Turkey, Afyon, 1000 m, 6. VI. 1986, on Papaver rhoeas L., 1 £ (in the author's collection); Turkey, vil. Ankara, Kirikkale, 1000 m, 4. VII. 1987, on Papaver rhoeas L., 1 (j> (in the author's collection); Turkey, Balikesir, 17. V. 1971, Lodos leg., on barley, 1 <j> 'in the author's collection*; Turkey, vil. Kütahya, Tavsanli, 18. V. 1971, 900 m, Lodos leg., 1 <j> (in the author's collection); Jordan: Amman, 800 m, 29. III. 1959, J. Klapperich leg., 1 <? (Zoological Institute of the Academy of Sciences, Leningrad); Israel: Nazareth, without further data, 1 6 (in the author's collection). Biological notes: Adults on flowers of Papaver rhoeas L. and P. argemone L. larvae perhaps also on fruits of the same plants. Female ovipositor somewhat regularly narrowed from base to the apex, 3. 7 times longer than wide; distad with two distinct lateral projections, where the sensory hairs are inserted (Fig. 6); apex somewhat wide and blunt, only feebly sinuated 'Fig. 6). In spite of Jelinek's opinion that B. auripubens is only a junior synonym of B. aurosus Reitter, 1885, the entirely different ovipositors of the two taxa 'Figs. 5,6) show without any doubt that they are specifically distinct, so my opinion is that they are not too closely related. Brachyleptus auripubens Reitter is identical with B. notativentris Reitter, 1902, described on the basis of some male specimens collected in the same localities above mentioned ("Syria, Akbès"; Jelinek 1980). The name of B. auripubens is thus the valid which were one for this species. B. auripubens is really very similar to dark and small specimens of B. aurosus , as pointed out by Jelinek (1980), but even female specimens of the two taxa can be somewhat easily separated by the following way:
