Tachysphex smissenae, Straka, Jakub, 2016

Straka, Jakub, 2016, Tachysphexaustriacus Kohl, 1892 and T. pompiliformis (Panzer, 1804) (Hymenoptera, Crabronidae) are a complex of fourteen species in Europe and Turkey, ZooKeys 577, pp. 63-123 : 69-70

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Crabronidae

Tachysphex smissenae sp. n. Figs 1, 14, 37, 43, 55, 81, 82, 92

Type material.

Holotype: ♂, France: "F-(84) Bédoin, Sanddünen / 13 km NE Carpentras / v.d.Smissen leg. 31.5.2000 // Tachysphex / austriacus / ♂ Kohl / Jakub Straka det.2006". Holotype in NMPC. Paratypes: France: Bédoin, 13 km NE Carpentras, sanddünen, 1 ♂, 31. v. 2000, 2 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, 14. vi. 2001, 1 ♀, 21. vi. 2004, J. v. d. Smissen lgt., USMB, JSPC; Spain: Aranda de Duero, Burgos, 1 ♂, 11. vii. 1974, Z. Bouček lgt., BMNH; Segovia, 2 ♂♂, 28. vi. 1989, W. Schlaefle lgt., WSKC, JSPC; Turkey: Karakus Dagi centr., Isparta prov., 1 ♂, 11. vii. 2006, J. Halada lgt., JSPC.

Diagnosis.

Tachysphex smissenae sp. n. resembles Tachysphex hungaricus sp. n. and Tachysphex prismaticus Straka in the shape of the clypeus: the limit between the basomedian area and the bevel appears angulated, although less so than in the other two species. This new species also has short setae (0.5 × MOD) on the frons, vertex and scutum, similar to the other two species. The sculpture of the propodeum, however, is coarser than in the other two species (it is areolate and not microareolate between longitudinal ridges), the sculptures of the whole body is coarser and denser and the vertex is normally sculptured, unlike Tachysphex hungaricus . The female differs from all other species of the Tachysphex austriacus and the Tachysphex pompiliformis subgroups by angulated shape of clypeus, sculpture of propodeum, short setae, gena robustly built, mesopleuron coarsely punctate, with relatively large and ventrally well developed punctures (similar to Tachysphex austriacus ), terga densely punctate and posterior segments also coarsely punctate with apical depression of tergum V nearly impunctate and the pygidium relatively wide and shiny. The male has the forefemoral notch and the volsella typical for the subgroup (similar to Tachysphex prismaticus in shape), a conspicuously convex clypeus, which resembles that of the female (except the lip), densely and coarsely punctate terga and coarsely punctate mesopleuron, as in the female.

Description of male (holotype).

Body length: 6.7 mm.

Head. Clypeus markedly convex, medially uniformly curved, top at clypeal midlength; basomedian area large, densely punctate; bevel well developed, nearly flat and declining, bright shiny, with several larger punctures; lip conspicuously arcuate, well developed medially, with well-developed, nearly rectangular, lateral corner, lip separated from bevel by distinct groove with large punctures; WML:LCL = 1.3, WCL:WML = 2.4. Supraclypeal area slightly concave with ill defined punctures in microsculpture, dull. Supraantennal tubercle small, slightly elevated on inner side. Antenna relatively short, LA3:WA3 = 1.6, LA5:WA5 = 2.1. Frons uniformly punctate, punctures well defined, one to less than half diameter apart, interspaces variable in size, shiny; frontal median line ill defined, punctate and slightly impressed. Vertex punctate, punctures well defined, with distinct, but small interspaces medially and about one diameter apart close to inner eye margin, punctures laterally slightly larger than medially, interspaces unsculptured, bright shiny. Vertex setae semierect, less than 0.5 × MOD long; postocellar impression well developed, relatively deep, but not sharply delimited, obtusely V-shaped; vertex slightly wider than long; WV:LV = 1.4. Gena dorsally well developed.

Mesosoma. Scutum without distinct anterior impression; scutum and scutellum densely punctate, punctures well defined, most punctures less than half diameter apart, interspaces distinct, unsculptured, slightly shiny, setae about 1.0 × MOD or less. Mesopleuron coarsely punctate to rugose, punctures well defined in lower part and ventrally, but indistinct dorsally, interspaces small to absent, slightly shiny; hypoepimeral area densely punctate to uniformly rugose, dull. Propodeal dorsum coarsely sculptured with irregular longitudinal ridges, uniformly rugose to areolate between ridges; propodeal side longitudinally ridged, ridges well developed, interspaces slightly shiny; posteromedial margin of propodeal dorsum slightly elevated, marginal ridges nearly parallel above groove on posterior side. Legs densely punctate, punctures small; forefemoral notch small, but deep, nearly semicircular, shorter than distance that separates it from forefemoral base, central part of notch without microsculpture, with distinct small setae, shiny. Wings not infumated, with brown veins.

