Paranysson melanopyrus (F. Smith)

Pulawski, Wojciech J., 2022, A Revision of the Genus Paranysson Guérin-Méneville, 1844 (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae), Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 67 (16), pp. 361-393 : 381-384

Paranysson melanopyrus (F. Smith)

Figures 33-36 .

Helioryctes melanopyrus F. Smith, 1856:359 , ♀. Lectotype: ♀, Gambia: no specific locality (BMNH), present designation, examined. – Walker, 1871:26 (Red Sea coast of Africa: Harkeko); nec W. Fox, 1896:554 and Magretti, 1898:49 (= Paranysson foxii , now Paranysson abdominale ); Bingham, 1897:270 (redescription, incorrectly recorded from India and Myanmar); Dalla Torre, 1897:577 (in catalog of world Sphecidae ); Magretti, 1898:49 ( Somalia: Ganana), 1906:20 ( Eritrea); Innes Bey, 1912:112 (specimens recorded by Walker, 1871, now destroyed by dermestids, were collected at Harkeko, as melanopyga). – As Paranysson melanopyrus : R. Turner, 1912:416 (new combination, Zambia: Pakasa; individual variation), 1914:341 (in revision of Paranysson ); Arnold, 1923:14 (in revision of African Paranysson ), 1930:7 (in checklist of Afrotropical Sphecidae ); Schouteden, 1930:92 ( Democratic Republic of the Congo); Bequaert, 1933:36 (nesting in ground, prey: pentatomid Natalicola pallidus Westwood ); Leclercq, 1968:88 (in revision of African Paranysson ; Liberia, Democratic Republic of the Congo); R. Bohart and Menke, 1976:299 (illustration of hindcoxa and hindtibia), 305 (illustration of female pygidial plate), 308 (in checklist of world Sphecidae ); Piek and Spanjer, 1986:186 (in list of Sphecidae with known prey); Dollfuss, 1990:122 ( Central African Republic).

Paranysson congoensis Arnold, 1929:392 , ♀, ♂. Syntypes: Democratic Republic of the Congo: Stanleyville, now Kisangani ( MRAC). Synonymized with Paranysson melanopyrus by Leclercq, 1968:88. – Arnold, 1930:7 (in checklist of Afrotropical Sphecidae ); Schouteden, 1930:92 ( Democratic Republic of the Congo).

LECTOTYPE DESIGNATION. F. Smith (1856) did not record the number of specimens upon which he based his description of Helioryctes melanopyrus . I have designated as the lectotype of this species a female in BMNH labeled “ Helioryctes melanopyrus Smith , Gambia ” (label handwritten, perhaps by F. Smith himself) and “BMNH Type Hym. 21.1,567)”.

RECOGNITION. The female of Paranysson melanopyrus differs from its congeners in having the hindcoxal spine that emerges at or before the hindcoxal midlength ( Fig. 35 ), at or near its midline. Subsidiary recognition features are: the dorsal length of flagellomere I is 1.4-1.6 × apical width; the lateral clypeal teeth do not protrude beyond the free clypeal margin between them ( Fig. 33 ); and in most specimens the longitudinal carina between the propodeal side and posterior surface forming a sharp tooth at about two thirds of length.

The male of P. melanopyrus has a distinctive clypeus whose lamella is slightly projecting and delimited on each side by a tooth ( Fig. 34 ), but only angulate laterally in some specimens; the distance between the teeth is equal to 1.2-1.8 × midocellar diameter. Unlike P. quadridentatus , the dorsal length of flagellomere I equals 1.0-1.1 × that of flagellomere II (rather than 1.2-1.6 ×); and the hindcoxal venter has no preapical carina, is all punctate, not concave apically (rather than with a preapical, semicircular carina and with concave, unsculptured area between the carina and the apex).

DESCRIPTION. Clypeal lamella with two teeth on each side, teeth greatly reduced in many males. Propodeal dorsum reticulate, basomedian cells elongate. Longitudinal carina between propodeal side and posterior surface in most specimens forming tooth at about two thirds of length, but only broadened there in certain individuals.

♀ – Ocellocular distance equal to 0.5-0.6 × distance between hindocelli. Lateral teeth of clypeal free margin ill defined. Dorsal length of flagellomere I 1.4-1.6 × apical width, of apical flagellomere 1.7-1.8 × its basal width. Hindcoxal venter with spine originating at or before hindcoxal midlength, Fig. 35 (the difference in the spine position can be observed on the right and left hindcoxa of the same specimen); spine about as long as hindcoxal venter. Pygidial plate sparsely punctate, in many specimens microareolate. Length 8.5-13.3 mm.

♂ – Ocellocular distance equal to 0.4 × distance between hindocelli. Clypeal lamella slightly projecting, delimited on each side by tooth ( Fig. 34 ), only angulate laterally in some specimens; free margin between teeth slightly concave; distance between teeth equal to 1.2-1.8 × midocellar diameter. Flagellomere I as long as 1.0-1.2 × flagellomere II, its dorsal length 1.3-1.5 × apical width, of apical flagellomere 1.5-1.6 × its basal width. Terga V-VII closely punctate. Length 6.7-10.8 mm.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION ( Fig. 36 ). Senegal and Niger to South Africa.

