Palmodes orientalis ( Mocsáry, 1883 )

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 : 423-426

Palmodes orientalis ( Mocsáry, 1883)

( Figs 3f , 4f , 15 , 16 )

Sphex orientalis Mocsáry, 1883:31 , ♀. Syntypes, ♀, type locality “southern Russia or Caucasus” (no specific locality) (TMB).— Kohl 1985:177; 1890:320; F. Morawitz 1891:202; Dalla Torre 1897:435; Roth 1963:150; Kazenas 1969:21; 1978 b:43; Pulawski 1978:184.— As Palmodes orientalis: Bohart & Menke 1976:127 ; Kazenas 1998:103; Esenbekova & Kazenas 2000:8; Kazenas 2001:14; 2002:27; 2004:98; Shorenko 2005a:162; Dollfuss 2008:1406; Shorenko 2009:366; Shorenko & Konovalov 2010:12; Danilov 2009:54; 2010:45; 2011:201; 2012:161; 2013:47; 2014a:424; 2014b:514; Nemkov 2014:286; Mokrousov & Popov 2016:563; Danilov 2017:215; Pulawski 2019.

Diagnosis. The male of P. orientalis is similar to P. minor and melanistic P. occitanicus in habitus, but differs in

having the scutum dull and densely, finely punctatorugose, with fine, sparse, appressed, pale setae (the scutum is punctatorugose, with shiny impunctate interspaces and no appressed setae in P. occitanicus and P. minor ). Unlike P. occitanicus it has the middle clypeal lobe elongate, distinctly longer than lateral one (the middle clypeal lobe of P. occitanicus is not elongate: slightly longer than lateral one). It resembles the melanistic male of P. strigulosus in the scutal sculpture, but differs in having the middle clypeal lobe distinctly broader than lateral one and in having the scutum with pale, appressed setae (the middle clypeal lobe of P. strigulosus is as broad as lateral one, narrowed apically, and the scutum has brownish, appressed setae).

The female of P. orientalis is similar to melanistic P. occitanicus in habitus, but differs by the shape of the clypeus whose middle lobe is slightly longer than lateral one and the lateral emargination is distinctly defined, and in having the scutum with appressed, silvery setae (the middle clypeal lobe of P. occitanicus is moderately longer than lateral one; the lateral emargination is slightly defined, and the scutum has inconspicuous, appressed, brownish setae). It resembles the melanistic female of P. minor by the coloration, but differs in having the middle clypeal lobe distinctly broader than lateral one (the middle clypeal lobe is not or slightly broader than lateral one in P. minor ).

Description. Male ( Fig. 15c ). Body length 16–25 mm. Head. Clypeus nearly hexagonal; middle lobe distinctly elongate, slightly emarginate apically; lateral lobe inconspicuously defined ( Fig. 3f ). Clypeus, subantennal sclerite and paraocular area with dense, appressed, silvery setae ( Fig. 16d ). Frons dull, punctate. Vertex, occiput and gena slightly shiny, microsculptured, punctate, with fine, appressed, pale setae. Mandible and palpi black. Erect setae black. Mesosoma . Pronotum with sparse, appressed, silvery setae, not concealing integument; pronotal collar shiny, with scattered punctures. Scutum dull, densely, finely punctatorugose, with sparse, appressed, silvery setae, not concealing integument ( Fig. 16e ). Mesopleuron dull, finely areolate-rugose, with inconspicuous, appressed, silvery setae ventrally ( Fig. 16f ). Metapleuron and propodeum shiny, obliquely rugose. Propodeal enclosure shiny, transversely rugose, with fine, brownish setae. Erect setae black. Wings moderately smoky; veins brown. Legs black, with black spines. Metasoma entirely black; S8 rectangular, emarginate apically.

Female ( Fig. 15b ). Body length 23–30 mm. Head. Middle clypeal lobe slightly longer and moderately broader than lateral one, slightly emarginate; lateral emargination distinct ( Fig. 4f ). Clypeus, subantennal sclerite and paraocular area with dense, appressed, silvery setae ( Fig. 16a ). Frons with sparse, appressed, silvery setae. Vertex, occiput and gena microsculptured, with scattered punctures and sparse, appressed, silvery setae. Mandible and palpi black. Erect setae black. Mesosoma . Pronotum and scutum slightly shiny, finely micropunctate (punctures about 1.0–3.0 diameters apart) and sparsely punctate (punctures about 4.0–5.0 diameters apart) with appressed, silvery se-

tae, moderately concealing integument ( Fig. 16b ). Mesopleuron dull, microsculptured, sparsely punctate (punctures about 2.0–3.0 diameters apart) with sparse, appressed, silvery setae, moderately concealing integument ventrally ( Fig. 16c ). Metapleuron and propodeum slightly shiny, obliquely rugose. Propodeal enclosure slightly shiny, finely, transversely striate with fine, inconspicuous, pale setae. Erect setae black. Wings moderately smoky; veins brown. Legs black, with black spines. Metasoma entirely black.

