Ammophila nancy Menke

Menke, Arnold S., 2007, Ammophila nancy Menke, a new species in the pruinosa complex (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae: Ammophilinae), Zootaxa 1546, pp. 31-38 : 32-36

Ammophila nancy Menke , new species

( Figures 3, 6 , 9 , 11 , 15 )

Holotype male: Length: 20 mm.

Color: Head including antenna, thorax, coxae, trochanters, and petiole sternum black. Mandible brownish red at midlength, scape with small brownish red area apically. Tegula orange red. Forewing veins orange red at base, and anal vein this color to end of subbasal cell, other veins extensively brown. Forefemur, tibia and tarsus orange red; midfemur black dorsobasally, but remainder orange red, as are midtibia and tarsus; hindfemur black dorsally almost to apex, this color less extensive ventrally, remainder of femur orange red, hind tibia and tarsus orange red (distal tarsomeres darker). Petiole tergum black above, orange red laterally. Gaster orange red except as follows: gastral tergum I with black middorsal band that ends three quarters distance to apex; gastral terga IV–VI largely black; sternum VI black.

Ve st it u re: Head and thorax including coxae with erect silver setae; foretrochanter and femur with setal fringe ventrally. The following densely covered with appressed silver setae: face (except vertex), gena, pronotal lobe and thoracic pleura, coxae and trochanters of mid and hindlegs. Ventral surface of trochanter, femur and tibia of foreleg with appressed silver setae. Thoracic dorsum less densely covered with appressed silver setae, integument somewhat visible, propodeal dorsum glabrous laterally.

Structure: Flagellomere I length 0.8 X lower (least) interocular distance and 1.23 X flagellomere II length. Free margin of clypeus broadly, shallowly emarginate. Labrum rectangular, apex straight. Apex of folded proboscis ending about at midpoint of stipes. Scutum smooth, with scattered shallow punctures (ca. 2–3 diameters apart). Ventral process of penis valve head long, extending basad ( Fig.11 ).

Male variation: Length 13–20 mm. Length of galea from apex to palpal socket 0.73 –0.85 X galea length (as much as 0.94 X galea length in tiny specimens). Petiole sternum sometimes orange red ventally or entirely orange red. Flagellomere I length varies from 0.77–0.86 X least interocular distance (0.86 is a small specimen). Flagellomere I length 1.23 to 1.41 X flagellomere II length. The penis valve spine varies in length, but its apex is always directed basad.

Female: Length 11–21 mm.

Color: As in male except clypeal free margin red brown to black at center, and legs more extensively orange red: only coxae, hindtrochanter and dorsum of hindfemur black. Gaster orange red except tergum I with stripe as in male, and IV with large basal black spot. Spot on tergum IV sometimes absent or reduced to two small maculae.

Ve st it u re: As in male except free clypeal margin asetose; foreleg with psammophore, the femur with an upper and lower row of rake setae.

Structure: Inner orbits converging ventrad. Clypeal disk moderately swollen, lower part asetose, shiny; free margin of clypeus a narrow, impunctate, asetose flange; clypeal lobe usually defined by poorly formed angles that tend to be rounded (lateral angles or teeth rarely sharp and projecting), edge of lobe essentially straight, sometimes with shallow median notch, lobe width 0.51–0.58 X least interocular distance, usually ca. 0.58X. Flagellomere I length 0.55–0.64 X least interocular distance; flagellomere I length 1.45–1.61 X flagellomere II length ( Fig. 15 ). Labrum apex almost straight, but lateral corners more rounded than in male, sometimes with weak apical angle. Apex of proboscis when folded ending slightly beyond middle of stipes; length of galea from apex to palpal socket less than length of stipes (0.68–0.8 X length of stipes). Scutum with scattered macropuntures (0.5 –3 diameters apart), sometimes weakly rugose laterad.

Identification: The truncate labrum common to both sexes ( Fig. 9 ), the elongate flagellomere I in the female (at least 0.56 X the LID), and the sinuate ventral spine of the penis valve head ( Fig. 11 ) separate nancy from the similar pruinosa . The labrum of pruinosa typically is more elongate, and rounded apically, and flagellomere I is shorter in the female (0.47–0.53 X LID). The ventral spine of the penis valve head of pruinosa forms a diagnostic C-shape in lateral view ( Fig. 12 ). The short mouthparts of nancy (and pruinosa ) separate the species from californica (compare Figs. 9–10 ). The clypeus of male pruinosa generally has a narrower emargination than in nancy .

I have seen males from various localities with a smaller penis valve spine, combined with an apically arcuate labrum. While these variants may be nancy , I have identified them as nancy with a question mark. For example, Nancy and I collected 12 males at 4.5 mi. E. of Tecopa, Inyo Co., California (ARI). Six are typical nancy with a long penis valve spine, and a truncate labrum. The remaining six have a smaller spine and the labrum apex is rounded. These last six may be conspecific with the typical males, or they could be a separate taxon.

A female from Rifle, Colorado (AMNH) appears to be nancy , but this locality is far north of the rest of the material of this species, and it would be desirable to see males from this area to confirm the identity of the specimen.

Geographic range: Ammophila nancy , a desert dweller, occurs from western Texas to southern Nevada and southern California and south into Baja California and Sonora in Mexico.

Type material: Holotype male ARIZONA, Cochise Co., Geronimo Trail, Mile Post 19 (east of Douglas), September 12, 2003, Nancy Menke. ( USNM).

