STRUCTURE OF THE NUTS.-The hole was 3 cm long, 4 mm wide and penetrated the ground at an angle of 30°. STRUCTURE OF THE NEST.-The pit of the second wasp was 5-6 mm in diameter, penetrated the sand at an angle of 30° for 14 cm.
Tachysphex sri Pulawski, new species FIGURES 9-13
The stomach is completely red in females from Egypt, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, but terga II and III or II-IV are mostly black in females from Sri Lanka. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION.—Morocco, Mali, Sudan, Egypt, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, India (Gujarat) and Sri Lanka.
Tachysphex morosus (F. Smith)
In helveticus, scutal setae are shorter in the female of the nominotypic subspecies (0.2 x basal mandibular width) and longer in the male of helveticus aegyptiacus Morice (0.5 x), the mandible is yellow-red in helveticus aegyptiacus (Egypt), the mesopleural spaces are microfigured in the female and many males of helveticus helveticus and helveticus quadrifasciatus Pulawski, and the apical fascia is present on terga I-IV in helveticus quadrifasciatus Pulawski (Cyprus, Jordan, Tajikistan). The setae of the midfemoral venter are about 0.5 x midocellar diameter in the first two specimens and 0.3 in the third.
Tachysphex gryUivorus Pulawski, new species FIGURES 42-52
FIGURES 47-51.-Tachysphex grylliorus Pulawski, new species: 47, female midtarsomere II; 48, female hindtarsomere IV dorsally; 49, female hindtarsomere V ventrally; 50, base of male fore femur in profile; 51, parafemoral incision obliquely. SRI LANKA: ANURADHAPURA DISTRICT: Padaviya, KVK (3 9, USNM); Padaviya, archaeological site, PBK, PF, TW, MJ (1 9, CAS); Wildlife Society Bungalow, Hunuwilagama in Wilpattu National Park, D. FIGURES 67-70.—Tachysphex oxychelus Pulawski, new species: 67, female hindtarsomere IV dorsally; 68, male hindtarsomere V ventrally; 69, female hindtarsomere V ventrally; 70, female claw.
DIAGNOSIS. Tachysphex mediterraneus can be recognized by the bristles that are serpentine and suberect to erect on the head and thorax (the longest bristles approximately equal to the basal width of the mandible) in combination with a pointed scutum and a rugose mesopleuron (only the hypo- epimeral area is rugose in some Afrotropical specimens).
Tachysphex plicosus (A. Costa)
FIGURES 89-91.-Tachysphex plicosus (A. Costa): 89, base of male fore femur, posterior face; 90, same, front face; 91, parafemoral section, oblique view. 9.-Clypeus (Figure 81): the free margin of the lip is distinctly sinuate, with a prominent rounded joint, not emarginate medially or laterally. Sterna shiny, II (except basal) and following with fine punctures many diameters apart; apical margin of sterna III and IV concave.
HABITAT.—This widely distributed species occurs quite rarely in Sri Lanka in Dry Zone localities at low altitudes and with average annual rainfall not exceeding 1725 mm (Figure 92).
Tachysphex eucharistus Pulawski, new species
FIGURES 97-101.—Tachysphex eucharistus Pulawski, new species: 97, female hindtarsomere V dorsal; 98, same, side; 99, same, ventrally; 100, female hindtarsomere IV dorsal; 101, female hindtarsomere V ventrally. Sternal punctures about one to two diameters apart (about two to three in sternum VI), exercise of compressed sternum. Setae: sinuous on scutum, mesopleuron, propodeum and along hypostomal carina; raised at apex (0.3 x mandibular basal width) and along hypostomal carina (0.5 x);.
HABITAT. This species is known from the unique holotype recorded at a low elevation in the Central Zone with low mean annual rainfall (Figure 104).
Tachysphex xanthoptesimus Pulawski, new species
DESCRIPTION (see also xanthoptesimus, page 50).—Scutal punctures are almost continuous near margins, but about one or two diameters apart on disc. DESCRIPTION (see also xanthoptesimus, page 50).—Scutal punctures are almost continuous near margins, but average one to two or two to three diameters apart on disc. Mesopleural punctures averaging two to three diameters apart in most specimens, but one to two in some (see "Diagnosis" above).
HABITAT. Tachysphex bengalensis has a wide distribution in Sri Lanka and occurs in all three ecological zones where mean annual rainfall ranges from 1000 to 4000 mm, mostly at low altitudes, although one specimen was taken at an altitude of 900 m (Figure 139) . ).
