Podalonia mauritanica (MERCET)

Dollfuss, H., 2010, A Key to Wasps of the Genus Podalonia FERNALD 1927 (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Sphecidae) of the Old World, Linzer biologische Beiträge 42 (2), pp. 1241-1291 : 1261

Podalonia mauritanica (MERCET) Figs 20 , 35, 60, 85, 97, 121

Ammophila mauritanica MERCET 1906: 189 ,. Syntypes:, Morocco: Tanger (MNCN).

R e c o g n i t i o n Podalonia mauritanica has a propodeal enclosure with erect setae and a basally red gaster.

In the female the scutum is densely punctate (at least in the anterior half), the punctures are at most one diameter apart. The arolia are distinct, the clypeus and frons are not covered by appressed silver setae and the foretarsomeres are distinctly asymmetrical and have long spines (fig. 20). In addition, the mandible is reddish or amber, and the free margin of clypeus has a median lobe and blunt teeth. The female mesopleuron is coarsely, densely punctatorugose and terga I-III and base of IV are reddish-brown (in some specimens with dark spots).

In the male the clypeus is broadly produced and the free margin is slightly concave (fig. 121). The mandible in most specimens is yellowish-brown, the wing veins are lightbrown, the scutum is coarsely, densely punctatorugose, and the erect setae of the head and thorax are whitish. Additionally, the petiole is distinctly longer than hindtarsomere I (8: 6). The mesopleuron has fine appressed silver setae, and terga I-III (partly IV) are light-brown. The male of P. mauritanica differs from P. luffii in having dense appressed silver setae on the clypeus, frons, mesopleuron and scutum and long erect setae on the thorax. The genitalia are similar to P. luffii , but the penis valve of P. mauritanica does not have a row of teeth in lateral view (fig. 60); penis valve ventrally: fig 35, dorsally: fig. 85 and apically: fig 97.

G e o g r a p h i c a l d i s t r i b u t i o n North Africa, Western Sahara, Canary Islands.

S p e c i m e n s e x a m i n e d 40, 232.

Figures

Figs 9-22: (9) P. kozlovii foretarsomeres of female; (10) P. moczari foretarsomeres of female; (11) P. moczari marginal cell of forewing; (12) P. moczari clypeus of female; (Tsuneki 1971). (13) P. atrocyanea flagellomeres I, II of female; (14) P. chalybea flagellomeres I, II of female; (15) P. schmiedeknechti head of female; (16) P. hirsuta head of female; (17) P. schmiedeknechti foretarsomeres of female; (18) P. hirsuta foretarsomeres of female; (19) P. luffii foretarsomeres of female; (20) P. mauritanica foretarsomeres of female; (21) P. pungens marginal cell of forewing; (22) P. harveyi head of female in dorsal view.