Material examined ( Fig. 15a ). CHINA. Xinjiang: Ili, Xinyuan, Gongnaisi river , [43°27′N, 83°8′E], 3.VI.1877, N. Przhevalsky, (2 ♂, 1 ♀, ZISP) ; 21–22.VI.1877, (1 ♂, ZISP) ; Neimenggu: Alxa, Ejin , [41°44′N, 100°19′E], 22.VI.1909, P. Kozlov, (1 ♂, ZISP) ; Sichuan: Chengdu , [30°39′N, 104°3′E], 25.VIII.1893, G. Potanin, (1 ♀, ZISP) . IRAN. Sistan and Baluchestan: Bampur , [27°11′N, 60°27′E], 25.IV.1901, N. Zarudny, (1 ♀, ZISP) ; KAZAKH- STAN. West Kazakhstan Province: Akzhaik District, Shabdarzhap , [48°44′N, 51°49′E], 19.VI.1951, D. Steinberg, (1 ♂, ZISP) ; Zelenov District, Yanvartsevo , [51°26′N, 52°14′E], 15.VII.1949, Rudolf, (1 ♀, ZISP) ; 29.VI.1950, (1 ♂, ZISP) ; Atyrau Province: Inder District, Lake Inder , [48°28′N, 51°54′E], 24.VI.1951, D. Steinberg, (1 ♀, ZISP) ; Aktobe Province: Kobda District, Kyzylzhar , [50°41′N, 55°0′E], 12.VI.1907, B. Uvarov, (1 ♂, ZISP) ; 13.VI.1907, D. Borodin, (1 ♂, ZISP) ; Mugalzhar District, Kokzhide Sands , [48°20′N, 57°12′E], 18–23.VI.1908, D. Borodin, B. Uvarov, (93 ♂, 29 ♀, ZISP) ; Temir District, Oiyl river , [49°32′N, 56°48′E], 2–3.VII.1904, V. Dubiansky, (1 ♂, 1 ♀, ZISP) ; Kyzylorda Province: Kyzylorda , [44°51′N, 65°31′E], 23.VI.1911, (1 ♀, ZISP) ; Shieli District , Bay- gekum, [44°18′N, 66°28′E], 28.V.1898, I. Heyer, (1 ♂, ZISP) ; Kostanay Province: Auliekol District, Timofeevka , [52°17′N, 63°31′E], 8.VII.1923, Raevsky, (1 ♂, ZISP) ; Pavlodar Province: Lake Maraldy near Pavlodar , [52°20’N, 77°43’E], 27.VII.2015, A. Byvaltsev, E. Danilov, (1 ♀, SZMN) ; East Kazakhstan Province: Beskaragay District, near Kanonerka , [50°45’N, 79°42’E], 4.VII.1955, P. Rafes, (1 ♀, ZISP) ; Katonkaragay District, Ulken Naryn , [49°12′N, 84°30′E], 18.VI.1906, A. Jakobson, (1 ♂, ZISP) ; Semey , [50°26′N, 80°16′E], Janwarzev, (1 ♀, ZISP) ; Zaysan , [47°28′N, 84°52′E], 1908–1909, Sijazov, (1 ♂, ZISP) . KYRGYZSTAN. Jalal-Abad Province: Toktogul District, Beketschal vall. [41°31’N, 72°30’E], 22.VI.2010, F. Puhringer, (1 ♂, OLBL) . MONGOLIA. Ulan Bator, [47°55′N, 106°55′E], 26.VII.1905, P. Kozlov, (1 ♀, ZISP) ; Selenge Province: Bayangol sum, [49°03’N, 106°10’E], 6–9.VIII.1976, M. Kozlov, (4 ♂, 1 ♀, ZISP) ; I. Kerzhner (1 ♂, ZISP) ; Khentii Province: Bayankhutag sum, [47°42’N, 111°49’E], 22.VII.2007, M. Kadlecova, (3 ♂, OLBL) ; Dornod Province: near Choibalsan , [48°02’N, 113°18’E], 24.VII.2007, J. Halada, (1 ♂, OLBL) ; Ömnögovi Province: Gurvan tes, Tost-Uul Mountain , [43°13′N, 100°41′E], (1 ♀, ZISP) ; Khongoryn Els Sands , [43°46′N, 102°13′E], (1 ♀, ZISP) . TAJIKISTAN. Region of Republican Subordination: Hisor District, Hisor , [38°31′N, 68°32′E], 1.VII.1935, V. Gussakovskij, (1 ♂, ZISP) .

Distribution. Russia (Saratov Province, Volgograd Province, Kalmyk Republic, Astrakhan Province, Krasnodar Territory, Chechen Republic, Dagestan Republic, Crimea Republic, Orenburg Province, Altai Territory, Altai Republic, Tuva Republic, Krasnoyarsk Territory, Buryatia Republic, Zabaikalskii Territory), Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China (Xinjiang, Neimenggu, Sichuan).

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 15. Palmodes orientalis (Mocsáry, 1883): a—collecting localities, b—female, general view, c—male, general view.

FIGURE 16. Palmodes orientalis (Mocsáry, 1883). Female: a—clypeus, b—scutum, c—mesopleuron. Male: d—clypeus, escutum, f—mesopleuron, g—genitalia in ventral view.