Palmodes hissaricus Danilov, 2020

Danilov, Yuriy N. & Byvaltsev, Alexander M., 2020, The digger wasps of the genus Palmodes Kohl, 1890 in Central Asia (Hymenoptera Sphecidae: Prionychini), Zootaxa 4803 (3), pp. 401-434 : 405-408

Palmodes hissaricus Danilov , sp. nov.

( Figs 3b , 4b , 5 , 6 , 21 )

Diagnosis. Both sexes of Palmodes hissaricus differ from all its Palearctic congeners in having the propodeal enclosure with the conspicuous pale erect setae, moderately longer than the midocellus width (in the other species, the propodeal enclosure has fine, inconspicuous brownish setae, not longer than the midocellus width).

The male of Palmodes hissaricus closely resembles P. occitanicus , P. mandarinius and P. strigulosus in having the metasoma reddish basally, but differs by a semicircular clypeus with a slightly defined lateral lobe and in more extended red color of the metasoma (the clypeus has a distinctly defined lateral lobe in P. occitanicus and a moderately defined one in P. mandarinius and P. strigulosus , and a less extended red color of the metasoma).

The female of the new species closely resembles P. minor in habitus, but differs by the shape of the clypeus whose middle lobe is broad: 1.5–2.0 × as wide as the lateral one, and in having the legs black (the middle clypeal lobe of P. minor is narrow: as wide as lateral one or slightly narrower, and the legs are partly reddish in most specimens). It is similar to P. occitanicus in the sculpture, but differs in having a well-defined lateral clypeal emargination and the clypeus with dense, appressed, silvery setae, concealing the integument ( P. occitanicus has an insignificant lateral clypeal emargination and the clypeus with fine, sparse, appressed, brownish or silvery setae, not concealing integument). It resembles P. mandarinius by the coloration, but differs in having the clypeal lateral lobe moderately acuminate and the scutum shiny, punctate ( P. mandarinius has the lateral clypeal lobe with a rounded anterior margin and the scutum dull, microsculptured). The melanistic female of P. hissaricus closely resembles P. orientalis by the shape of clypeus, but differs in having the scutum shiny, sparsely punctate (punctures about 2.0–3.0 diameters apart) with no fine, sparse, appressed, pale setae (scutum dull and densely, finely punctatorugose, with fine, sparse, appressed, pale setae in P. orientalis ).

Description. Male ( Fig. 5c ). Body length 16–22 mm. Head. Clypeal anterior margin moderately semicircular; middle lobe slightly emarginate; lateral lobe insignificantly defined ( Fig. 3b ). Clypeus, subantennal sclerite and paraocular area with dense, appressed, silvery setae ( Fig. 6e ). Frons dull, punctate. Vertex, occiput and gena slightly shiny, microsculptured, punctate. Mandible and palpi black. Erect setae dense, black, longer than scape, as long as flagellomere 1. Mesosoma . Pronotum and scutum slightly shiny, densely punctate (punctures about one diameter apart) ( Fig. 6f ). Mesopleuron slightly shiny, densely, coarsely punctate (punctures about one diameter apart) and slightly rugose ( Fig. 6g ). Metapleuron and propodeum slightly shiny, obliquely rugose. Propodeal enclosure dull, microsculptured, transversely rugose with conspicuous, pale, erect setae (setae 1.5–2.0 × as long as midocellus width). Erect setae dense, black, longer than scape. Wings moderately smoky; veins brown. Legs black, with black spines. Metasoma black with following red: T1-T2, T3 anterolaterally, petiole posteroventrally, S2-S3; or entirely black. S8 rectangular, emarginate apically.

Female ( Fig. 5b ). Body length 19–26 mm. Head. Middle clypeal lobe moderately longer and distinctly broader than lateral one, its anterior margin flat; lateral lobe moderately acuminate; lateral emargination distinctly defined ( Fig. 4b ). Clypeus, subantennal sclerite and paraocular area with dense, appressed, silvery setae, concealing integument ( Fig. 6a ). Frons with sparse, appressed, silvery setae. Vertex, occiput and gena microsculptured, with scattered punctures and fine, sparse, appressed, brownish setae. Mandible black or partly reddish; palpi black. Erect setae dense, black, as long as, or longer than scape. Mesosoma . Pronotum and scutum shiny, punctate (punctures about 2.0–3.0 diameters apart) with fine, sparse, inconspicuous, appressed, brownish setae ( Fig. 6b ). Mesopleuron shiny, densely punctate (punctures about one diameter apart) and slightly rugose, with sparse, inconspicuous, appressed, silvery setae ventrally ( Fig. 6c ). Metapleuron and propodeum shiny, obliquely rugose. Propodeal enclosure slightly shiny, transversely striate with conspicuous, pale, erect setae (setae 1.5–1.8 × as long as midocellus width) ( Fig. 6d ). Erect setae black. Wings moderately smoky; veins brown. Legs black, with black spines. Metasoma black with following red: T1-T3, petiole posteroventrally, S2-S3; or entirely black.

