Palmodes minor (F. Morawitz, 1890 )

Danilov, Yuriy N. & Byvaltsev, Alexander M., 2020, The digger wasps of the genus Palmodes Kohl, 1890 in Central Asia (Hymenoptera Sphecidae: Prionychini), Zootaxa 4803 (3), pp. 401-434 : 416-419

Palmodes minor (F. Morawitz, 1890)

( Figs 3d , 4d , 11 , 12 , 24 )

Sphex minor F. Morawitz, 1890:573 , ♀. Lectotype, designated here, ♀ “Krasnowodsk // к. Ф Моравица [cyrillic] // Sphex minor ♀ F. Morawitz ” [ Turkmenistan: Krasnovodsk, now Turkmenbashi] (ZISP), examined.— Kohl 1890:320; F. Morawitz 1893:405; Kohl 1895:46; Dalla Torre 1897:432; Gussakovskij 1930:209; Myartseva 1963:59; Roth 1963:153; Kazenas 1969:21; 1978:43; Danilov 2016:343.— As Palmodes minor: Bohart & Menke 1976:127 ; Esenbekova & Kazenas 2000:8; Islamov 1986:517; Kazenas 1998:99; Nazarova 1998:39; Kazenas 2001:14; 2002:27; 2004:98; Dollfuss 2008:1405; Danilov 2010:44; 2012:161; 2013:49; Yildirim 2014:30; Pulawski 2019.

Sphex parvulus Roth in de Beaumont, 1967:372 , ♀, ♂. Holotype, ♀ “ TURKEY: Ankara, Ravli, 1000 m. 30.V.1962. Guichard & Harvey. B.M. 1962-299. // Holotype [red label] // Palmodes parvulus n. sp. ♀ P. Roth det. 1965 // BMNH(E) #969436 // Type [circle with a red edge] // B.M. TYPE HYM. 21.1826” (BMNH), a photograph examined. Paratype, ♂ “ TURKEY: Ankara, Alt. 3,000 ft. 1.7.1959. K. M. Guichard. // Palmodes parvulus n. sp. ♂ P. Roth det. 1965 // Brit. Mus. 1960-62 // Paratypus [light orange label]” (MCZL), examined. New Synonymy.—As Palmodes parvulus: Bohart & Menke 1976:127 ; Ljubomirov & Yildirim 2008:24; Yildirim 2014:30; Pulawski 2019.

Diagnosis. The male of P. minor closely resembles P. strigulosus by the shape of the clypeus and in a coloration of the metasoma, but differs in having a shiny, punctatorugose scutum with impunctate interspaces, and a slightly shiny, coarsely areolate-rugose mesopleuron (the male of P. strigulosus has a dull, distinctly, densely micropunctate and finely rugose scutum and a dull, finely punctatorugose mesopleuron). The male of P. minor is similar to P. orientalis and melanistic P. occitanicus . It differs from P. occitanicus by the shape of the clypeus whose middle lobe is distinctly elongated, narrow (the middle clypeal lobe of P. occitanicus is slightly elongated, broad). It differs from P. orientalis in having a shiny, punctatorugose scutum with impunctate interspaces (the male of P. orientalis has a dull, densely, finely punctatorugose scutum).

The female of P. minor closely resembles P. strigulosus in the shape of the clypeus, in the coloration of the legs and metasoma (in most specimens), but differs in having the leg spines black and the scutum punctate with shiny interspaces (the female of P. strigulosus has the leg spines pale, and a dull, densely granulate-rugose scutum). It is similar to P. occitanicus and P. hissaricus in the coloration of the metasoma, but differs by the shape of the clypeus whose middle lobe is narrow: as wide as lateral one or slightly narrower, and the legs are partly reddish in most specimens (the middle clypeal lobe of P. occitanicus and P. hissaricus is broad: 1.5–2 × as wide as lateral one, and the legs are black). The melanistic female of P. minor resembles P. orientalis in having an entirely black metasoma and the legs, but differs by the shape of the clypeus (as from P. occitanicus ).

