Prionyx (Harpactopus) crudelis (F. Smith, 1856 )

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 : 268-270

Prionyx (Harpactopus) crudelis (F. Smith, 1856)

( Figs 1a , 4a , 8d , 9b , 11c )

Sphex rufipennis Fabricius 1793:200 , sex not stated. Syntypes: ♀, “Tranquebariae” [now Tharangambadi, Tamil Nadu, India] (ZMUC), junior primary homonym of Sphex rufipennis De Geer, 1778 .— As Sphex umbrosus var. rufipennis : Ashmead 1904:150.

Sphex hirtipes Fabricius 1793:207 , sex not stated. Holotype or syntypes: “ Guinea ” [ Guinea] (type lost according to van der Vecht 1961:32), junior primary homonym of Sphex hirtipes De Geer, 1778 . Tentatively synonymized with Sphex (Harpactopus) aegyptius by Kohl 1890:351.— Kohl 1890:445; Dalla Torre 1897:425; van der Vecht 1961:32; Krombein 1984:9 — As tentative synonym of Sphex obscurus : R. Bohart & Menke 1976:115.— As tentative synonym of Prionyx crudelis : R. Bohart & Menke 1976:133.— As Pepsis hirtipes : Fabricius 1804:212.

Sphex AEgyptia Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau 1845:356 , sex not stated. Lectotype: ♀, “ Egypte ” [ Egypt: no specific locality] (MRSN), designated by Menke in Bohart and Menke 1976:133, junior primary homonym of Sphex aegyptius Linnaeus, 1758 .— As Chlorion (Harpactopus) aegyptium : Arnold 1928:359.

Harpactopus crudelis F. Smith 1856:264 , ♀. Holotype or syntypes: ♀, “Madras” [now Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India] (BMNH). Synonymized with Sphex aegyptius Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau by Kohl 1885:181.— As Priononyx (Harpactopus) crudelis : van der Vecht 1961:34.— As Sphex crudelis : de Beaumont 1949:127.— As Chlorion crudele : Derwesh 1965:70.— As Prionyx crudelis : Myartseva 1966:48; Danilov & Odintsev 2023:433; Pulawski 2024:5.

Sphex grandis Radoszkowski 1876:132 , ♂. Holotype or syntypes: ♂, “ Abyssinie ” [now Ethiopia: no specific locality] (ISEZ). Synonymized with Sphex aegyptius by Ed. André 1888:9.

Sphex aegyptius var. turcomanicus Radoszkowski 1893:58 , sex not stated [most likely ♂]. Syntypes: “Sérax” [now Sarahs , Ahal Province, Turkmenistan] (ISEZ).

As Sphex (Harpactopus) soror : Honoré 1944:69, corrected to Prionyx crudelis by Pulawski 2024:7.

Full faunal records bibliography see: Pulawski 2024:5.

Diagnosis. Both sexes of P. crudelis closely resemble P. subfuscatus , P. saevus , P. judaeus , and P. indus . The female of P. crudelis differs from P. subfuscatus and P. saevus in having the head and mesosoma with dark setae, the propodeal enclosure with long, dense, hairlike black setae, the tarsal rake of the foreleg with long, stout, bladelike and some hairlike setae ( P. subfuscatus and P. saevus have the head and mesosoma with pale setae, propodeal enclosure without long, dense, black setae, tarsal rake of foreleg only with some long, stout, bladelike setae). The male of P. crudelis differs from P. subfuscatus and P. saevus in larger size: body length more than 18 mm, and in having the propodeal enclosure with long, dense, hairlike black setae (body length up to 18 mm in P. subfuscatus and P. saevus , and the propodeal enclosure without long, dense, black setae).

Unlike P. indus , both sexes of P. crudelis have the wings yellow (the wings dark in P. indus ).

Both sexes of P. crudelis differ from P. judaeus in having the mesopleuron ventrally rugose (the mesopleuron ventrally smooth and shiny with sparse punctures in P. judaeus ). The male of P. crudelis differs from P. judaeus in having F3–F5 with placoids (F3–F4 with placoids in 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 yellow in venation zone, smoky apically; veins light brown to yellow; recurrent vein II of forewing received by submarginal cell III. Legs. Claws with 2 ventral teeth; arolia present.

Male. Body length 22–33 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 and dark brown mesally. F3–F5 with narrow, depressed placoids. Metasoma. S6 entire, without teeth.

