Prionyx (Harpactopus) indus ( Linnaeus, 1758 )

Odintsev, Yuriy N. Danilov Oleg A. & Kobets, Anastasia S., 2024, A taxonomic study on the genus Prionyx Vander Linden, 1827 (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae: Prionychini). Subgenus Harpactopus F. Smith, 1856, Zootaxa 5551 (2), pp. 263-298 : 272-273

Prionyx (Harpactopus) indus ( Linnaeus, 1758)

( Figs 1b , 4a , 9e )

Sphex indus Linnaeus 1758:569 (as inda ). Holotype: ♀, “in Indiis” [Africa according to Day 1979:65] (UUNM).— Day & Fitton 1978:193; Day 1979:65.— As Prionyx indus : R. Bohart & Menke 1976:133; S. Gess & F. Gess 2003:91; Dollfuss 2008:1409; Danilov & Odintsev 2023:433; Pulawski 2024:11.

Sphex indostanus Linnaeus 1764:407 (as indostana). Unjustified emendation of Sphex indus .— Linnaeus 1767:942; Day and Fitton 1978:193; Day 1979:65.

Harpactopus tyrannus F. Smith 1856:264 , ♀. Holotype: ♀, ”Port Natal” [now Durban, South Africa] (BMNH). Synonymized with Sphex indus by Bohart & Menke 1976:133.— Harpactopus tyrannus : Radoszkowski 1881:210.— As Sphex (Harpactopus) tyrannus : Kohl 1890:349.— As Sphex tyrannus : Dalla Torre 1897:445.— As Chlorion (Harpactopus) tyrannus : R. Turner 1918:361.— As Chlorion (Harpactopus) tyrannum : Arnold 1928:357; 1947:145.

Sphex vagus Radoszkowski 1881:209 , ♂, junior primary homonym of Sphex vagus Linnaeus, 1758 . Holotype or syntypes: ♂, “ Angola ” [ Angola, no specific locality] (ISEZ). Synonymized with Chlorion tyrannus by R. Turner 1918:361.— Dalla Torre 1897:446.

Sphex englebegi Brauns 1899:392 , ♀, ♂ (as Englebegi ). Syntypes: “Zwartcop” [now Zwartkop in Gauteng Province, South Africa], “Tamatsetse, nördlich in Khama’s Territorium” [now Botswana], “Blomfontein im Orange-Freistaat” [Bloemfontein, South Africa] (NHMW, AMG, TMP). Synonymized with Sphex (Harpactopus) inda by W. Schulz 1912:56, and with Chlorion tyrannum by Arnold 1928:357.

Full bibliography see: Pulawski 2024:11.

Diagnosis. Both sexes of P. indus closely resemble P. crudelis and P. judaeus , but differ in having the wings dark (the wings are yellow in P. crudelis and P. judaeus ).

Description. Body black with black erect setae. Head. Labial palpomeres 2–4 usual. Vertex, occiput and gena microsculptured, punctate. Mesosoma . Pronotum moderately angulate laterodorsally, finely rugose, with black erect setae. Scutum punctatorugose, slightly shiny. Scutellum slightly longitudinally depressed, longitudinlly rugose. Metanotum distinctly tuberculate dorsally. Mesopleuron, metapleuron, and propodeum coarsely areolate-rugose with black erect setae, not concealing integument, except propodeal enclosure with long, dense, hairlike black setae, moderately concealing integument. Wings dark in venation zone, smoky apically; veins dark brown; recurrent vein II of forewing received by submarginal cell III. Legs. Claws with 2 ventral teeth; arolia present.

Male. Body length 21–32 mm. Head. Labrum trapeziform. Clypeus with wide V-shaped median emargination. Clypeus, subantennal sclerite and paraocular area with appressed, silvery setae, moderately concealing integument. Mandible black. F3–F5 with narrow, depressed placoids. Metasoma. S6 entire, without teeth.

Female. Body length 28–35 mm. Head. Labrum trapeziform, emarginate apically. Clypeus with U-shaped median notch.Clypeus, subantennal sclerite and paraocular area with appressed, silvery setae, concealing integument. Mesosoma . Pronotum with sparse appressed, silvery setae, not concealing integument. Legs. Tarsal rake of foreleg with long, stout, bladelike and some short, hairlike setae.

Material examined. None.

Distribution. Arid and semi-arid areas of Southern Africa ( Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Female clypeus: a: Prionyx crudelis (F. Smith), b: P. indus (Linnaeus), c: P. judaeus (de Beaumont), d: P. saevus (F. Smith), e: P. subfuscatus (Dahlbom), f: P. zarudnyi (Gussakovskij).

FIGURE 4. Male antennae, scheme: a: Prionyx crudelis (F. Smith), P. indus (Linnaeus), P. zarudnyi (Gussakovskij), b: P. judaeus (de Beaumont), P. saevus (F. Smith), c: P. subfuscatus (Dahlbom), P. stschurowskii (Radoszkowski), d: P. funebris (Berland), P. macula (Fabricius), P. persicus (Mocsáry), P. radoszkowskyi (Kohl), e: P. melanotus (F. Morawitz), f: P. globosus (F. Smith).

FIGURE 9. Collecting localities (red circles) and literature data (blue circles); a: Prionyx chobauti (Roth), b: P. crudelis (F. Smith), c: P. funebris (Berland), d: P. globosus (F. Smith), e: P. indus (Linnaeus), f: P. judaeus (de Beaumont), g: P. macula (Fabricius), h: P. melanotus (F. Morawitz).