Tachysphex sympleuron Pulawski, new species
HABITAT. The specimens from Deesa and Udaipur, India, were collected from dry riverbeds on sand and gravel. NEOTYPE DESIGNATION. The type material of Tachytes discolor Frivaldszky has not been found in the museums of Budapest or Vienna (letters from Dr. J. Papp dated November 16, 1990 and from Dr. M. Fischer dated December 20, 1990) and is believed to be lost. In the male, the gaster is completely black (Canary Islands, many specimens from Northern Europe, Kazakhstan and Crete), basally red and apically black (most populations; the amount of red increases southwards), or completely red (some species from Cyprus, many species from North Africa).
In the male the femora are all black (Europe, Canary Islands, Syria), or black except red apically (Turkey, some of Cyprus, some of Transcaspia and India, Sri Lanka), or all red or nearly so (North Africa, most from Cyprus, many from Transcaspia, some from India).
Tachysphex noar Pulawski, new species
9. -Clypeus: oblique edge as long as the basomedian area or longer, lip arcuate, the free edge extends mesally, laterally sinuous or simple. Outer edge of forebasitarsus with four or five preapical spines, apical spine about twice as long as width of basitarsus; apical spine of forefoot II longer than tarsomere III. 9--Clypeus (Figure 156): oblique ridge as long as the basomedian region or longer, lip curved, mesally flared, with angular lateral incision.
Outer margin of prebasitarsus with three to five preapical spines, apical spine about twice as long as basitarsus width; apical spine of foretarsomere II longer than tarsomere III.
Tachysphex selectus Nurse
HABITAT.-This species occurs primarily in the arid zone, but was also collected in the intermediate zone (Figure 159). In contrast to these species, the setal length in selectus is no more than one midocellar diameter of the vertex, interocellar area, and midfemoral venter. In the other two, the setae are longer than the midocellular diameter on the vertex and also (except some males of sericeus) on the interocellular area and midfemoral venter.
Setae appressed on interocellar area and sheep; erect, about one midocellar diameter long at apex; sinuous, about 0.4 x basal mandibular width; not concealing the thoracic integument;.
Tachysphex puncticeps Cameron
DIAGNOSIS.-Tachysphex puncticeps is one of many species in which the mesopleuron is shiny and punctate; there are attachments. FIGURES 175-178.—Tachysphex punaiceps Cameron: 175, clypeus of female from Taiwan; a, clypeal free margin of a specimen from the Philippines; b, clypeal free margin of specimen from Malaysia, c, clypeal free margin of specimen from Thailand; 176, clypeus of male from Thailand; a, clypeal free margin of specimen from Malaysia; b, clypeal free margin of a specimen from the Philippines (holotype of Tachysphex mindorensis Williams); 177, volsella, with outline showing individual variations; 178, penile valve (inner side), with outlines showing individual variation. The shape of the penile valve is also diagnostic (Figure 178): ventral edge with angular projection, apicoventral part not dentate.
Setae (set length in parentheses expressed as a fraction of mandible basal width): erect at vertex (0.2), nearly erect between base of mandible and occipital carina, and nearly appressed to scutum on mid-femoral venter. Figures inclined obliquely anterolaterally on propodeal dorsum.
Tachysphex bituberculatus Cameron
GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. Northeast India (West Bengal), Southeast Asia north to Thailand and Laos, the Philippines, Taiwan, New Guinea and Australia. RECORDS (locations mentioned in Pulawski, 1977, not repeated). – PAPUA NEW GUINEA: NATIONAL CAPITAL DISTRICT: Lake Iaraguma, 20 km NW Port Moresby (39, CAS), Port Moresby (lcf, CAS). Setae (setal length, in brackets, is expressed as a fraction of the basal mandibular width): erect at the apex (0.4); almost erect between the mandibular base and the occipital carina; slightly sloping posterad on the mesal scutum (0.3 on the anterior third) and midfemoral venter (0.4); sloping oblique anterad on propodedorsum; sinuous on mesopleuron and propodeum.
Frontals densely, uniformly punctate and incised throughout, outer surface with row of long, suberect bristles.
