Unveiling the Mainland vs. Insular Variability of the Eumerus barbarus Species Group (Diptera: Syrphidae) in the Western Mediterranean Basin.

Comprising nearly 300 described species, Eumerus Meigen, 1822, is one of the most speciose syrphid genera worldwide, and its taxonomic diversity is remarkable in the Mediterranean basin. The Eumerus barbarus (Coquebert, 1804) group consists of four species in the western Mediterranean. Although the phenotypic variability of this species group has been commented on in previous studies, it has never been contrasted with molecular data. In the present work, the morphological variation found in 300+ specimens of this species group from the western Mediterranean is explored and tested against the COI mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). The highest phenotypic disparity was found in E. barbarus and Eumerus sulcitibius Rondani 1868. The integrative approach has not revealed cryptic diversity within the species E. barbarus but in E. sulcitibius. As a result, a new species close to E. sulcitibius was discovered, Eumerus sardus Aguado-Aranda, Ricarte & Hauser sp. n., from Sardinia, Italy. The new insular species is here described, illustrated, and discussed. A total of twenty-three haplotypes of COI mtDNA were identified amongst the analyzed Mediterranean specimens of E. barbarus, whereas two and five haplotypes were distinguished in the Iberian specimens of E. sulcitibius and Eumerus gibbosus van Steenis, Hauser & van Zuijen, 2017, respectively. Moreover, the first known barcodes of E. gibbosus and Eumerus schmideggeri van Steenis, Hauser & van Zuijen, 2017 were obtained, and the distribution ranges of all species are mapped. An updated dichotomous key to the males of the E. barbarus group from the western Mediterranean is provided.

Fecal DNA metabarcoding helps characterize the Canada jay's diet and confirms its reliance on stored food for winter survival and breeding.

Accurately determining the diet of wild animals can be challenging if food items are small, visible only briefly, or rendered visually unidentifiable in the digestive system. In some food caching species, an additional challenge is determining whether consumed diet items have been previously stored or are fresh. The Canada jay (Perisoreus canadensis) is a generalist resident of North American boreal and subalpine forests with anatomical and behavioural adaptations allowing it to make thousands of arboreal food caches in summer and fall that are presumably responsible for its high winter survival and late winter/early spring breeding. We used DNA fecal metabarcoding to obtain novel information on nestling diets and compiled a dataset of 662 published and unpublished direct observations or stomach contents identifications of natural foods consumed by Canada jays throughout the year. We then used detailed natural history information to make informed decisions on whether each item identified to species in the diets of winter adults and nestlings was best characterized as 'likely cached', 'likely fresh' (i.e., was available as a non-cached item when it appeared in a jay's feces or stomach), or 'either possible'. Of the 87 food items consumed by adults in the winter, 39% were classified as 'likely cached' and 6% were deemed to be 'likely fresh'. For nestlings, 29% of 125 food items identified to species were 'likely cached' and 38% were 'likely fresh'. Our results support both the indispensability of cached food for Canada jay winter survival and previous suggestions that cached food is important for late winter/early spring breeding. Our work highlights the value of combining metabarcoding, stomach contents analysis, and direct observations to determine the cached vs. non-cached origins of consumed food items and the identity of food caches, some of which could be especially vulnerable to degradation through climate change.

Are Appearances Deceiving? Morpho-Genetic Complexity of the Eumerus tricolor Group (Diptera: Syrphidae) in Europe, with a Focus on the Iberian Peninsula.

Eumerus Meigen, 1822 is one of the largest Syrphidae genera in the Palaearctic Region, with the highest levels of taxonomic diversity found in the Eumerus tricolor species group. Despite its high diversity, the interspecific levels of morphological variability can be low. Additionally, some species may show certain levels of intraspecific variability. Hence, species delimitation may become challenging. In this work, we assessed the diversity of the E. tricolor group in the Iberian Peninsula through an integrative analysis of nomenclature, morphology and the 5' (COI-5') and 3' (COI-3') end regions of the Cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene. Two new species, Eumerus ancylostylus Aguado-Aranda & Ricarte sp. n. and Eumerus petrarum Aguado-Aranda, Nedeljkovic & Ricarte sp. n., were described, and their intra- and interspecific variations discussed. In addition, the first barcodes of Iberian members of the E. tricolor group were obtained, and the distribution ranges of all species were mapped within the study area. The systematic position of the new species is discussed based on the resulting COI-based trees. The male genitalia of Eumerus hispanicus van der Goot, 1966 and Eumerus bayardi Séguy, 1961 were studied and illustrated. A lectotype was designated for Eumerus lateralis (Zetterstedt, 1819). An updated dichotomous key for all known European species of the E. tricolor group is provided. The egg of E. petrarum sp. n. is also described.

