Euodynerus (Euodynerus) setosus Gusenleitner, 1970

Fateryga, Alexander V. & Proshchalykin, Maxim Yu., 2024, New records of the solitary Vespidae (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Masarinae and Eumeninae s. l.) from Central Asia, with new synonyms and description of a new species of Eumenes Latreille, Zootaxa 5529 (3), pp. 551-569 : 561

Euodynerus (Euodynerus) setosus Gusenleitner, 1970

( Fig. 2B–D )

Euodynerus setosus Gusenleitner in Blüthgen & Gusenleitner 1970: 11, fig. 4, ♀ ♂ (type locality: “ Birdjant (Chorassen)” [ Iran]).

Material examined (new records). UZBEKISTAN: 4 km NNE Uchkulach , 40°33′40″N, 67°22′01″E, 26.V.2023, 1 ♂, leg. M. Proshchalykin [ CAFK] ; ibid., on Limonium otolepis , 26.V.2023, 1 ♂, leg. A. Fateryga [ CAFK] ; ibid., on Tamarix ramosissima , 26.V.2023, 1 ♀, 3 ♂, leg. A. Fateryga [ CAFK] ; ibid., 27.V.2023, 1 ♂, leg. M. Proshchalykin [ CAFK] ; ibid., on Limonium otolepis , 27.V.2023, 1 ♀, leg. A. Fateryga [ CAFK] ; 2 km SW Simbulak, 40°38′37″N, 66°36′18″E, 31.V.2023, 2 ♂, leg. A. Fateryga [ CAFK]; Tamdytau Mts. , 41°39′02″N, 64°25′14″E, 28.V.2023, 3 ♀, leg. A. Fateryga [ CAFK]; ibid., 28.V.2023, 4 ♀, 2 ♂, leg. M. Proshchalykin [ CAFK]; ibid., on Meristotropis triphylla , 28.V.2023, 2 ♀, 3 ♂, leg. A. Fateryga [ CAFK] .

Distribution. Transcaucasia, Iran, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, * Uzbekistan.

Remarks. The taxonomic status of E. setosus rubicundus Gusenleitner, 1994 described from Oman remains unclear.

Field observations. Similar to Chlorodynerus arenicola , females of E. setosus were observed at Glycyrrhiza triphylla at Tamdytau Mountains, Kyzylkum Desert, but the latter wasp species mainly robbed nectar from flowers that have not yet fully opened ( Fig. 2B, C ). In addition, females sometimes did regular visits to open flowers ( Fig. 2D ), as well as a secondary nectar robbing (sensu Inoyue 1980) from buds already gnawed out by Ch. arenicola . Opening flowers that have not yet fully opened is known in some species of the pollen-wasp genus Celonites Latreille but in the latter case the wasps use such flowers rather to uptake pollen than nectar ( Mauss & Müller 2014; Fateryga et al. 2023b).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Females of two eumenine wasp species at flowers of Glycyrrhiza triphylla Fisch. & C.A. Mey. in Uzbekistan. A, Chlorodynerus arenicola (Kostylev); B–D, Euodynerus setosus Gusenleitner. A, nectar robbing by gnawing the top of a closed bud; B, C, nectar robbing by opening a flower that has not yet fully opened; D, regular visit to an open flower.