Pseudognaptodon Fischer, 1965

(Figs 1–47)

Pseudognaptodon Fischer, 1964: 207 (invalid), 1965: 182, 1967: 973, 1977: 983; Shenefelt, 1975: 1133; Marsh, 1979: 175; van Achterberg, 1983: 26; Whitfield & Wagner, 1991: 793; Belokobylskij, 1993a: 43–44; Wharton, 1997: 257–260, 2017: 240–242; Cirelli et al. 2002: 89; Williams, 2004: 153–154 (diagnosis); Low et al., 2012: 5899. Type species (by original designation): Pseudognaptodon curticauda Fischer, 1965 .

Williams (2004) recognized two species groups (both without medio-posterior depression of mesoscutum); one group with distinctly impressed and curved episternal scrobe, antero-lateral grooves of third metasomal tergite distinct and setose part of ovipositor sheath 0.5–0.9 × as long as hind basitarsus ( P. omissus group) and one without distinct scrobe (at most present as shallow depression), antero-lateral grooves of third metasomal tergite indistinct or absent and setose part of ovipositor sheath less than 0.5 × as long as hind basitarsus ( P. curticauda group). Unfortunately, these characters were not mentioned in the descriptions by Cirelli et al. (2002), but judging from the figured metasoma, only P. murupe Braga & Penteado-Dias, 2002, belongs to the P. omissus group and the rest to the P. curticauda group. Another problem is the existence of two primary homonyms: Pseudognaptodon striatus Williams, 2004 (not P. striatus Braga & Penteado-Dias, 2002), and here renamed P. williamsi van Achterberg, nom. n. in honour of Daryl Williams for his excellent revision, and P. carinatus Williams, 2004 (not P. carinatus Cirelli & Penteado-Dias, 2002) is here renamed into P. carinatoides van Achterberg, nom. n.

The only known non-American species, Pseudognaptodon ruficeps Belokobylskij, 1992, from Vietnam, is an aberrant species because of its metasomal sculpture: the first–third metasomal tergites (except apical half of third tergite) are largely longitudinally striate or rugulose, and the basal area of the second tergite is only 0.05 × as long as second and third tergites combined, features not encountered in any of the 28 New World species (Cirelli et al. 2002; Williams 2004). The new species from NW China (Shaanxi) fills a gap in the distribution but is very different from P. ruficeps . It only shares the extensively sculptured three basal metasomal tergites, but the sculpture itself is different. The genus is new for the Palaearctic region and the Chinese fauna, and it is only the second known species in the Old World.