New findings report Pseudepipona herzi in Iraq, highlighting the need for vespid surveys in Basrah.
Pseudepipona herzi (Morawitz, 1867) is reported for the first time in Iraq. Specimens were collected from Conocarpus erectus trees at two localities in Basrah Province (30.4464°N, 47.9781°E; 30.5328°N, 47.8569°E) on 4 April 2024. Morphological examination confirmed key diagnostic traits: body length 5.67–6.00 mm; black integument with distinct yellow maculations on head and metasoma; male antennal flagellomeres 10–13 strongly curved ventrally (J-shaped); clypeus trapezoidal, smooth, and entirely yellow. These characteristics differentiate it from congeners (e.g., P. tricarinata, P. kozhevnikovi) and align with established descriptions (Gusenleitner, 1995; van der Vecht and Carpenter, 1990). This finding extends the species’ known geographic range eastward into southern Iraq and underscores the need for further surveys of Iraq’s vespid fauna.
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Azdayanti Muslim (2025) studied this question.
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