Podalonia tydei (Le GUILLOU)

Dollfuss, H., 2010, A Key to Wasps of the Genus Podalonia FERNALD 1927 (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Sphecidae) of the Old World, Linzer biologische Beiträge 42 (2), pp. 1241-1291 : 1267-1268

Podalonia tydei (Le GUILLOU) Figs 36, 61, 86, 98, 123

Ammophila tydei Le GUILLOU 1841: 324 ,. Holotype or syntypes:, Canary islands: Tenerife : top of volcano (MNHN?).

Psammophila madeirae DAHLBOM 1843: 21 ,. Syntypes:, Madeira Island (Lund).

Psammophila senilis DAHLBOM 1843: 21 ,,. Syntypes: Southern Europe: no specific locality (Lund).

Psammophila klugii LEPELETIER de SAINT FARGEAU 1845: 367 ,,. Syntypes: Portugal: no specific locality (originally M. SPINOLA coll., now?).

Ammophila argentata LEPELETIER de SAINT FARGEAU 1845: 366 ,. Holotype or syntypes:, Algeria: Oran (originally LEPELETIER de SAINT FARGEAU coll., now?).

Ammophila suspiciosa F. SMITH 1856: 214 ,,. Syntypes: Australia: Swan River, Hunter River, nw.coast (BMNH).

Ammophila lanuginosa MARQUET 1881: 177 , sex not indicated. Holotype or syntypes: France: Hérault: Cette, now Sète (lost: de BEAUMONT 1952: 89).

Ammophila errabunda MERCET 1906: 190 ,, junior primary homonym of Ammophila errabunda KOHL 1901 . Holotype or syntypes ,, Spain: Madrid province: vicinity of Madrid (MNCN).

Ammophila homogena MERCET 1906: 191,,. Syntypes: Spain: Alicante (MNCN).

Ammophila merceti KOHL 1906: 283 ,. Holotype:, Spain: Madrid: Vaciamadrid (MNCN), examined. New synonym.

R e c o g n i t i o n Podalonia tydei has a propodeal enclosure with erect setae and a basally red gaster.

The female of P. tydei has a densely punctate scutum (at least in the anterior half; punctures at most one diameter apart) and distinct arolia. In addition, the clypeus, frons and mesopleuron (mesopleuron with rare exceptions) are densely covered with appressed silver setae. The color of the gaster and of erect setae is exremely variable and the petiole is shorter than hindtarsomere I. In some females from Spain the appressed silver setae on the mesopleuron are nearly absent.

In the male the clypeus is not produced and the free margin is slightly arcuate laterally and slightly narrowing (fig. 123). Additionally, the mesopleuron in nearly all specimens is covered with appressed silver setae, flagellomere I is hardly longer than II, the petiole is longer than hindtarsomere I (85: 60), and the reddish color on gaster is variable. Podalonia tydei differs from P. rothi and P. canescens in the shape of the clypeus, and having appressed silver setae on the mesopleuron. Also flagellomere I is nearly as long as II. Males from sub-Saharan Africa ( Kenya) differ from P. canescens in addition to the shape of clypeus, in their sparser scutal punctation, tergum I lacks dark spots, and the mesopleuron mostly appressed silver setae. Males from Madeira have no appressed silver setae on the mesopleuron or sparse, and the gaster is nearly completely black. Some males from Australia have a broadly produced clypeus and the free margin is straight, but they differ from P. canescens by the appressed silver setae on the mesopleuron. Penis valve: figs 36, 61, 86 and 98. Note: stylopized specimens have a distinctly shorter petiole than usual.

G e o g r a p h i c d i s t r i b u t i o n:PalearcticRegion,Africa, Australia.

S p e c i m e n s e x a m i n e d 257, 441.