Lestiphorus, Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau, 1832

Mokrousov, Mikhail V. & Proshchalykin, Maxim Yu., 2023, Lestiphorus bilunulatus yamatonis Tsuneki, 1963 (Hymenoptera, Crabronidae) raised to full species status, with description of the hitherto unknown male, Zootaxa 5375 (4), pp. 589-594 : 592-593

Updated key to the Palaearctic Lestiphorus

(partly based on literature; males unknown for L. densipunctatus , L. nemkovi , L. pacificus , and females unknown for L. becquarti , L. pictus )

1. Head in frontal view much wider than high. Frons with distinct short median carina. Gena narrow, in lateral view distinctly shorter than eye, in dorsal view nearly straight and converging sharply backward. Transverse band on pronotal collar, posterolateral small markings on T1 and broad apical band on T2 orange-yellow. Anterior half of fore wing distinctly darkened.— China (Jiangxi)............................................................... L. becquarti ( Yasumatsu, 1943)

– Head in frontal view slightly wider than high. Frons, except in L. rugulosus , without median carina. Gena wider, in lateral view slightly shorter than eye, in dorsal view rounded (nearly straight in L. egregius , but body with reach yellow pattern), not sharply converging backward. Apical part of fore wing with dark spot or clear........................................... 2

2. T1 without apical constriction, convex to apex.............................................................. 3

– T1 with apical constriction, constriction inconspicuous in some species, apical edge flattened........................ 6

3. Mesonotum and mesopleuron impunctate; mesopleuron, mesonotum, posterior part of scutellum and metanotum with longitudinal rugae.......................................................................................... 4

– Mesonotum and mesopleuron distinctly punctate, without rugae................................................ 5

4. Frons without median carina. Propodeal lateral surface reticulate.— China (Beijing)..... L. peregrinus ( Yasumatsu, 1943)

– Frons with distinct median carina. Propodeal lateral surface longitudinaly rugose.— China (Sichuan)............................................................................................. L. rugulosus Wu & Zhou, 1996

5. T1 slightly elongate, ratio L/ W 1.1 –1.3×. Mesonotum and mesopleuron with dense fine punctures, without micropunctation. Meso- and metanotum, mesopleuron and propodeum completely black; only T2, T3 and S2 (often S1 too) with yellow band; T1 with lateral spot. Apical part of fore wing with darkened spot.—Western and Central Palaearctic … L. bicinctus ( Rossi, 1794)

– T1 distinctly elongate, ratio L/ W 1.6 –1.8×. Mesonotum and mesopleuron with large scattered punctures, with micropunctation. Yellow pattern reach: metanotum, mesopleuron, lateral parts of mesonotum and propodeum with large spots, metasomal terga and sterna with apical band or predominantly yellow. Fore wing clear, without darkened spot.— Armenia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan.................................................... L. egregius ( Handlirsch, 1893)

6. Apical constriction of T1 very deep, T 1 in lateral view gibbous. Metasoma not ferruginous …........................ 7

– Apical constriction of T1 inconspicuous, T 1 in lateral view more or less uniformly convex. Metasoma partly ferruginous … 9

7. Propodeal spiracular groove well defined dorsally. Punctation on S2 sparse and ill defined. T1 completely black, T2 and T3 with apical band each.— Russia (Primorskiy Territory)................................. L. pacificus Gussakovskij, 1932

– Propodeal spiracular groove lacking. Punctation on S2 dense, well defined. T2 with lateral spot....................... 8

8. Sternaulus complete, conspicuous ( Fig. 5 ). Yellow pattern on face less developed ( Figs 8, 9 ); pronotal lobe with yellow spot. Propodeum dorsolaterally shiny, with sparse, delicate punctures; setae on propodeal side shorter, 0.6–0.7× midocellar diameter, straight and erect. Apical constriction of T1 coarsely sculptured, with longitudinal rugae; T1 and T2 each with lateral spot, T3 with apical band ( Fig. 7 ).—Palaearctic (Europe to Russian Far East, including Sakhalin, and Korea)............................................................................................... L. bilunulatus A. Costa, 1867

– Sternaulus poorly developed, mostly vestigial ( Fig. 6 ). Yellow pattern on face more developed ( Figs 3, 4 ); pronotal lobe black. Propodeum dorsolaterally with dense, clearly visible punctures, sometimes forming short irregular wrinkles; setae on propodeal side longer, 0.8–0.9× midocellar diameter, curved, slightly sinuous ( Fig. 2 ). Apical constriction of T1 sparsely punctate ( Fig. 2 ); T1 and T3 completely black or with reduced yellow pattern (small lateral spot on T1 and reduced apical stripe on T3), T2 with lateral spot ( Fig. 1 ).— Japan (Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu), Russia (Island of Kunashir)....... L. yamatonis Tsuneki, 1963

9. Propodeal spiracular groove well defined dorsally. Mesosoma and metasoma without yellow pattern.—Mountain regions of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and southeastern Kazakhstan............ L. oreophilus ( Kuznetzov-Ugamskij, 1927)

– Propodeal spiracular groove lacking. Mesosoma and metasoma with yellow pattern............................... 10

10. Yellow are: ventral spot on scape, reduced maculation on pronotal collar, transverse spot on scutellum posteriorly, large lateral spots on T2, small lateral spots on S2 and S3, transverse apical band on T3. T1 ferruginous (except basally). Propodeum (except metapostnotum and small posterolateral area) smooth and shiny, with sparse irregular punctation.— Russia (Tyva Republic)............................................. L. nemkovi Mokrousov & Proshchalykin in Mokrousov et al. 2020

– Head and metasoma with abundant yellow pattern, apical half of T2 all yellow.................................... 11

11. Propodeum smooth and shiny. Preapical band of T1, posterior margin of T3–T5, S2–S5 and apical segment all ferruginous.— China (Jiangxi, Sichuan)................................................. L. densipunctatus ( Yasumatsu, 1943)

– Propodeum (except small area anteroventrally on lateral surface) with distinct longitudinal or oblique rugae. All terga and S2 with transverse yellow band, S3 with large posterolateral spot. Base of T1 and T2 ferruginous.— Kyrgyzstan (Issyk-Kul Lake)................................................................................ L. pictus Nemkov, 1992

Figures

FIGURES 5–9. Lestiphorus. 5, 7–9—L. bilunulatus A. Costa (5, 7, 8—from Primorsky Terr., Russia, 9—fromAmur Prov., Russia); 6—L. yamatonis Tsuneki (from Kunashir Isl.); 5, 6—mesosoma, ventrolateral view, ♀; 7—metasoma, dorsolateral view, ♀; 8, 9—head, frontal view, ♀ (8), ♂ (9).

FIGURES 1–4. Lestiphorus yamatonis Tsuneki (from Kunashir Isl.): 1—habitus, ♀; 2—propodeum and metasomal base, dor- solateral view, ♀; 3–4—head, frontal view, ♀ (3), ♂ (4).