The phylogeny and evolutionary ecology of hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) inferred from mitochondrial genomes.

Hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) are a diverse group of pollinators and a major research focus in ecology, but their phylogenetic relationships remain incompletely known. Using a genome skimming approach we generated mitochondrial genomes for 91 species, capturing a wide taxonomic diversity of the family. To reduce the required amount of input DNA and overall cost of the library construction, sequencing and assembly was conducted on mixtures of specimens, which raises the problem of chimera formation of mitogenomes. We present a novel chimera detection test based on gene tree incongruence, but identified only a single mitogenome of chimeric origin. Together with existing data for a final set of 127 taxa, phylogenetic analysis on nucleotide and amino acid sequences using Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference revealed a basal split of Microdontinae from all other syrphids. The remainder consists of several deep clades assigned to the subfamily Eristalinae in the current classification, including a clade comprising the subfamily Syrphinae (plus Pipizinae). These findings call for a re-definition of subfamilies, but basal nodes had insufficient support to fully justify such action. Molecular-clock dating placed the origin of the Syrphidae crown group in the mid-Cretaceous while the Eristalinae-Syrphinae clade likely originated near the K/Pg boundary. Transformation of larval life history characters on the tree suggests that Syrphidae initially had sap feeding larvae, which diversified greatly in diet and habitat association during the Eocene and Oligocene, coinciding with the diversification of angiosperms and the evolution of various insect groups used as larval host, prey, or mimicry models. Mitogenomes proved to be a powerful phylogenetic marker for studies of Syrphidae at subfamily and tribe levels, allowing dense taxon sampling that provided insight into the great ecological diversity and rapid evolution of larval life history traits of the hoverflies.

Revision of the genus Pelecocera Meigen, 1822 (Diptera: Syrphidae) from France: taxonomy, ecology and distribution.

The occurrence and distribution of the various species of the genus Pelecocera Meigen, 1822 (Diptera: Syrphidae) occurring in France are revised and a new species, Pelecocera garrigae Lair Nve, 2022 sp. nov., is described from Mediterranean France. Distribution and ecological data of the six French species of Pelecocera are provided and an identification key is given to all these species. Sequences of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) from all European Pelecocera species support the morphological species concept, except for Pelecocera scaevoides (Falln, 1817). The binomen Pelecocera lugubris Perris, 1839 is recovered to name the Pelecocera lusitanica (Mik, 1898) of authors in France.

Systematic relationships of the Taeniapterini (Diptera: Micropezidae, Taeniapterinae).

A molecular phylogeny for the Taeniapterinae is presented based on mitochondrial (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, COI), ribosomal (16S rRNA and 28S rRNA) and nuclear (EF-1 and CAD) genes of 48 specimens including 40 species. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference were used to analyze the total concatenated dataset of 8769 bp. The results confirm that tribal classifications in Taeniapterinae are artificial and support the separation of Paragrallomyia Hendel and Taeniaptera sensu Ferro Marshall (2020).

Revision of Tomosvaryella Aczl (Diptera: Pipunculidae) in the Middle East, with description of 19 new species.

The genus Tomosvaryella Aczl, 1939 is revised from the Middle East. Fifty-nine species are recorded and 19 of these are new to science: T. acantha Motamedinia Skevington sp. nov., T. ampliasa Motamedinia Skevington sp. nov., T. anahitae Motamedinia Skevington sp. nov., T. bistounensis Motamedinia Skevington sp. nov., T. cyprusensis Motamedinia Skevington sp. nov., T. ellipiensis Motamedinia Skevington sp. nov., T. emaratensis Motamedinia Skevington sp. nov., T. hamounensis Motamedinia Skevington sp. nov., T. kiansiae Motamedinia Skevington sp. nov., T. nimroozensis Motamedinia Skevington sp. nov., T. oshidae Motamedinia Skevington sp. nov., T. osteodes Motamedinia Skevington sp. nov., T. saudiensis Motamedinia Skevington sp. nov., T. soziana Motamedinia Skevington sp. nov., T. spinula Motamedinia Skevington sp. nov., T. subtransvaalensis Motamedinia Skevington sp. nov., T. susa Motamedinia Skevington sp. nov., T. unicorna Motamedinia Skevington sp. nov. and T. yemenensis Motamedinia Skevington sp. nov. are described and illustrated based on sequence information from the mitochondrial COI barcoding gene and morphological parameters. DNA barcodes are provided for 37 of the 59 species. Descriptions of new species, diagnoses, distribution maps and an illustrated key for all species are provided.