Female. Body length 24–40 mm. Head. Labrum trapeziform, emarginate apically. Clypeus angulate, with Ushaped median notch; anterior margin of clypeal disk slightly beak-like hangs over 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. AFGHANISTAN. Uruzgan Province: Gizab [33°22’N, 66°15’E], 8–15.VI.1970, O. Kabakov (2 ♀, ZISP) . IRAN. Sistan and Baluchestan Province: Mirjaveh County, Siah Jangal [28°47’N, 61°14’E], 11–12.V.1901, N. Zarudny (1 ♀, ZISP) ; Iranshahr County, Bazman District, Bazman [27°51’N, 60°10’E], 3–5.VIII.1898, N. Zarudny (2 ♂, ZISP) ; Zahedan County, Harmak [29°59’N, 60°51’E], 11.VI.1898, N. Zarudny (2 ♂, ZISP) ; Zahedan [formerly Duzzap or Duzdab] [29°30’N, 60°51’E], 28.V.1955, D. Steinberg (2 ♂, 1 ♀, ZISP) ; 14–18.V.1901, N. Zarudny (1 ♂, ZISP) ; South Khorasan Province: Darmian County, Gazik [33°00’N, 60°13’E], 12–13.VII.1901, N. Zarudny (1 ♂, 1 ♀, ZISP) ; TAJIKISTAN. Khatlon Province: Ayvadj [36°59’N, 68°2’E], 3.VIII.1934, V. Gussakovskij (1 ♀, ZISP) ; Qabodiyon [37°24’N, 68°11’E], 27.VI.1934, V. Gussakovskij (1 ♀, ZISP) ; Bokhtar [formerly Qurghonteppa or Kurgan-Tyube] [37°49’N, 68°46’E], 31.V.1931, N. Fursov (1 ♀, ZISP) ; Dusti District, Jilikul [37°29’N, 68°31’E], 12.VI.1934, V. Gussakovskij (1 ♂, ZISP) ; 30.IX.1931, N. Fursov (1 ♂, ZISP) ; Panj District, Panj [37°14’N, 69°06’E], 16–17.VII.1943, D. Stackelberg (2 ♂, ZISP) ; TURKMENISTAN. Ashgabat [37°57’N, 58°23’E], 21.V.1916, collector unknown (1 ♂, ZISP) ; 7.VII.1915, collector unknown (1 ♂, ZISP) ; 28.VI.1928, V. Gussakovskij (1 ♂, ZISP) ; Ahal Province: Tejen [=Tedzhen] [37°22’N, 60°30’E], 4.VII.1929, Predtetschensky (1 ♀, ZISP) ; Komarovsky near Ashgabat [37°45’N, 58°33’E], 22.V.1928, V. Gussakovskij (1 ♂, ZISP) ; Balkan Province: Eldere gorge near Magtymguly [formerly Kara-Kala] [38°30’N, 56°23’E], 29.VI.1953, E. Arens (1 ♀, ZISP) ; Sumbar river valley near Magtymguly [formerly Kara-Kala] [38°25’N, 56°24’E], 18.VI.1955, A. Ponomareva (1 ♀, ZISP) ; Garabogaz near Gyzylarbat [formerly Serdar or Kyzyl-Arvat] [39°17’N, 56°27’E], 31.V.1953, D. Steinberg (1 ♂, ZISP) ; Lebap Province: Repetek Biosphere State Reserve [38°34’N, 63°10’E], 14.V.1914, K. Bil’kewitch (1 ♀, ZISP) ; Çärjew District, Farap [=Farab][39°10’N, 63°36’E], 16–20.V.1911, Kuleshov (1 ♂, ZISP) ; Mary Province: Imeni Chapayeva [formely Ymam Baba] [36°42’N, 62°27’E], 18–20.VI.1925, V. Gussakovskij (1 ♂, 3 ♀, ZISP) ; 28–31.V.1912, V. Kozhanchikov (3 ♂, 3 ♀, ZISP) ; 8.VI.1912, V. Kozhanchikov (1 ♂, ZISP) ; 25.V.1912, V. Kozhanchikov (1 ♂, ZISP) ; 1932, A. Shestakov (2 ♂, ZISP) ; Baýramaly [37°37’N, 62°09’E], N. Simonov (1 ♀, ZISP) ; 17.VI.1910, B. Uvarov (1 ♀, ZISP) ; 11.IX.1916, M. Ryabov (1 ♀, ZISP) ; 11.V.1917, M. Ryabov (2 ♂, ZISP) ; 21.V.1917, collector unknown (1 ♀, ZISP) ; Serhetabat [formerly Gushgy or Kushka] [35°17’N, 62°21’E], 13–18.VI.1925, V. Gussakovskij (1 ♂, 1 ♀, ZISP) ; Sary-Yazi [36°27’N, 62°37’E], V.1904, K. Arris (1 ♀, ZISP) ; Ýolöten [37°18’N, 62°21’E], 18.VI.1927, V. Kizeritskij (1 ♀, ZISP) ; 1.X.1926, V. Kizeritskij (1 ♂, ZISP) ; 12.VI.1898, K. Angher (1 ♂, ZISP) ; UZBEKISTAN. Jizzakh Province: Jizzakh [40°07’N, 67°51’E], VI.1919, Chernevsky expedition (1 ♀, ZISP) ; Khorazm Province: Khiva [41°22’N, 60°21’E], 25.VI.1927, V. Gussakovskij (1 ♂, ZISP) ; YEMEN. Sanaa [15°20’N, 44°12’E], 16–18.VIII.1930, collector unknown (1 ♂, 2 ♀, ZISP) .

Distribution. Arid and semi-arid to tropical wet and dry areas from Central and South Asia to Southern Balkans and from Middle East to East and Equatorial Africa and Western Indian Ocean Islands (* Afghanistan, Bulgaria, Comoros, Cyprus, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Greece, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Madagascar, Mauritania, Mauritius, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, * Uzbekistan, Yemen).

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 8. Female mesosoma and head in dorsal view: a: Prionyx chobauti (Roth), b: P. funebris (Berland), c: P. macula (Fabricius), d: P. crudelis (F. Smith), e: P. melanotus (F. Morawitz), f: Prionyx persicus (Mocsáry), g: P. radoszkowskyi (Kohl), h: P. stschurowskii (Radoszkowski), i: P. subfuscatus (Dahlbom).

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).

FIGURE 11. Habitus of some Harpactopus (females): a: Prionyx persicus (Mocsáry), b: P. radoszkowskyi (Kohl), c: P. crudelis (F. Smith), d: P. subfuscatus (Dahlbom), e: P. zarudnyi (Gussakovskij).