Ammophila pruinosa Cresson

Menke, Arnold S., 2007, Ammophila nancy Menke, a new species in the pruinosa complex (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae: Ammophilinae), Zootaxa 1546, pp. 31-38 : 36-37

Ammophila pruinosa Cresson

( Figures 1, 4, 7 , 12 , 14 )

Ammophila pruinosa Cresson, 1865:455 , Colorado, 10 females, 3 males (ANSP). Lectotype female, designated by Cresson,1916:94. Examined.

Identification: The ventral spine of the male penis valve forms a distinctive C-shape in lateral view, which immediately identifies this sex ( Fig.12 ). Females have a short flagellomere I which is 0.47–0.53 X the LID. Female flagellomeres I–II are comparatively shorter, stouter than in nancy (compare Figs. 14–15 ) The labrum is more elongate than that of nancy and the apex is somewhat rounded. The short mouthparts differentiate pruinos a from californica (compare Figs 9–10 ).

Geographic distribution: Widespread in western North America (mostly west of the 100th Meridian) from Nebraska and Texas west to British Columbia and southern California and Baja California. The species occurs as far south in Mexico as the state of Oaxaca.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. 1 – 2, left side of thorax. 1. Ammophila pruinosa female. 2. Ammophila californica male. 3 – 8, faces. 3. Ammophila nancy female. 4. Ammophila pruinosa female. 5. Ammophila californica female. 6. Ammophila nancy male. 7. Ammophila pruinosa male. 8. Ammophila californica male.

FIGURES 11 – 13, right side of penis valve of male genitalia. 11. Ammophila nancy. 12. Ammophila pruinosa. 13. Ammophila californica.

FIGURES 14 – 15. Flagellomeres 1 and 2 of females. 14. Ammophila pruinosa. 15. Ammophila nancy.

FIGURES 9 – 10. underside of head showing mouthparts and labrum. Note that in males of the pruinosa complex, genal setation reaches hypostomal carina. In females setation is confined to the upper part of the gena. 9. Ammophila nancy male. 10. Ammophila californica female.