Paranysson abdominalis (Guérin-Méneville)

Figures 1, 3-10.

Nysson abdominalis Guérin-Méneville, 1844:441, ♀ (as abdominale, incorrect original termination). Syntypes: ♀, Senegal: no specific locality (MSNG), not examined. – F. Smith, 1856:355 (in catalog of Hymenoptera in British Museum); Gerstaecker, 1867:122 (comments based on original description); Handlirsch, 1887:318 (original description translated into German, discussion of generic relationships); de Dalla Torre, 1897:567 (in catalog of world Sphecidae); Bingham, 1902:212 (South Africa: Pretoria). – As Helioryctes abdominalis: Bingham, 1897:271 (new combination, West Africa). – As Paranysson abdominalis: R. Turner, 1914:340 (new combination, in revision of Paranysson); Arnold, 1923:14 (in revision of African Paranysson), 1930:7 (in checklist of Afrotropical Sphecidae, as abdominale); Guiglia, 1948:180 (type in Genova, Italy), 189 (redescription of type); Leclercq, 1968:84 (in revision of African Paranysson); R. Bohart and Menke, 1976:308 (in checklist of world Sphecidae).

As Helioryctes melanopyrus: W. Fox, 1896:554 (Ethiopia: Lake Stephanie, now Chew Bahir), corrected to Pseudohelioryctes foxii by Ashmead, 1899:248; Magretti, 1898:49 (Somalia), tentatively corrected to Paranysson foxii by Leclercq, 1968:85.

Pseudohelioryctes foxii Ashmead, 1899:248, ♀, correctly ♂ (as Foxii, incorrect original capitalization). Holotype: ♀, Ethiopia: near Lake Stephanie, now Chew Bahir (ANSP), examined [according to Pate (1937:55, subscript), the type is a male taken about six miles due north of Kulama at the north end of Lake Donaldson, an arm of Lake Stephanie]. New synonym. – As Paranysson foxii: R. Turner, 1914:343 (new combination, original description copied); Leclercq, 1968:85 (in revision of African Paranysson); R. Bohart and Menke, 1976:30 (facial portrait), 305 (illustration of propodeal dorsum), 307 (illustration of male genitalia and sternum VIII), 308 (in checklist of world Sphecidae).

SPECIES IDENTIFICATION. The unique thorax color pattern described in the otherwise very short original description allows unequivocal recognition of this species. The redescription of the type by Guiglia (1948) helps in identification.

RECOGNITION. The female of Paranysson abdominalis is unique in having the pygidial plate finely rugose except basally (Fig. 8). Unlike P. brevispinosus and P. melanopyrus, but like P. quadridentatus, its flagellomere I is 2.2-2.4 as long dorsally as wide apically (rather than 1.4-1.7 ×). Unlike P. quadridentatus, the hindcoxal spine (Fig. 7) is shorter than the hindcoxal venter (at least as long as the hindcoxal venter in P. quadridentatus).

The male is unique in having flagellomere I distinctly concave ventrally (Fig. 9), whereas it is slightly flattened ventrally and at most minimally concave in the other Paranysson .

A subsidiary recognition feature of this species (shared with P. quadridentatus) is the longitudinal carina between the propodeal side and the posterior surface that is broadened at about two thirds of length (Fig. 6), but in most specimens not forming a tooth.

Unlike its congeners and unlike the specimens from Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania, the populations from Senegal, Mali, and Niger have the scutellum posteriorly, the postscutellum, and often a part of the mesopleuron and propodeal enclosure ferruginous, a unique such coloration in the genus.

JUSTIFICATION OF NEW SYNONYMY. The holotype of Pseudohelioryctes foxii is a male, not a female as stated in the original description. It is a typical representative of Paranysson abdominale with an all-black thorax, with a unique flagellomere I, and a broadened but not dentate carina between the propodeal side and posterior surface. It took this synonymy more than 120 years to be established!

DESCRIPTION. Clypeal lamella with one tooth on each side in most females, second ill-defined tooth present in some specimens; in male mostly without teeth, with one or two ill-defined teeth in some specimens; free margin of lobe nearly rectilinear, bevel broadened and convex mesally to various degrees, extending dorsally as narrow strip. Propodeal dorsum reticulate, many cells elongate. Longitudinal carina between propodeal side and posterior surface broadened at about two thirds of length (Fig. 6), but forming tooth in some specimens.

♀ – Ocellocular distance equal to 1.0-1.1 × distance between hindocelli. Dorsal length of flagellomere I 2.2-2.4 × apical width, of apical flagellomere 1.7-1.8 × its basal width. Hindcoxal venter with spine that originates slightly before the apical hindcoxal margin; spine shorter than hindcoxal venter (Fig. 7). Pygidial plate finely rugose except basally (Fig. 8). Length 12.5-16.1 mm.

♂ – Ocellocular distance equal to 1.0-1.1 × distance between hindocelli. Flagellomere I markedly longer than flagellomere II, concave ventrally (Fig. 9), its dorsal length I 1.9 × apical width, length of apical flagellomere 1.6-1.8 × its basal width. Male terga V-VII closely punctate. Length 9.4-13.7 mm.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION (Fig. 10). Known from two separate areas: one extending from Senegal to Niger, the other from Ethiopia to Tanzania.

RECORDS. ETHIOPIA: six miles due north of Kulama at the north end of Lake Donaldson, an arm of Lake Stephanie, now Chew Bahir (1 ♂, ANSP, holotype of Pseudohelioryctes foxii) .

KENYA: Eastern Province: near Ewaso Ngiro River opposite Archer’s Post at 0°38.1ʹN 37°40.4′E (11 ♀, 5 ♂, CAS) .

MALI: Mopti Region: 10 km S Mopti (16 ♀, 7 ♂, CAS; 32 ♀, 18 ♂, OÖLM) .

NIGER: Tillabéri Region: 82 km ESE Téra at 13°51.1ʹN 1°31.3′E (1 ♂, CAS) . Zinder Region: 55 km S Tanout at 14°31.2ʹN 8°44.3′E (6 ♂, CAS) .

SENEGAL: no specific locality (Guérin-Méneville, 1844; Guiglia, 1948).

TANZANIA: Tanga Region: 2 km NE Mkomazi at 4°37.8′S 38°05.5′E (1 ♂, CAS) .