Comprehensive Description
(
Anglèis
)
fornì da Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology
Tachysphex erythropus (Spinola)
Lyrops erythropus Spinola, 1839:479, “” = . [Holotype: , Egypt: no specific locality (TORINO), examined by de Beaumont, 1952b:47. Transferred to Tachysphex by Kohl, 1883:175.]
Tachysphex erythropus.—Kohl, 1883:175 [new combination].—Pulawski, 1971:408 [revision, full bibliography]; 1975:313.
Tachytes Maracandica Radoszkowski, 1877:26, .[Incorrect original capitalization and termination. Lectotype: , Uzbekistan: Durman-kul (MOSCOW), designated by Pulawski, 1971:411, examined. Synonymized with Tachysphex erythropus by Pulawski, 1971:408, 411.]
Tachytes flavogeniculatus Taschenberg, 1880:778, .[Lectotype: , Ethiopia: no specific locality (HALLE), present designation. New synonym. Transferred to Tachysphex by Kohl, 1885:402.]
Tachysphex flavogeniculatus.—Kohl, 1885:402 [new combination, listed].—Dalla Torre, 1897:679 [listed].—Arnold, 1923:175 [listed].—Bohart and Menke, 1976:273 [listed].
Tachysphex heliopolites Morice, 1897:306, , [ = Tachysphex albocinctus]. [Lectotype: , Egypt Zeitoun near Cairo (OXFORD), designated by Pulawski, 1971:411, examined. Synonymized with Tachysphex erythropus by de Beaumont, 1947a:172.]
Tachysphex inventus Nurse, 1903:516, .[Lectotype: , India: Gujarat: Deesa (BMNH), designated by Pulawski, 1975:313, examined. Synonymized with Tachysphex erythropus by Pulawski, 1975:313.]
Tachysphex mantivora de Beaumont, 1940:169, , [incorrect original termination], [Lectotype: , Greece: no specific locality (NHMW), designated by de Beaumont, 1947a:175, not examined. Synonymized with Tachysphex erythropus by de Beaumont, 1952b:47.]
SYNONYMY.—The two syntypes of Tachytes flavogeniculatus Taschenberg are strongly worn and have lost most of their thoracic pilosity, perhaps due to improper preservation method. The yellowish costal vein and tibial bases may be another artifact. The diagnostic characters of the species are nevertheless easily recognized.
DIAGNOSIS.—Tachysphex erythropus is characterized by the following: hindwing vein cu-a inclined, anterior end closer to wing base than posterior end (Figure 234); sternum I posteriorly with obtuse, longitudinal carina (Figure 236), and male sterna III–VI with conspicuous, appressed setae on apical depressions (Figures 241, 242). Other species are similar (see “Relationships” under selectus, page 74), but erythropus differs as follows: in the female, the pygidial plate is reduced, nonmargined laterally (Figures 237, 238) but delineated by a row of setigerous punctures; and in the male, the forefemoral notch is compressed to a narrow crest and has no basal tuft of erect setae (Figure 243), and most seta of sterna III–VI are not agglutinated.
DESCRIPTION.—Gena unusually narrow in dorsal view. Scutal punctures less than one diameter apart or discal punctures up to about two diameters apart. Mesopleuron dull, markedly microsculptured, with shallow, ill-defined punctures (in male, punctures many diameters apart adjacent to midcoxa). Episternal sulcus incomplete. Propodeal dorsum irregularly rugose, side ridged, but ridges partly evanescent in some specimens. Hindwing (Figure 234): crossvein cu-a inclined; jugal lobe enlarged, jugal excision absent. Hindcoxal dorsum: inner margin not carinate.
Setae: appressed on interocellar area and scape; erect on vertex (about one midocellar diameter long); suberect to erect along hypostomal carina (about 0.4 × basal mandibular width); forecoxal and most thoracic setae straight except angled apically, but scutal setae straight (and nearly appressed); oriented posterad (nearly erect) on propodeal dorsum, about 0.4 × basal mandibular width.
Head, thorax, and gaster black, mandible red mesally. Color of legs sexually dimorphic (see below). Terga silvery fasciate apically: I–IV in female, I–III (most males) or I and II (some males). Wings hyaline.
.—Labrum emarginate mesally. Clypeus (Figures 230, 232): bevel markedly shorter than basomedian area; lip almost straight, emarginate mesally but not incised laterally (median notch invisible in worn specimens). Vertex width 0.9–1.0 × length. Dorsal length of flagellomere I 1.8–2.1 × apical width. Outer surface of foretibia with thin spines. Forebasitarsus with 14–16 spines divided into a basal and an apical group. Apical hindtarsomeres: lateral margins with one or two spines at midlength (Figure 240), venter with two basal and three subapical spines. Pygidial plate reduced (nonmargined), but delineated by row of setigerous punctures. Length 9–14 mm.
Forefemur black except red apically, mid- and hindfemora partly to largely red; tibiae and tarsi red.
.—Clypeus (Figures 231, 233): bevel markedly shorter than basomedian area; free margin of lip weakly arcuate, with weakly indicated lateral corner; distance between corners 1.2–1.4 × distance between corner and orbit. Vertex width 0.3–0.6 × length. Dorsal length of flagellomere I 1.6–2.0 × apical width. Forefemoral notch moderately large, without basal tuft of erect setae, its bottom glabrous, compressed into narrow crest (Figure 243). Outer margin of forebasitarsus with no preapical spines. Venter of apical tarsomeres with one preapical spine. Apical depression of sterna III–VI with subappressed setae (Figures 241, 242) that are agglutinated only on sternum III apicomesally; setae markedly longer than those on remaining surface. Volsella: Figure 235. Length 8.5–13.0 mm.
Femora black (except apically), tibiae and tarsi red (tibiae partly darkened in some specimens, starting with hindtibiae). Frontal and clypeal setae gold except silvery in smallest specimens.
GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION.—North Africa (Morocco to Egypt) to Sudan, Ethiopia, and Kenya; Iberian Peninsula and Eastern Mediterranean Basin (Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Turkey, Israel); Arabian Peninsula, Azerbaijan and Transcaspia (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan); Iran, India (Gujarat only).
RECORDS (localities in Pulawski, 1971, are not repeated here).—BULGARIA: Sandanski (4, 5, CAS).
ETHIOPIA: No specific locality (2, HALLE; lectotype and paralectotype of flavogeniculatus).
INDIA: GUJARAT: Deesa (1, BMNH, lectotype of inventus).
KENYA: Archer's Post on Ewaso Ng'iro River (1, 3, CAS).
- sitassion bibliogràfica
- Krombein, Karl V. and Pulawski, W. J. 1994. "Biosystematic Studies of Ceylonese Wasps, XX: A Revision of Tachysphex Kohl, 1883, with Notes on other Oriental Species (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae: Larrinae)." Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology. 1-106. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.00810282.552