Revision of the Afrotropical species of the hover fly genus Mesembrius Rondani (Diptera, Syrphidae) using morphological and molecular data.

The Afrotropical representatives of the hover fly genus Mesembrius Rondani, 1857 (Diptera) are divided into two subgenera, namely Mesembrius s.s. and Vadonimyia Séguy, 1951 and, in this present work, the subgenus Mesembrius s.s. is revised. A total of 23 Mesembrius s.s. species are recognised for the Afrotropics. Known species are re-described and six species new to science are described: Mesembrius arcuatus sp. nov., M. copelandi sp. nov., M. longipilosus sp. nov., M. sulcus sp. nov., M. tibialis sp. nov. and M. vockerothi sp. nov. Mesembrius africanus (Verrall, 1898) is considered a junior synonym of M. senegalensis (Macquart, 1842), M. ctenifer Hull, 1941 a junior synonym of M. caffer (Loew, 1858), M. lagopus (Loew, 1869) a junior synonym of M. capensis (Macquart, 1842) and M. platytarsis Curran, 1929 a junior synonym of M. simplicipes Curran, 1929. The females of Mesembrius chapini Curran, 1939, M. rex Curran, 1927 and M. regulus (Hull, 1937) are described for the first time. Lectotypes are designated for Mesembrius caffer, M. capensis, M. cyanipennis (Bezzi, 1915), M. minor (Bezzi, 1915), M. senegalensis, M. strigilatus (Bezzi, 1912) and M. tarsatus (Bigot, 1883). Separate identification keys for males and females are presented. We obtained 236 DNA barcodes for 18 species. The relationships amongst the different Mesembrius species are briefly discussed, based on morphological and DNA barcode data.

Phylogeny and classification of Odonata using targeted genomics.

Dragonflies and damselflies are a charismatic, medium-sized insect order (~6300 species) with a unique potential to approach comparative research questions. Their taxonomy and many ecological traits for a large fraction of extant species are relatively well understood. However, until now, the lack of a large-scale phylogeny based on high throughput data with the potential to connect both perspectives has precluded comparative evolutionary questions for these insects. Here, we provide an ordinal hypothesis of classification based on anchored hybrid enrichment using a total of 136 species representing 46 of the 48 families or incertae sedis, and a total of 478 target loci. Our analyses recovered the monophyly for all three suborders: Anisoptera, Anisozygoptera and Zygoptera. Although the backbone of the topology was reinforced and showed the highest support values to date, our genomic data was unable to stronglyresolve portions of the topology. In addition, a quartet sampling approach highlights the potential evolutionary scenarios that may have shaped evolutionary phylogeny (e.g., incomplete lineage sorting and introgression) of this taxon. Finally, in light of our phylogenomic reconstruction and previous morphological and molecular information we proposed an updated odonate classification and define five new families (Amanipodagrionidae fam. nov., Mesagrionidae fam. nov., Mesopodagrionidae fam. nov., Priscagrionidae fam. nov., Protolestidae fam. nov.) and reinstate another two (Rhipidolestidae stat. res., Tatocnemididae stat. res.). Additionally, we feature the problematic taxonomic groupings for examination in future studies to improve our current phylogenetic hypothesis.

Taxonomic revision of Romaleosyrphus Bigot (Diptera, Syrphidae), including descriptions of seven new species.