Material examined ( Fig. 5a ). Holotype ( Fig. 21 ). ♂, TAJIKISTAN. Region of Republican Subordination: Varzob District, Kvak near Kondara , [38°48’N, 68°46’E], 5.VII.1939, V. Gussakovskij, ( ZISP) . Paratypes. IRAN. Mazandaran Province: Elburs Mts., 60 km W Damghan, vic. Foulad Mahalleh , 2000–2300 m, [36°06′N, 53°43′E], 4.VII.2010, A. Timokhov, (1 ♀ [melanistic], 1 ♂, SZMN) ; West Azerbaijan Province: Maku , [39°17′N, 44°28′E], 5.VII.1914, unknown collector [from A.V. Shestakov collection], (1 ♀ [melanistic], ZISP) . KAZAKH- STAN. Karagandy Province: near Balkhash city, [47°24′N, 74°4′E], 10.VI.2009, Yu. Danilov, (1 ♂, SZMN) ; Zha- naarka District, Schalginskij , [47°19′N, 70°39′E], 4–8.VI.1937, Chievina, (1 ♀, SZMN) . KYRGYZSTAN. Bishkek, [42°52′N, 74°36′E], VIII.1926, Kukol’ - Yasnopolskaja, (1 ♀, ZISP) ; Talass Province: Manas District, near Pokrovka , [42°34’N, 72°00’E], 03.VI.2005, D. Milko, (2 ♂ [melanistic], SZMN) ; Issyk-Kul Province: Bosteri , [42°39′N, 77°10′E], 25.VII.1983, N. Kurzenko, (1 ♀ [melanistic], FSCV) . TAJIKISTAN. Sogd Province: Ayni District, Varsaut mountain pass, [39°11′N, 69°02′E], (1 ♀, ZISP) ; Region of Republican Subordination: Varzob District, Kvak near Kondara , [38°48’N, 68°46’E], 21.VII.1937, V. Gussakovskij, (1 ♂, 1 ♀, ZISP) ; 5.VIII.1937, V. Gussakovskij, (1 ♀, ZISP) ; 3.VII.1939, (1 ♂, ZISP) ; Varzob District, Ruidasht near Kondara , [38°49’N, 68°45’E], 21.VII.1938, V. Gussakovskij, (1 ♀, ZISP) ; Varzob District, Gushari near Pugus , [38°53’N, 68°49’E], 3.VIII.1930, E. Kuznetsova, (1 ♀, ZISP) ; Gorno-Badakhshan Province: near Khorugh , [37°28’N, 71°35’E], 14.VII.2018, V. Zintshenko, (1 ♂ [melanistic], SZMN) . TURKMENISTAN. Akhal Province: Kopet Dag mountaines near Ashgabat, [37°52’N, 57°50’E], (1 ♀, ZISP) . UZBEKISTAN. Samarkand Province: Urgut District, Aman-Kutan , [39°19′N, 66°57′E], 13.VI.1932, V. Gussakovskij, (3 ♂, ZISP) .

Distribution. Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan.

Name Derivation. The species is named after the Hissar Range in Tajikistan, where the type specimens were collected .

Figures

FIGURE 3. Male clypeus: a—Palmodes melanarius (Mocsáry), b—Palmodes hissaricus Danilov, sp. nov., c—Palmodes mandarinius (F. Smith), d—Palmodes minor (F. Morawitz), e—Palmodes occitanicus (Lepeletier et Serville), f—Palmodes orientalis (Mocsáry), g—Palmodes strigulosus (A. Costa).

FIGURE 4. Female clypeus: a—Palmodes melanarius (Mocsáry), b—Palmodes hissaricus Danilov, sp. nov., c—Palmodes mandarinius (F. Smith), d—Palmodes minor (F. Morawitz), e—Palmodes occitanicus (Lepeletier et Serville), f—Palmodes orientalis (Mocsáry), g—Palmodes strigulosus (A. Costa).

FIGURE 5. Palmodes hissaricus Danilov, sp. nov.: a—collecting localities, b—female, general view, c—male, general view.

FIGURE 6. Palmodes hissaricus Danilov, sp. nov. Female: a—clypeus, b—scutum, c—mesopleuron, d—propodeal enclosure. Male: e—clypeus, f—scutum, g—mesopleuron, h—genitalia in ventral view.

FIGURES 19–24. Type specimens of Palmodes. Face: 19. General view, labels: 20–24. 19—Sphex palmetorum Roth, 1963, Holotype; 20—Sphex pusillus Gussakovskij, 1930, Holotype; 21—Palmodes hissaricus Danilov, sp. nov., Holotype; 22—Sphex mandarinius F. Smith, 1856, Holotype, photo by David Notton (Natural History Museum, London); 23—Sphex montanus F. Morawitz, 1889, Holotype; 24—Sphex minor F. Morawitz, 1890, Lectotype.