Description. Male ( Fig. 11c ). Body length 13–17 mm. Head. Clypeus nearly hexagonal; middle lobe distinctly elongate, narrow and emarginate apically; lateral lobe moderately defined ( Fig. 3d ). Clypeus, subantennal sclerite and paraocular area with dense, appressed, silvery setae ( Fig. 12d ). Vertex, occiput and gena shiny, with scattered punctures. Mandible and palpi black. Erect setae dense, black, as long as, or longer than scape. Mesosoma . Pronotum shiny with scattered punctures. Scutum ( Fig. 12e ) punctatorugose with shiny interspaces (punctures about 1.0–4.0 diameters apart). Mesopleuron slightly shiny, coarsely areolate-rugose ( Fig. 12f ). Metapleuron and propodeum shiny, obliquely rugose. Propodeal enclosure shiny, transversely rugose, with fine, brownish setae. Erect setae black. Wings moderately smoky; veins dark brown. Legs black, with black spines. Metasoma entirely black; S8 rectangular emarginate apically.

Female ( Fig. 11b ). Body length 17–20 mm. Head. Middle clypeal lobe moderately longer than lateral one, narrow, not broader than lateral one, slightly emarginate; lateral emargination distinctly defined ( Fig. 4d ). Clypeus, subantennal sclerite and paraocular area with appressed, silvery setae ( Fig. 12a ). Vertex, occiput and gena microsculptured, with scattered punctures and fine, sparse, inconspicuous, appressed, silvery setae. Mandible reddish in basal half, black apically in most specimens (in some specimens entirely blackish). Palpi black. Erect setae black. Mesosoma . Pronotum and scutum shiny, finely punctate (punctures about 1.0–3.0 diameters apart) with fine, sparse, inconspicuous, appressed, silvery setae ( Fig. 12b ). Scutum finely, transversely rugose in some specimens. Mesopleuron slightly shiny, moderately areolate-rugose ( Fig. 12c ). Metapleuron and propodeum shiny, obliquely rugose. Propodeal enclosure shiny, transversely rugose, with fine, inconspicuous, brownish setae. Erect setae black. Wings moderately smoky; veins dark brown. Legs entirely black (melanistic specimens) to black with following reddish: forefemur apicoventrally, foretibia, foretarsus, midtibia apically, midtarsus, hindtarsus distally. Spines of legs black. Metasoma black with following red: T1-T3, T4 partly and S2-S4; entirely black in melanistic specimens.

Justification of new synonymy. The holotype of Sphex parvulus Roth, 1967 differs from the lectotype of Sphex minor F. Morawitz, 1890 only in the color of the metasoma. The coloration of the legs of P. minor is variable: partly reddish to entirely black, hence the two specimens are certainly conspecific.