RECORDS. CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: ca 40 km E Bambio at 3°59ʹN 17°11′E (2 ♂, OÖLM) , ca 50 km NE Bambio at 3°59ʹN 17°11′E [sic] (3 ♀, 2 ♂, OÖLM) , 70 km NNE Bangui at 4°57ʹN 18°46′E (3 ♀, 2 ♂, OÖLM) , 85 km NW Bangui at 04°46ʹN 18°04′E (2 ♀, OÖLM) , 50 km from Boda [no direction] at 4°03ʹN 17°20′E (2 ♀, OÖLM) , 60 km SE Bouar at 5°42ʹN 16°00′E (1 ♀, OÖLM) , 60 km W Bouar at 5°45ʹN 15°13′E (2 ♀, OÖLM) , 90 km N Carnot at 5°36ʹN 15°54′E (5 ♀, 2 ♂, OÖLM) , near Mbomo at 0°24′20ʺN 14°39′26ʺE (1 ♀, OÖLM) , 35 km NE Nola at 3°46ʹN 16°13′E (2 ♂, OÖLM) , 40 km S Nola at 3°23ʹN 16°10′E (2 ♂, OÖLM) , 45 km E Nola at 3°40ʹN 16°26′E (2 ♀, OÖLM) , 90 km NE Nola at 4°04ʹN 16°37′E (3 ♀, 5 ♂, OÖLM) .

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO (localities followed by L are from Leclercq, 1968): Bas-Uele: Bambesa (L) . Équateur: Eala (L). Haut-Katanga: Kasenga ( Bequaert, 1933), Lubumbashi (L, as Elisabethville). Haut-Ouèle: Faradje at 3°40ʹN 29°40′E (1 ♀, AMNH) . Kinshasa: Kinshasa at 4°20′S 15°20′E (2 ♀, AMNH) . Kongo-Central: Mpese (L). Lualaba: Lulua (L). Mai-Ndombe: Bena Bendi (L), Bolobo (L), Bumbuli (L), Kunzulu (L), Wombali (L). Maniema: Elila (L), Kasongo (L). Mongala: Binga (L). North Kivu: 39 km S Walikale (1 ♀, 4 ♂, CAS). Nord-Ubangi: Yakoma (L). Tanganika : Lukuga River basin (L), Kalemie (institution?). Tshopo : Kisangani (28 ♀, 15 ♂, AMNH; 2 ♀, 1 ♂, UCD; as Stanleyville). Tshuapa : Bokuma at 0°40′0ʺS 21°1′0ʺE (L).

GAMBIA: no specific locality (1 ♀, BMNH, lectotype of Helioryctes melanopyrus ) .

GABON: Haut-Ogooué Province: Léconi (1 ♀, FSAG) . Ogooué-Ivindo Province: Ntoum (1 ♀, FSAG) . Woleu-Ntem Province: near Nzogbour at 0°55′36ʺN 10°36′17ʺE (1 ♀, FSAG) .

IVORY COAST: Abijan District: Abijan: forêt de Banco (1 ♀, 1 ♂, CAS) .

LIBERIA: Moala ( Leclercq, 1968):

MALI: 10 km S Mopti (1 ♀, OÖLM) , 30 km NE San (1 ♀, OÖLM) .

MALAWI: Mulanje (1 ♀, USNM) .

NIGER: Diffa Region: 5 km N Diffa at 13°22.2ʹN 12°36.4′E (1 ♀, 1 ♂, CAS) , 14 km W Diffa at 13°15.8ʹN 12°29.0′E (1 ♀, CAS) , 14 km E Maïné Soroa at 13°11.6ʹN 12°08.6′E (1 ♀, CAS) . Dosso Region: 13 km S Dosso at 12°56.6ʹN 3°11.0′E (1 ♀, CAS) . Niamey Region: 8 km NW Niamey at 13°35.8ʹN 1°59.9′E (1 ♂, CAS) . Tillabéri Region: Malalé 10 km E Niamey at 13°27.1ʹN 2°10.4′E (1 ♂, CAS) , 82 km ESE Téra at 13°51.1ʹN 1°31.3′E (1 ♂, CAS) .

NIGERIA: Oyo State: Olokemeji [Forest Reserve] near Ibadan at 7.42°N 3.55°E (1 ♂, UCD; 1 ♀, 4 ♂, USNM) . Taraba State: Gashaka Gumti National Park at 7°20ʹN 11°13′E (1 ♀, OÖLM) .

REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO (= Congo Brazzaville): Oka (1 ♂, USNM) .

SENEGAL: Thiès Region: Toubab Dialao (1 ♂, USNM) .

SOUTH AFRICA: Gauteng: Pretoria (2 ♂, USNM) .

TANZANIA: Mbeya Region: Mantadi village at 7°50′33ʺS 33°21′19ʺE (1 ♂, OÖLM) .:

ZAMBIA: Central Province: 15 km S Kapiri Mposhi (1 ♀, OÖLM) . Copperbelt: 45 km SE Kitwe (1 ♀, OÖLM) . Northwestern Province: 150 km S Mwinilunga at 13°11′S 24°14′E (1 ♀, OÖLM) .

ZIMBABWE: Mashonaland Central Province: Mavuradonha Wilderness Area 15 km SE Muzarabani (1 ♀, OÖLM) . Masvingo Province: Mushandike National Park (1 ♀, OÖLM) .

Figures

FIGURES 33-35. Paranysson melanopyrus (F. Smith). (33) Female clypeus and mandible; (34) Male clypeus and mandible; (35) Female hindcoxa with spine. 35

FIGURE 36. Collecting localities of Paranysson melanopyrus (F. Smith).