Palmodes strigulosus (A. Costa, 1861 )

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 : 426-430

Palmodes strigulosus (A. Costa, 1861)

( Figs 3g , 4g , 17 , 18 )

Sphex ferus Dahlbom, 1843:26 (as fera), ♀, ♂. Lectotype, ♂, Greece (no specific locality), designated by de Beaumont 1953:154 (MZLU), junior primary homonym, of Sphex ferus Drury, 1782 .— Eversmann 1849:367; Radoszkowski 1871:199; Becker 1880:153.

Sphex strigulosus A. Costa, 1861:29 (as strigulosa), ♀. Holotype, ♀, Italy: Reggio di Calabria: Brancaleone (MZUN). Syn- onymized with Sphex ferus by de Beaumont 1953:194.— Kohl 1885:177; 1890:326; F. Morawitz 1893:405; Dalla Torre 1897:442; Gussakovskij 1930:211; Roth 1963:149; Kazenas 1969:21; 1972:110; 1978:43; Pulawski 1978:184.— As Palmodes strigulosus: Bohart & Menke 1976:127 ; Kazenas 1998:105; Shkuratov 1998:97; Esenbekova & Kazenas 2000:8; Kazenas 2001:14; 2002:27; 2004:98; Shkuratov 2004:73; Shorenko 2005a:162; 2005b:97; Danilov 2008:347; 2010:44; 2012:161; 2013:49; 2014b:514; Mokrousov & Popov 2016:564; Danilov 2017:215; Jahantigh, Rakhshani, Mokhtari & Ramroodi 2017:25; Pulawski 2019.

Sphex straboni Berland, 1926:166 , ♀. Holotype, ♀. Turkey: Amasya (MNHN). Synonymized with Sphex strigulosus by Berland & Bernard 1949:2.

Diagnosis. The male of P. strigulosus closely resembles P. minor and P. mandarinius by the shape of the clypeus, but differs in having a dull, distinctly, densely micropunctate, finely rugose scutum and a dull, finely punctatorugose mesopleuron ( P. minor has the shiny, punctatorugose scutum with impunctate interspaces, and a slightly shiny, coarsely areolate-rugose mesopleuron; P. mandarinius has the scutum finely microareolate-rugose and indistinctly punctate with fine, sparse, inconspicuous, semiappressed, brownish setae). It is similar to P. orientalis in the mesosoma structure, but differs in having a distinctly defined lateral clypeal lobe and a moderately elongate middle lobe ( P. orientalis has inconspicuously defined lateral clypeal lobe and a distinctly defined middle lobe). It resembles P. hissaricus and P. occitanicus in habitus, but differs by the shape of the clypeus.

The female of P. strigulosus closely resembles P. minor by the shape of the clypeus and the legs partly reddish, but differs in having the leg spines pale ( P. minor has the leg spines black). Unlike all other Palearctic species it has the legs partly red and the leg spines pale.

Description. Male ( Fig. 17c ). Body length 13–19 mm. Head. Clypeus nearly hexagonal; middle lobe moderately elongate, narrow and moderately emarginate apically; lateral lobe distinctly defined; lateral emargination absent or insignificant ( Fig. 3g ). Clypeus, subantennal sclerite and paraocular area with dense, appressed, silvery setae ( Fig. 18d ). Vertex, occiput and gena dull, micropunctate and punctate. Mandible and palpi black. Erect setae black. Mesosoma . Pronotum and scutum dull, finely, densely micropunctate and slightly, finely rugose, with fine, sparse, semiappressed, brownish setae ( Fig. 18e ). Mesopleuron dull, finely punctatorugose ( Fig. 18f ). Metapleuron and propodeum slightly shiny, obliquely rugose. Propodeal enclosure dull, transversely striate, with fine, brownish setae. Erect setae black. Wings moderately smoky; veins dark brown. Legs black, with black spines. Metasoma black with following red: T1, T2 anterolaterally, petiole posteroventrally, S2 basally. Entirely black in melanistic specimens. S8 rectangular emarginate apically.

Female ( Fig. 17b ). Body length 15–23 mm. Head. Middle clypeal lobe moderately longer than lateral one, narrow, not or slightly broader than lateral one, slightly emarginate; lateral emargination distinctly defined ( Fig. 4g ). Clypeus, subantennal sclerite and paraocular area with appressed, goldish setae. Frons dull, punctate, with sparse, appressed, goldish setae ( Fig. 18a ). Vertex, occiput and gena microsculptured, with scattered punctures and fine, sparse, inconspicuous, appressed, goldish or brownish setae. Mandible reddish in basal half, black apically in most specimens (in some specimens entirely blackish). Palpi black. Erect setae brown. Mesosoma . Pronotum and scutum dull, finely, densely micropunctate, with fine, sparse, conspicuous, semiappressed, goldish or silvery setae ( Fig. 18b ). Mesopleuron dull, finely punctatorugose ( Fig. 18c ). Metapleuron and propodeum slightly shiny, obliquely rugose. Propodeal enclosure dull, transversely striate, with fine, pale setae. Erect setae brown. Wings slightly smoky; veins brownish. Legs black with following red: fore- and midfemora apicoventrally, fore- and midtibiae, tarsi, hindtibia partly so. Spines of legs pale. Metasoma black with following red: T1-T2, T3 basally (in some specimens) and S2-S3, S4 partly.