Material examined ( Fig. 11a ). IRAN. Semnan Province: near Shahmirzad , [35°49′N, 53°15′E], 6.VII.2010, A. Timokhov, (1 ♀, SZMN) . KAZAKHSTAN. Aktobe Province: Shalkar District, Berchogur , [48°25’N, 58°43’E], 20.VI.1909, N. Androssow, (1 ♀, ZISP) ; Jambyl Province: Talas District, near Karatau , [42°55’N, 70°38’E], (1 ♀, ZISP) ; near Taraz, Kujuk pass, [42°45’N, 70°59’E], 22.VI.1983, Tkalců, (1 ♀, OLBL) ; Karagandy Province: near Balkhash city, [47°24′N, 74°4′E], 10.VI.2009, Yu. Danilov, (3 ♀, SZMN) ; Almaty Province: Enbekshikazakh District, Chilik river near Bartogai , [43°26′N, 78°24′E], 8.VI.1968, V. Kazenas, (2 ♂, FSCV) . KYRGYZSTAN. Bishkek, [42°52′N, 74°36′E], 10.VI.1999, M. Mokrousov, G. Anufriev, (1 ♂, PCMM) ; Osh Province: Aravan District, near Aravan , [40°29′N, 72°33′E], 11.VII.2005, D. Milko, (1 ♀, SZMN) ; Tales Province: near Taldy-Bulak , [42°21′N, 73°03′E], 5.VII.2005, D. Milko, (1 ♀, SZMN) . TAJIKISTAN. Region of Republican Subordination: Varzob District, Khoja-Obigarm , [38°53’N, 68°47’E], 6.VII.1896, Barschtschevsky, (1 ♀, ZISP) ; Varzob Dis- trict, Varzob , [38°46’N, 68°49’E], 4.VII.1937, V. Gussakovskij, (1 ♀, ZISP) ; 14–17.VI.2012, Sh. Nazarova, (3 ♂, SZMN) ; Sught Province: Panjakent District, Artuch , [39°20′N, 68°06′E], VI.1910, D. Glasunov, (1 ♂, 1 ♀, ZISP) . TURKMENISTAN. Ashgabat, Archabil , [37°54′N, 58°5′E], 18.V.1928, V. Gussakovskij, (1 ♂, ZISP) ; Turkmen- bashi, [40°01′N, 52°58′E], (1 ♀, lectotype, 1 ♀, paralectotype of Sphex minor , ZISP) ; 20.V.1919, D. Smirnov, (1 ♂, ZISP) ; Balkan Province: Cherkezli , [39°21′N, 56°15′E], 24.V.1953, Odintsova, (1 ♂, 1 ♀, ZISP) ; 24.V.1953, D. Steinberg, (1 ♀, ZISP) ; 3.VI.1952, D. Steinberg, (1 ♂, ZISP) ; Garrygala , [38°26′N, 56°17′E], 1.VI.1952, D. Stein- berg, (1 ♂, ZISP) ; Uly Balkan, [39°40′N, 54°33′E], 5.VI.1953, D. Steinberg, (1 ♂, 1 ♀, ZISP) . UZBEKISTAN. Samarqand Province: Urgut District, Aman-Kutan , [39°19′N, 66°57′E], (1 ♀, ZMMU) .

Distribution. Turkey, * Iran, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Male clypeus: a—Palmodes melanarius (Mocsáry), b—Palmodes hissaricus Danilov, sp. nov., c—Palmodes mandarinius (F. Smith), d—Palmodes minor (F. Morawitz), e—Palmodes occitanicus (Lepeletier et Serville), f—Palmodes orientalis (Mocsáry), g—Palmodes strigulosus (A. Costa).

FIGURE 4. Female clypeus: a—Palmodes melanarius (Mocsáry), b—Palmodes hissaricus Danilov, sp. nov., c—Palmodes mandarinius (F. Smith), d—Palmodes minor (F. Morawitz), e—Palmodes occitanicus (Lepeletier et Serville), f—Palmodes orientalis (Mocsáry), g—Palmodes strigulosus (A. Costa).

FIGURE 11. Palmodes minor (F. Morawitz, 1890): a—collecting localities, b—female, general view, c—male, general view.

FIGURE 12. Palmodes minor (F. Morawitz, 1890). Female: a—clypeus, b—scutum, c—mesopleuron. Male: d—clypeus, escutum, f—mesopleuron, g—genitalia in ventral view.

FIGURES 19–24. Type specimens of Palmodes. Face: 19. General view, labels: 20–24. 19—Sphex palmetorum Roth, 1963, Holotype; 20—Sphex pusillus Gussakovskij, 1930, Holotype; 21—Palmodes hissaricus Danilov, sp. nov., Holotype; 22—Sphex mandarinius F. Smith, 1856, Holotype, photo by David Notton (Natural History Museum, London); 23—Sphex montanus F. Morawitz, 1889, Holotype; 24—Sphex minor F. Morawitz, 1890, Lectotype.