Tachysphex instructus Nurse
9.—Clypeus (Fig. 181): oblique shorter than basomedial surface, except mesally; lip arched, mesally pointed, laterally not incised. DIAGNOSIS.—Tachysphex actites has a unique combination of setal patterns on the scutum and propodeal dorsum: most scutal I setae directed posterolaterally, and midscutal setae contrastingly directed posterolaterally (as in Fig. 109 ); on the propodeal back, the median setae are oriented anterolaterally. Appendages of vertex, scutum, and mid-femoral venter suberect, less than one median cell diameter long; those adjacent to the hypostomal carina are suberect, about one median cellar diameter long; not obscured by sheath on mesopleuron; most scutal processes directed posterolaterally, and midscutal processes contrastingly directed posterolaterally on each side of midline; on propodeal dorsum, median setae directed anterolaterally, lateral setae directed posteradly (in some specimens they merge apicomesally).
Forebasitarsus with seven or eight spines (Fig. 188); two apical spines 1.0-1.2 x width of basitarsus, not exceeding tip of tarsomere II.
Tachysphex auriceps Cameron
Clypeus (Figure 186) with constriction between lip and slope; slope inconspicuous, nearly linear, rim markedly sinuate, with angular corners, distance between corners 0.9 x distance between corner and orbit. DIAGNOSIS.-The female of lagunaensis has a unique combination: the tarsi and claws of the hrullii type, the clypeal lip with two lateral incisions on each side, and the scutum wrinkled longitudinally along the posterior margin. Clypeus is similar in actites, but in lagunaensis the foretarsal rake is dense, long (forebasitarsus with 14–18 rake spines, apical spine more than twice apical width of basitarsus).
9. Clypeus (figures are poorly defined, clearly shorter than the basomedian area; lip almost straight, with two lateral incisions on each side.
Tachysphex conclusus Nurse
Outer margin of forebasitarsus with three to five preapical spines, length of apical spine 2.0-2.6 x width of apical basitarus; apical spine of foretarsomere II longer than tarsomere HI. DIAGNOSIS.— The female rugicauda is unique in having the pygidial plate longitudinally furrowed on its apical half (Fig. 202). Pygidial plate unusually broad, with broadly rounded apex, basally shining and sparsely punctate, opaque on parietal half and longitudinally striate (Fig. 202); the two areas are separated by a shallow transverse sulcus.
RELATIONSHIPS.—The specialized female pygidia plate (unusually wide, divided into two differently sculptured areas) is shared with argentatus Gussakovskij, cockerellae Rohwer, desertorum F.
Tachysphex vulneratus R. Turner
DIAGNOSIS.—The female of vulneratus has a unique combination: the pygidial plate is shiny between punctures, but in contrast microsculptured apically, broadly rounded apically (Figures) and the clypeal lip has two lateral incisions on each side (Figure 203). Forewing in most specimens with dark, transverse band (Figure 222) faint in some females, conspicuous yellow between band and base in Ghanaian specimens; all wings markedly infested in some specimens from Morocco and Syria (Figure 223). SYNONYM.—The two syntypes of Tachytes flavogeniculatus Taschenberg are heavily worn and have lost most of their thoracic pilosity, perhaps due to incorrect preservation methods.
Other species are similar (see . "Relationships" under selectus, page 74), but erythropus differs as follows: in the female, the pygidial plate is reduced, not marginated laterally (Figs. 237, 238), but limited by a row of setigerous dots; and in the male, the anterior femoral notch is compressed into a narrow ridge and lacks a basal tuft of erect setae ( Fig. 243 ), and most sternal setae HI-VI are not agglutinated.
Tachysphex grandissimus Gussakovskij
Terga silvery fasciate apically: I-IV in females, I-III (most males) or I and II (some males). Fore femora black, except red at apex, mid and hind femora partly to predominantly red; tibiae and tarsi red. Setae compressed on vertex, scutum and mid-femoral venter, suberect along hypostomal carina (set length 0.4 x width of basal mandible); sinuous, directed dorsolaterally on propodeal, except directed anterad basomedially; completely obscures the integument on the female mesopleuron and scutal progenitors.
Femur entirely black or red apically, hind femora entirely red in some specimens; tibiae and tarsi red or slightly darkened.
Tachysphex albocinctus (Lucas)
Nesting behavior of three species of tachysphexa from Spain with a description of the mature larva of tachysphexa tarsinus (Hymenoptera Sphecidae). Hymenoptera Orientalis [sic]; or, Contributions to the knowledge of the Hymenoptera of the Oriental Zoological Region. Further studies on the Larrinae of the Philippine Islands, with remarks on the Indian species of the genus Lyroda (Hymenoptera, Sphecidae).
Revision of Hawaiian Crabroninae with synopsis of Hawaiian from Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association, Entomological Series, Sphecidae (Hym.).