Material examined ( Fig. 17a ). IRAN. Gilan Province: 15 km SE Tutkabon , [36°48’N, 49°38’E], 9.VI.2014, J. Halada, (1 ♀, OLBL) ; Golestan Province: 10 km SW Dorud , [33°27’N, 49°05’E], 20.V.2014, J. Halada, (4 ♂, OLBL) . KAZAKHSTAN. Zhambyl Province: Talas District, near Karatau , [42°55’N, 70°38’E], unknown collector, (1 ♀, ZISP) ; Moiynkum District, near Khantau , [44°11’N, 73°58’E], 3.VI.2015, K. Fadeev, (1 ♂, PCKF) ; Almaty Province: Qyzylaghash , [45°22′N, 78°43′E], 24.VI.1962, V. Kazenas, (1 ♀, FSCV) . KYRGYZSTAN. Talass Province: Manas District, Pokrovka , [42°40′N, 71°30′E], 23.VI.1922, Kuznetsov, (1 ♂, ZISP) ; Manas District, near Ak-Döbö , [42°34’N, 72°00’E], 3.VI.2005, D. Milko, (2 ♂, 1 ♀, SZMN) ; near Kirovskoe Lake , [42°39’N, 72°36’E], 1.VI.2005, D. Milko, (1 ♂, SZMN) ; Chui Province: Moskva District, Sretenka , [42°55′N, 74°07′E], 17.VI.1931, L. Zimin, (30 ♂, 2 ♀, ZISP) ; Kyrgyz Ala-Too Range , no specific locality, [42°35′N, 75°48′E], 16.VI.1931, Veltischev, (1 ♂, ZISP) . TAJIKISTAN. Sught Province: Panjakent District, Artuch , [39°20′N, 68°06′E], VI.1910, D. Glasu- nov, (1 ♂, ZISP) ; Panjakent District, Jori , [39°30′N, 67°52′E], A. Semenov, (6 ♂, 1 ♀, ZISP) ; Region of Republican Subordination: Varzob District, Kondara , [38°48’N, 68°48’E], 15.VII.1937, V. Gussakovskij, (1 ♂, ZISP) ; Nuro- bod District, near Komsomolobod , [38°52’N, 69°57’E], 22.VI.1986, Sh. Nazarova, (4 ♂, 1 ♀, SZMN) ; Khatlon Province: Qurghonteppa , [37°50′N, 68°46′E], 23.V.1931, N. Fursov, (1 ♂, ZISP) ; Khuroson District , kishlak Tosh- bulok [38°14’N, 68°43’E], 1–4.VI.2016, Yu. Danilov, (6 ♂, SZMN) . TURKMENISTAN. Ashgabat , [37°57′N, 58°23′E], Komarov, (1 ♀, ZISP) ; Ashgabat, Archabil , [37°54′N, 58°5′E], 25.V.1990, Vanovskij, Ler, (1 ♂, FSCV) ; 21.V.1985, A. Lelej, (1 ♂, FSCV) ; Ahal Province: Baharly District, Tutlykala , [38°24’N, 56°43’E], 8.VI.1952, O. Kryzhanovsky, (1 ♂, ZISP) ; Buzmeyin, Chuli , [37°59’N, 58°1’E], 21.V.1914, Golbek, (1 ♀, ZISP) ; Lebap Province: Repetek Biosphere State Reserve [38°34’N, 63°10’E], 26.IV—1.V.1913, Golbek, (3 ♂, 1 ♀, ZISP) . UZBEKISTAN. Navoiy Province: Khatyrchi District, Yangirabad , [40°02′N, 65°58′E], 25.V.1928, L. Zimin, (1 ♂, ZISP) ; Samarkand Province: Urgut District, Aman-Kutan , [39°19′N, 66°57′E], 13.VI.1932, V. Gussakovskij, (3 ♂, 1 ♀, ZISP) ; 4.VII.1932, (1 ♀, ZISP) ; Kashkadar’ya Province: Kamashi , [38°49′N, 66°27′E], 27.V.1931, V. Gus- sakovskij, (1 ♀, ZISP) ; Kamashi District, near Yangikishlak , [38°37’N, 66°50’E], 18.V.2015, M. Mokrousov, M. Proshchalykin, K. Samartsev, (1 ♂, PCMM) ; 19.V.2015, V. Gromenko, (11 ♂, PCMM) ; Surkhandar’ya Province: near Derbent , [38°10’N, 67°02’E], 10.V.2015, M. Mokrousov, M. Proshchalykin, K. Samartsev, (1 ♀, PCMM) .

Distribution. Spain, Italy, France, Albania, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Ukraine, Russia (Ryazan Province, Lipetsk Province, Saratov Province, Rostov Province, Volgograd Province, Kalmyk Republic, Astrakhan Province, Krasnodar Territory, Dagestan Republic, Crimea Republic, Orenburg Province), Georgia, Armenia, Turkey, Israel, 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 17. Palmodes strigulosus (A. Costa, 1861): a—collecting localities, b—female, general view, c—male, general view.

FIGURE 18. Palmodes strigulosus (A. Costa, 1861). Female: a—clypeus, b—scutum, c—mesopleuron. Male: d—clypeus, e—scutum, f—mesopleuron, g—genitalia in ventral view.