The genus Romaleosyrphus Bigot is reviewed, including the description of seven new species (R.argosi Moran, sp. nov., R.bigoti Moran, sp. nov., R.drysus Moran, sp. nov., R.nephelaeus Moran & Thompson, sp. nov., R.soletluna Moran & Thompson, sp. nov., R.vockerothi Moran & Thompson, sp. nov. and R.woodi Moran, sp. nov.). Romaleosyrphusarctophiloides (Giglio-Tos), comb. nov. is transferred to Romaleosyrphus. Romaleosyrphus stat. rev. is redefined to represent the monophyletic unit of species within Criorhinina which possess holoptic males, a proximal ventral half of vein C with setae, a broad intersection of vein R1 with vein C, the distal part of R4+5 beyond M1 longer than cross-vein h and appressed pile on the abdomen. Descriptions, habitus and genitalia photographs, distributions, and an illustrated key for all nine Romaleosyrphus are presented. DNA barcode data are provided for eight of the species with a cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene tree presented and discussed.

Morphological, Genetic and Biological Evidences to Understand Meromacrus Rondani Diversity: New Species and Early Stages (Diptera: Syrphidae).

Meromacrus is a genus of conspicuous syrphids with saprophagous larvae, ranging from the southern United States to Argentina and Chile. However, this genus is in need of a taxonomic revision. Adults reared from larvae collected in Mexico and Peru, and other material available at different institutional collections were examined. Meromacrus cactorum sp. nov., from Peru, Meromacrus yucatense sp. nov., from Mexico, their puparia and breeding sites were described. A key to Meromacrus puparia is provided. The holotypes of Meromacrus canusium, Meromacrus gloriosus, Meromacrus laconicus and Meromacrus melmoth were also examined. The name Meromacrus draco is proposed as a junior synonym of M. gloriosus. Larvae of M. cactorum sp. nov. were found in decaying columnar cacti in Peru, while those of M. yucatense sp. nov. in a rot-hole of a Ceiba pentandra stump. Obtained results on both taxonomy and biology of these species serve as a first step towards a revision of the entire genus.

New generic concepts for orphaned lineages formerly treated as part of the genus Ocyptamus Macquart, 1834 (Diptera, Syrphidae).

The large syrphid genus Ocyptamus Macquart has been subject to scrutiny in recent years, resulting in a more narrowly defined monophyletic Ocyptamus sensu stricto. Some of the species excluded from this narrower concept of the genus are in evolutionary lineages for which generic names are available, but other species are in lineages for which generic names do not exist. The current paper presents five new genera to correct this: Fragosa gen. nov. (former Ocyptamus stenogaster group), Hypocritanus gen. nov. (former Ocyptamus fascipennis group), Maiana gen. nov. (former Ocyptamus callidus group), Nuntianus gen. nov. (former Ocyptamus lepidus group) and Victoriana gen. nov. (former Ocyptamus melanorrhinus group). In addition to the new combinations related to these new genera, Argentinomyia aenea (Williston) comb. nov., Hybobathus pola (Curran) comb. nov., H. subchalybeus (Walker) comb. nov., H. wilhelmina (Doesburg) comb. nov., and Leucopodella nasuta (Williston) comb. nov. are moved out of Ocyptamus. Ocyptamus isthmus Thompson is a jun. syn. of Callostigma panamensis Curran stat. rev. Relevant morphological characters and their taxonomic and evolutionary implications are discussed.

Correction to: Phylogeography of higher Diptera in glacial and postglacial grasslands in western North America.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Revision of the Psilota Meigen, 1822 flower flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) of Australia.