Metasoma. Terga I-III with silvery apical fasciae. Apical depressions of all terga shallow, with micropunctures. Terga I-III densely and distinctly micropunctate, punctures ill defined, interspaces microsculptured, slightly shiny to dull; sculpture of tergum IV-VII coarser than on other terga, also punctures denser. Sterna uniformly punctate, nearly like terga.

Coloration. Apical part of mandibles and terga I and II red. Distal tarsomeres, forefemoral notch, sternum I and base of sternum II dark red. Tegulae reddish translucent. Apical parts of all terga slightly translucent. Remaining body parts black.

Variation of males. Body length: 6.5-7.0 mm. Clypeus slightly to conspicuously convex medially. Forefemoral notch and all metasoma dark in some specimens.

Description of female.

Body length: 7.6-8.2 mm.

Head. Clypeus conspicuously convex, highly elevated, its top slightly dorsally from clypeal midlength; basomedian area large, densely and finely punctate as in lateral section, with intermixed large punctures; bevel nearly flat, markedly declining, with few large, sparse punctures, much longer medially than laterally, not reaching base of clypeus, bright shiny; lip very slightly arcuate to nearly straight, with small median emargination and well developed lateral incisions, separate from bevel by distinctly punctate groove, WML:LCL = 1.7, WCL:WML = 1.8. Supraclypeal area slightly concave, very finely punctate, punctures ill defined, interspaces between punctures nearly unsculptured, shiny. Supraantennal tubercle small, slightly but distinctly elevated on inner side. Antenna relatively short, LA3:WA3 = 2.2, LA5:WA5 = 2.7. Frons densely, uniformly punctate, punctures well defined, about half diameter apart or less, interspaces variable in size, slightly shiny; frontal median line ill defined, punctate in dorsal half, indistinctly impressed; frontal setae very short, about 0.3 × MOD. Vertex punctate, punctures well defined, with distinct, but small interspaces medially and about one diameter apart close to inner eye margin, punctures laterally slightly larger than medially, interspaces unsculptured, bright shiny. Vertex setae very short, laterally semierect, about 0.5 × MOD, medially apressed, about 0.3 × MOD; postocellar impres sion well developed, widely Y-shaped; vertex slightly wider than long; WV:LV = 1.3. Gena dorsally well developed.

Mesosoma. Scutum without distinct anterior impression; scutum and scutellum densely punctate, punctures well defined, uniform in size, about half diameter apart (up to one diameter apart in some specimens), interspaces uniform in size, slightly shiny, setae about 0.5 × MOD or less. Mesopleuron coarsely punctate to rugose, punctures well defined in lower parts and ventrally, but indistinct dorsally, interspaces small to absent, slightly shiny; hypoepimeral area densely punctate, with punctures ill-defined, appearing uniformly rugose, dull; ventral part of mesopleuron with punctures well defined, interspaces shiny. Propodeal dorsum coarsely sculptured, uniformly rugose to areolate, with irregular longitudinal ridges; side longitudinally ridged, ridges well developed, interspaces slightly shiny; posteromedial margin of dorsum slightly elevated, marginal ridges nearly parallel, but turning ventrally and directed toward groove on posterior surface. Legs, including trochanters, densely punctate, punctures small; forebasitarsal rake pale yellowish, with reddish iridescence, with three apical spines, one preapical spin and two or three additional spines. Wings slightly yellowish, veins brown.

Metasoma. Terga I-III with silvery apical fasciae; densely and very finely micropunctate, punctures ill defined, evanescent in microsculpture, interspaces very finelly microsculptured, slightly shiny; apical depressions shallow, with indistinct micropunctures; sculpture of terga IV-V distinctly coarser than on previous terga, also punctures denser; terga IV-V coarsely punctate, punctures ill-defined, but large, one to less than half diameter apart, interspaces microsculptured, apical depression of terga IV and V coarsely microsculptured, apical depression of tergum IV very finely punctate, apical depression of tergum V with a few scattered punctures, slightly shiny, but coarsely microsculptured and dull in some specimens. Pygidium relatively wide, sparsely punctate, with large and minute punctures intermixed, large punctures well defined, deep, interspaces nearly unsculptured, shiny. Central part of sternum II with several larger punctures, interspaces microsculptured, shiny; lateral part slightly shiny, densely micropunctate; remaining sterna with uniform sculpture similar to that on sternum II, but more or less reduced laterally.

Coloration. Central part of mandibles and terga and sterna I-II red. Distal tarsomeres dark reddish. Tegulae brown translucent. Apical parts of terga I-III slightly translucent. Remaining body parts black.

Geographic distribution.

France, Spain, Turkey.

Name derivation.

The species is named in honor of the outstanding entomologist and collector of most of the type specimens, Jane van der Smissen.