Dinetus (Venustidinetus) politus Turner, 1917

Jacobs, Hans-Joachim, 2021, A review of Dinetus Panzer, 1806 with descriptions of five new species and keys to world species (Hymenoptera, Crabronidae), Zootaxa 5061 (1), pp. 69-94 : 76

Dinetus (Venustidinetus) politus Turner, 1917

Dinetus cereolus politus Turner, 1917: 195 , ♀. Syntypes: ♀, India: Bihar: Chapra (BMNH).

Description female. (Original description by Turner 1917): “ ♀. Differs from the typical Egyptian form in the much more shining surface, especially on the head and the median segment; in the almost obsolete striation of the middle of the dorsal surface of the median segment, the striation being much more distinct in the type; in the more extended black area on the median segment; in the lesser extent of the yellow area on the front, which in cereolus reaches the anterior ocellus, but does not extend nearly so high in the present form; and in the black occiput, the yellow band behind the eyes being continued across the occiput in the type, but not in the present form. The colour in the Indian form is reddish testaceous, but this is probably due to cyanide. Hab. Chapra, Bihar, (Mackenzie).”

Remark. D. politus from East India is described as subspecies of the North African D. cereolus .

The state as subspecies is very doubtful because of the wide gap between the distribution areas. The males of both species are unknown. The discolouration caused by the use of cyanide is possible. On the other hand, many species in the genus have an ochraceous or reddish colour and so it is possible that reddish testaceous is the original colour. Olszewski et al. (2020) treated D. politus as good species. Their paper contains photos of the dorsal view of the habitus, the lateral view of the mesosoma and the dorsal area of propodeum. The photos fits the description by Turner (1917). As in many former descriptions Turner no noted the number of specimens. The pictured specimen is likely the holotype or a syntype. Unfortunately, Olszewski et al. (2020) neglected to clarify the taxonomic state of this specimen. Because of the short original description a redescription would be preferable.