Eremiasphecium sahelense (Simon Thomas)

Pulawski, Wojciech J., 2016, On Eremiasphecium arabicum Pulawski and Eremiasphecium sahelense Simon Thomas (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae), Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 63 (15), pp. 575-579 : 577

Eremiasphecium sahelense (Simon Thomas)

Xanthosphecium sahelense Simon Thomas, 1994:156 , ♀ (as sahelensis, incorrect original termination). Holotype: ♀, Senegal: 25-35 km S Richard Toll (Laboratory of Entomology, University of Wageningen).— As Eremiasphecium sahelense : Simon Thomas, 1996:196 (new combination).

Xanthosphecium harteni Simon Thomas, 1994:155 , ♀. Holotype: ♀, Yemen: Al Kowd (Zool. Mus. Amsterdam). New synonym. — As Eremiasphecium harteni : Simon Thomas, 1996:196 (new combination); Schmid-Egger, 2011 b:526 (in key to Eremiasphecium of Arabian Peninsula), 532 ( United Arab Emirates), 533 and 534 (color photographs of male and female); Schmid-Egger, 2014:564 ( United Arab Emirates).

Simon Thomas (1994) described Eremiasphecium sahelense ( Fig. 3 ) from Senegal and Eremiasphecium harteni from Yemen, placing them in his new genus Xanthosphecium because of the presence of only two submarginal cells. The first species was based on two females, and the second on a single female. In 1996, he correctly synonymized Xanthosphecium with Eremiasphecium . Simon Thomas distinguished the two species by the details of their coloration, and by the presence of “some pubescence” on the gena in E. sahelense and its absence in harteni . In 2011 Schmid-Egger documented a significant color variation in E. harteni .

I was able to collect 26 females and six males of E. sahelense in Mauritania in October and November 1993, and 32 females and 44 males in Niger in August and September 2005. A study of these specimens demonstrates that the supposed differences between the two species represent just individual variation. For example, the black area on the propodeal posterior surface varies from wide to linear (linear in E. harteni ), and the entire surface is yellow in one specimen; most Mauritanian females have a black, basal spot on the gastral terga, but one has the terga all yellow (as in E. harteni ); and the gena is glabrous (as in E. harteni ). I conclude that the two species are conspecific, and therefore synonymize them. The two names were published in the same paper, and acting as First Reviser (Article 24,2.2 of the Code on Zoological Nomenclature) I hereby select E. sahelense as the valid name, and E. harteni as its junior synonym.

Eremiasphecium sahelense is unique among its congeners in having only two submarginal cells (rather than three).

RECORDS ( Fig. 4 ) (West African specimens were collected by the author and are preserved in the California Academy of Sciences).— MAURITANIA: 16 km NE Nouakchott, 27 Oct 1993 (1 ♀); 32 km S Nouakchott, 6 Nov 1993 (24 ♀, 5 ♂); Tayart (7 km W Atar), 21 Oct 1993 (1 ♂); 25 km SW Tijikja, 30 Oct 1993 (1 ♀). NIGER: Agadez Region: 0.5 km SE Aderbissinat at 15º36.9ʹN 7º54.0ʹE, 10 Aug 2005 (10 ♀, 10 ♂). Diffa Region: 54 km NE Diffa at 13º42.3ʹN 12º55.8ʹE, 25 Aug 2005 (1 ♀, 2 ♂); 36 km SW Diffa at 13º11.3ʹN 12º17.4ʹE, 23 Aug 2005 (1 ♀, 2 ♂); 15 km W Goudoumaria at 13º42.8ʹN 11º03.9ʹE, 30 Aug 2005 (1 ♂); 3 km NNE Nguigmi at 14º16.5ʹN 13º06.9ʹE 26 Aug 2005 (2 ♀, 2 ♂); 8 km ENE Nguigmi at 14º17.2ʹN 13º10.1ʹE, 27 Aug 2005 (2 ♀, 1 ♂); 13 km SW Nguigmi at 14º10.3ʹN 13º01.3ʹE, 29 Aug 2005 (5 ♀, 6 ♂); 34 km SW Nguigmi at 13º58.8ʹN 12º58.2ʹE, 29 Aug 2005 (1 ♀). Tahoua Region: 60 km E Madaoua at 13º49.2ʹN 6º23.7ʹE, 2 Sept 2005 (1 ♂) Tillabéri Region: 13 km N Niamey at 13º32.6ʹN 2º16.4ʹE, 14 Sept 2005 (2 ♀, 1 ♂); 82 km ESE Téra at 13º51.1ʹN 1º31.3ʹE, 10 Sept 2005 (3 ♂). Zinder Region: 15 km N Gouré at 14º07.0ʹN 10º12.4ʹE, 21 Aug 2005 (2 ♀); 63 km E Gouré at 13º42.9ʹN 10º45.1ʹE, 22 Aug 2005 (2 ♀, 1 ♂); 4 km E Guidiguir at 13º41.7ʹN 9º51.9ʹE, 19 Aug 2005 (1 ♀, 1 ♂); 27 km W Guidiguir at 13º40.9ʹN 9º39.1ʹE, 19 Aug 2005 (1 ♀, 7 ♂); 23 km NW Magaria at 13º06.4ʹN 8º42.9ʹE, 18 Aug 2005 (5 ♂); 49 km NW Tanout at 15º11.7ʹN 8º27.1ʹE, 8 Aug 2005 (2 ♀, 1 ♂). SENEGAL: 25-35 km S Richard Toll ( Simon Thomas, 1994). UNITED ARAB EMIRATES ( Schmid-Egger, 2011, 2014, as E. harteni ): Al-Ajban, N Ajman, Al-Rafah, Ra’s al-Khaimah–Dibba, Um al-Quwain, Wadi Madaq.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Female of Eremiasphecium sahelense Simon Thomas in lateral view.

FIGURE 4. Collecting localities of Eremiasphecium sahelense.