Paratypes (128 males, 92 females): ARIZONA, Cochise Co.: Douglas, June 16, 1942, E. C. Van Dyke ( CAS). Douglas, September 3, 1974, H. and M. Townes ( AEI). Geronimo Trail, Mile Post 19 (east of Douglas), August 30-September 1, 2002, Arnold S. & Nancy D. Menke (ARI); Geronimo Trail, Mile Post 19, August 30, 2003, A. S. Menke and N. D. Menke (ARI); Geronimo Trail, Mile Post 19, September 12, 2003, A. S. Menke and N. D. Menke (ARI); Geronimo Trail, Mile Post 19, September 12, 2004, A. S. Menke and N. D. Menke (ARI); Geronimo Trail, Mile Post 10.5 (east of Douglas), September 12, 2003, Nancy D. Menke (ARI). Portal, September 4, 1974, H. & M. Townes ( AEI). 8 mi. NE Portal, May 15–19, 1956, M. Statham ( AMNH). 2 mi. NE Portal, July 29, 1959, M. Statham ( MNH). 7 mi. SW Roadforks, Chiricahua Mts., September 23, 1955, M. Cazier ( AMNH). Maricopa Co.: Arlington, June 8, 1919, A. Wetmore ( USNM). Black Gap, 12 mi. S. Gila Bend, March 22, 1946, C. D. Michener ( AMNH). 18 mi. S. Gila Bend, May 15, 2005, Nancy D. Menke (ARI). Crater Range (S. of Gila Bend), March 22, 1946, C. D. Michener ( AMNH). Maricopa Mountains, April 12, 1947, H. and M. Townes ( AEI).Mesa, 20 mi. E., June 11, 1942, E. C. Van Dyke ( CAS). Pima Co.: Lowell Ranger Station, July 6 –20,1916 ( AMNH). Organ Pipe Cactus Natl. Mon., March 22, 1946, C. D. Michener ( AMNH). Tucson, November 1, 1940, Bryant ( CAS); Tucson, October 24, 1939, R. H. Crandall ( USNM). CALIFORNIA, Imperial Co.: Coyote Wells, April 12, 1938, E. P. Van Duzee ( CAS). 3 mi. E. Plaster City, October 19, 2003, A. S. and N. D. Menke (ARI). Inyo Co.: 4.5 mi. E. Tecopa, August 11, 2001, A. S. & Nancy Menke (ARI). Tecopa Pass, 10 mi. E. Tecopa, August 11, 2001, A. S. & Nancy Menke (ARI). Los Angeles Co.: Palmdale May16–17, 1985, Jay Rosenheim ( UCD). 28 mi. E. Palmdale, April 20, 1985, Jay Rosenheim ( UCD). 12 km. E. Palmdale, April 28, 1985, Jay Rosenheim ( UCD). Saddleback Buttes, May 16, 1985, Jay Rosenheim ( UCD). Riverside Co.: Mecca, April 21, 1927, T. Craig ( CAS). San Bernardino Co.: Needles, Dec. 17, 1921, J. A. Kusche ( CAS). Zzyzx Springs, (6 mi. SW Baker), April 27, 1985, Jay Rosenheim ( UCD). San Diego Co.: Borrego, April 18, 1956, F. X. Williams ( CAS). Canebrake, October 9, 2003, A. S. and N. D. Menke (ARI). Scissors Crossing, May 6, 1974, H. and M. Townes ( AEI). NEVADA, Clark Co.: Glendale, October 3, 1929, David E. Fox ( CAS). Indian Springs, June 5, 1949, A. B. Gurney ( USNM). Kyle Canyon, Charleston Mts., June 3, 1941, E. C. Van Dyke ( CAS). Nye Co.: Beatty, September 28, 2003, A. S. and Nancy Menke (ARI). NEW MEXICO, Doña Ana Co.: Hatch, August 27–29, 1974, H. and M. Townes ( AEI). Las Cruces ( CAS). Las Cruces, May 30, 1952, Cazier et.al. ( AMNH). Hidalgo Co.: Lordsburg, May 31, 1952, Cazier, et. al. ( AMNH). TEXAS, Brewster Co.: Hot Spring, July 6, 1948, C. Vaurie ( AMNH). Lajitas, April 15, 1961, J. E. Gillaspy ( CAS); Lajitas, September 4, 1961, J. E. Gillaspy ( CAS); 3 mi. W. Lajitas, October 2, 1960, J. E. Gillaspy ( CAS). Terlingua, May 10, 1927, J. O. Martin ( CAS). Terlingua, October 3, 1953, J. E. Gillaspy ( AMNH). El Paso Co.: El Paso, May 29, 1952, Cazier et.al. ( AMNH). MEXICO, Baja California: Palacio,, 20 mi. S., April 1939, C. D. Michener ( CAS). Baja California Sur: San Ignacio, 15 m. N., September 29, 1941, Ross & Bohart ( CAS). Venancio, July 17, 1938, Michelbacher & Ross ( CAS); 20 mi. S. El Arco, September 28, 1941, Ross & Bohart ( CAS). Sonora: Guaymas, April 10, 1921, E.P. Van Duzee ( CAS).

Etymology. It is with great sadness that I dedicate this species to Nancy Menke , my loving wife, collecting buddy, and best friend. She passed away June 12, 2007, after a long battle with lung cancer and she never smoked. Nancy was a diligent and dedicated collector and captured hundreds of Ammophila . The name nancy should be treated as a noun in apposition.

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 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.

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.