Ammoplanus (Ammoplanellus) chorasmius, Gussakovskij, 1931

Boucïek, Zdenek, 2001, Palaearctic species of Ammoplanus (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae), Journal of Natural History 35, pp. 849-929 : 917-918

A. (Ammoplanellus) chorasmius Gussakovskij

Ammoplanus (Ammoplanellus) chorasmius Gussakovskij, 1931: 443 , 440. Uzbekistan (and Turkmenia). Lectotype female from Khiva, designated by Marshakov (1976: 681); in ZMAS (not examined). Gussakovskij, 1952: 220; Marshakov, 1976: 677 ±678, 681; 1978: 372±374.

Ammoplanellus chorasmius (Gussakovskij) ; Bohart and Grissell, 1976: 199. Krombein, 1978: 1611.

Marshakov (1976: 681) declared Ammoplanus orbiculatus Tsuneki (1972: 226 ±227), misspelt `orbicularis ’, as a synonym of chorasmius but Tsuneki’s drawing of the venation shows rather a species similar to shestakovi with which Tsuneki compared his species. My subsequent examination of the holotype of A. orbiculatus revealed, however, that it is the same as A. simplex (see there).

My interpretation of chorasmius is based on a couple from Turkmenistan identi- ®ed so by Marshakov (without date), in my view correctly. These specimens have an incomplete marginal cell and I ®nd it incredible that the variation should include specimens with a complete cell, as Marshakov states and depicts in his paper of 1978 (p. 371, ®gures 37 ±40). His ®gures 38±40 probably belong to simplex the specimens of which he confused with chorasmius .

Additional diagnostic characters (from the Turkmenistan specimens)

Male (apparently agreeing with the 1952 description of Gussakovskij). Head with inner eye orbits in upper half subparallel, their lower ends strongly turning mesad and there only about 0.6 apart as to upper orbits. Antennal toruli placed hardly above lower ocular line. Median part of clypeus raised and on margin produced into two stout teeth but without trace of any median tooth (similar to clypeus in rhodesianus ); side parts of clypeus depressed on their mesal side, anterior clypeal margin with short hairs. Small labrum short, transverse, with semicircular median incision, placed behind clypeal teeth, not at the same level with anterior margin of median part of clypeus, hence not exposed as in other species. Mandibles strong but rather short, in distal half broad, parallel-sided, upper tooth strong, acute; if mandibles closed the apex hardly exceeds level (vertically) with outer border of the other torulus; lower edge not expanded at base as in rhodesianus (®gure 58). Flagellum with proximal segments subquadrate or the second and third subtransverse, dorsally slightly depressed and black (or dark), whilst the distal ones are slightly narrower and oblong (®gure 56), and the last about 2.4 times as long as broad. Sculpture of mesoscutum very weak, posteriorly tending to very ®ne transverse striation.

Female. Pronotal callus white. Frons without distinct median groove. Relative measurements: head width 82 (®gure 55), height (including submedian clypeal projections) 76, frons width 54, distance between lower ends of eyes 33, scape length 28, pedicel as long as two following segments combined. Clypeus smooth, in middle with slight convexity, on side broadly reaching lower eye orbit; its middle third produced below, this border shallowly broadly emarginate and bearing rather indistinct setiferous punctures. Labrum with two narrow teeth. Back of head without

depressions; occipital carina well developed. Scape narrow and short. Flagellum very slightly clavate, proximal two segments each hardly longer than broad, following ones subquadrate, last one equal to two preceding ones combined. Pronotum with collar transversely striate, formed by two transverse bosses and posteriorly in middle with distinct arched carina. Mesoscutum distinctly transversely striate, weak striation also indicated on scutellum, latter anteriorly with deep, irregularly crenulate groove. Propodeum very coarsely and rather irregularly alveolate.

Except for the open marginal cell the female of chorasmius is very similar to A. simplex .

Material examined. Turkmenistan: Ispaz , Tugay, 90 km NW of Chardzhou, 1 l and 1m, 2 May 1980 (Kasparyan, ZMAS; det. Marshakov) .

Distribution. Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan. Marshakov (1976: 681) gives also Mongolia, but that data is apparently based on the incorrect synonymization of A. orbiculatus .