The 34 species of Australian Psilota are revised, with 26 new species described (Psilota aislinnae Young sp. nov., Psilota alexanderi Young sp. nov., Psilota apiformis Thompson and Young sp. nov., Psilota auripila Young and van Steenis sp. nov., Psilota azurea Thompson and Young sp. nov., Psilota bicolor Young and Ferguson sp. nov., Psilota brunnipennis Young sp. nov., Psilota calva Young sp. nov., Psilota darwini Young sp. nov., Psilota flavoorta Young and van Steenis sp. nov., Psilota fuscifrons Young sp. nov., Psilota livida Young and van Steenis sp. nov., Psilota longipila Thompson and Young sp. nov., Psilota mcqueeni Young sp. nov., Psilota metallica Thompson and Young sp. nov., Psilota nigripila Young sp. nov., Psilota occidua Young sp. nov., Psilota pollinosa Young and van Steenis sp. nov., Psilota purpurea Thompson and Young sp. nov., Psilota smaragdina Young sp. nov., Psilota solata Young and van Steenis sp. nov., Psilota spathistyla Young and van Steenis sp. nov., Psilota spinifemur Young sp. nov., Psilota viridescens Young and van Steenis sp. nov., Psilota xanthostoma Young sp. nov., Psilota zophos Young sp. nov.) and one new record for Australia (Psilota basalis Walker, 1858). Previously described Australian species are redescribed, with the males of Psilota auricauda Curran, 1925 and P. basalis (Walker, 1858) described for the first time. Six previously described species (Psilota erythrogaster Curran, 1926, Psilota hirta Klocker, 1924, Psilota queenslandica Klocker, 1924, Psilota rubra Klocker, 1924, Psilota rubriventris Bigot, 1885, and Psilota shannoni Goot, 1964) are morphologically indistinguishable from related species. P. erythrogaster, P. rubra, and P. rubriventris are therefore treated under the Psilota cuprea (Macquart, 1850) species complex while P. hirta, P. queenslandica, and P. shannoni treated under the Psilota tristis Klocker, 1924 species complex. Lectotypes for the following species are designated: Coiloprosopa nitida Macquart, 1850, Merodon muscaeformis Walker, 1852, Orthonevra basalis Walker, 1858, Psilota coerulea Macquart, 1846, and Psilota viridis Macquart, 1847.

Taxonomic revision of Dasydorylas Skevington, 2001 (Diptera, Pipunculidae) in the Middle East.

Species of the distinctive and cosmopolitan genus Dasydorylas Skevington, 2001 in the Middle East are revised. Seven species are documented, and three new species, Dasydorylas dactylos sp. nov., D. forcipus sp. nov. and D. parazardouei sp. nov., are described, and one synonym, D. derafshani Motamedinia & Kehlmaier, 2017, syn. nov. is proposed, based on sequence information from the mitochondrial COI barcoding gene and morphological parameters. Diagnoses, illustrations and distributional data are provided for all studied species. Descriptions of new species as well as an identification key to all known species in the Middle East are also provided.

Revision of the Neotropical hoverfly genus Peradon Reemer (Diptera, Syrphidae, Microdontinae).

The species of the Neotropical hoverfly genus Peradon Reemer, 2013 are revised, based on morphological characters with aid of mitochondrial DNA barcodes. The resulting number of valid species is increased to 31, of which the following seven are described as new: P. ballux Reemer, sp. nov., P. brevis Reemer, sp. nov., P. costaricensis Reemer, sp. nov., P. notialus Reemer, sp. nov., P. palpator Reemer, sp. nov., P. pompiloides Reemer, sp. nov., and P. surinamensis Reemer, sp. nov. Two new synonymies are established: Microdon langi Curran, 1925, syn. nov. and Microdon flavomarginatum Curran, 1925, syn. nov. are both junior synonyms of Mulio bidens Fabricius, 1805. A neotype is designated for Microdon diaphanus Sack, 1921. This neotype, which has been reared from an ant nest, also represents the first case of a larval record for this genus. In some species, most notably in P. bidens (Fabricius) and P. normalis (Curran), discrete and distinct colour morphs are recognized, with strongly differing colouration of wings and abdomen.

Phylogeography of higher Diptera in glacial and postglacial grasslands in western North America.

BACKGROUND: Pleistocene glaciations have had an important impact on the species distribution and community composition of the North American biota. Species survived these glacial cycles south of the ice sheets and/or in other refugia, such as Beringia. In this study, we assessed, using mitochondrial DNA from three Diptera species, whether flies currently found in Beringian grasslands (1) survived glaciation as disjunct populations in Beringia and in the southern refugium; (2) dispersed northward postglacially from the southern refugium; or (3) arose by a combination of the two. Samples were collected in grasslands in western Canada: Prairies in Alberta and Manitoba; the Peace River region (Alberta); and the southern Yukon Territory. We sequenced two gene regions (658 bp of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, 510 bp of cytochrome b) from three species of higher Diptera: one with a continuous distribution across grassland regions, and two with disjunct populations between the regions. We used a Bayesian approach to determine population groupings without a priori assumptions and performed analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) and exact tests of population differentiation (ETPD) to examine their validity. Molecular dating was used to establish divergence times. RESULTS: Two geographically structured populations were found for all species: a southern Prairie and Peace River population, and a Yukon population. Although AMOVA did not show significant differentiation between populations, ETPD did. Divergence time between Yukon and southern populations predated the Holocene for two species; the species with an ambiguous divergence time had high haplotype diversity, which could suggest survival in a Beringian refugium. CONCLUSIONS: Populations of Diptera in Yukon grasslands could have persisted in steppe habitats in Beringia through Pleistocene glaciations. Current populations in the region appear to be a mix of Beringian relict populations and, to a lesser extent, postglacial dispersal northward from southern prairie grasslands.

