Tachysphex bituberculatus Cameron 1905

Tachysphex bituberculatus Cameron

Tachysphex bituberculatus Cameron, 1905a:223, [Holotype: , India: Assam: Khasia Hills (OXFORD), examined.].—Nec Weber, 1948:203 and Yoshimoto, 1960:331 [= Tachysphex morosus].—Bohart and Menke, 1976:272 [listed].

DIAGNOSIS.—Tachysphex bituberculatus is one of many species in which the mesopleuron is shiny and punctate; the setae are erect on the vertex and nearly so on the scutum and midfemoral venter (as in Figures 32, 33, 116), and inclined obliquely anterad on the propodeal dorsum; the gaster, femora, and tibiae are black; and the female tarsi are of the pompiliformis type. At this time, bituberculatus cannot be properly interpreted because the male and the amount of variation are unknown. The female can be distinguished from most species by the combination of: clypeal bevel well defined but shorter than basomedian area and mesopleural setae slightly sinuous, relatively long (length about 0.5 × basal mandibular width). Subsidiary recognition features are: clypeal lip obtusely prominent mesally, frons dull (conspicuously microsculptured between punctures), mesopleural punctures well defined (even posteriorly), and wing yellowish. Tachysphex agnus Pulawski is most similar and may be a synonym. The thoracic sculpture of bituberculatus is a little coarser, the clypeal lip slightly more prominent mesally, the episternal sulcus is complete (incomplete in agnus), and the wings are yellowish instead of hyaline to slightly infumate, but all these differences may be geographic rather than specific. Tachysphex agnus is known from Algeria, Tunisia, Israel, and Turkey, and a new record is Morocco: near Agadir (1, CAS).

DESCRIPTION.—Mesothoracic punctures well defined. Scutal punctures averaging less than one diameter apart, but many discal punctures up to about two diameters apart. Mesopleural punctures averaging less than one diameter apart. Episternal sulcus complete. Propodeal dorsum coarsely, irregularly rugose, side ridged. Hindcoxal dorsum: inner margin carinate, carina slightly expanded basally and evanescent posteriorly. Apical tarsomeres without spines on venter or lateral margins.

Setae (setal length, in parentheses, is expressed as fraction of basal mandibular width): erect on vertex (0.4); nearly erect between mandibular base and occipital carina; slightly inclined posterad on scutum mesally (0.3 on anterior third) and midfemoral venter (0.4); inclined obliquely anterad on propodeal dorsum; sinuous on mesopleuron and propodeum.

Body black, including mandibles and tarsi. Terga I–III silvery fasciate apically, tergum IV with vestigial, broadly interrupted fascia. Wings yellowish.

.—Clypeus (Figure 181): bevel shorter than basomedian area except mesally; lip arcuate, obtusely pointed mesally, not incised laterally. Vertex width 1.4 × length. Dorsal length of flagellomere I 2.4 × apical width. Forefemoral venter densely, uniformly punctate, punctures well defined. Foretibia densely, uniformly punctate and setose throughout, outer surface with a row of long, suberect setae. Forebasitarsus with eight rake spines. Pygidial plate alutaceous, with a few sparse, fine punctures. Length 10.5 mm.

.—Unknown.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION.—Known only from the type locality in India.

MATERIAL EXAMINED.—INDIA: ASSAM: Khasia Hills (1, OXFORD, holotype of bituberculatus).