A First Record of <i>Pseudepipona herzi</i> (Morawitz) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae) from Basrah Province, Iraq

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.