Revision of the genus Amazunculus Rafael (Diptera: Pipunculidae), with description of six new species.

The species of the genus Amazunculus Rafael (Diptera: Pipunculidae) are large bodied flies, easily identified by their flattened hind tarsus and curved dm-m wing vein. The species of this Neotropical genus are revised, including six new species: Amazunculus acreanus sp. nov. (type-locality: Brazil, Acre, Rio Branco), A. bethoi sp. nov. (type-locality: Brazil, Amazonas, Carauari), A. francyae sp. nov. (type-locality: Ecuador, Napo), A. manauara sp. nov. (type-locality: Brazil, Amazonas, Manaus), A. panamensis sp. nov. (type-locality: Panama, Canal Zone) and A. psilalarius sp. nov. (type-locality: Venezuela, Amazonas). All these new species are described with an emphasis on structures of the male terminalia, which are fully illustrated. An identification key to the twelve species of Amazunculus is provided. The first record of Amazunculus in Central America (Panama) is documented.

New Syrphidae (Diptera) of North-eastern North America.

BACKGROUND: This paper describes 11 of 18 new species recognised in the recent book, "Field Guide to the Flower Flies of Northeastern North America". Four species are omitted as they need to be described in the context of a revision (three Cheilosia and a Palpada species) and three other species (one Neoascia and two Xylota) will be described by F. Christian Thompson in a planned publication. Six of the new species have been recognised for decades and were treated by J. Richard Vockeroth in unpublished notes or by Thompson in his unpublished but widely distributed "A conspectus of the flower flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) of the Nearctic Region". Five of the 11 species were discovered during the preparation of the Field Guide. Eight of the 11 have DNA barcodes available that support the morphology. NEW INFORMATION: New species treated in this paper include: Anasimyia diffusa Locke, Skevington and Vockeroth (Smooth-legged Swamp Fly), Anasimyia matutina Locke, Skevington and Vockeroth (Small-spotted Swamp Fly), Brachyopa caesariata Moran and Skevington (Plain-winged Sapeater), Brachyopa cummingi Moran and Skevington (Somber Sapeater), Hammerschmidtia sedmani Vockeroth, Moran and Skevington (Pale-bristled Logsitter), Microdon (Microdon) scauros Skevington and Locke (Big-footed Ant Fly), Mixogaster fattigi Locke, Skevington and Greene (Fattig's Ant Fly), Neoascia guttata Skevington and Moran (Spotted Fen Fly), Orthonevra feei Moran and Skevington (Fee's Mucksucker), Psilota klymkoi Locke, Young and Skevington (Black Haireye) and Trichopsomyia litoralis Vockeroth and Young (Coastal Psyllid-killer). Common names follow the "Field Guide to the Flower Flies of Northeastern North America" (Skevington et al. 2019).

Revision of Claraeola (Diptera, Pipunculidae) in the Middle East based on morphology and DNA barcodes.

The Middle East species of Claraeola Aczél (Diptera, Pipunculidae) are revised based on morphological characteristics and sequence data from the mitochondrial COI barcoding gene, using a novel COI mini-barcode protocol. Four new Claraeola species are described: C. bousynterga Motamedinia & Skevington, sp. nov., C. heidiae Motamedinia & Skevington, sp. nov., C. khuzestanensis Motamedinia & Skevington, sp. nov., and C. mantisphalliga Motamedinia & Skevington, sp. nov. Eudorylas thekkadiensis Kapoor, Grewal & Sharma, 1987 is transferred to Claraeola, C. thekkadiensis (comb. nov.). Diagnoses, illustrations, an identification key, and a distributional map are given for the Middle East species.