Prionyx (Harpactopus) subfuscatus

Prionyx (Harpactopus) subfuscatus (Dahlbom, 1845) (Figs 1e, 4c, 8i, 10f, 11d) Sphex subfuscatus Dahlbom 1845:436, sex not stated (as subfuscata). Holotype or syntypes: “Tauria” [Russia: Crimea] (depository unknown or possibly lost).— Eversmann 1849:369; F. Smith 1856:242; Kohl 1881:29, 1885:179; Ed. André 1888:149; Kohl 1889:25; F. Morawitz 1889:129; Kohl 1890:354; F. Morawitz 1891:202, 1893:407; Sickmann 1894:216; Dalla Torre 1897:442; Morice 1911:74; Gribodo 1924:49; Roth 1925:389; Gussakovskij 1934:3; Yasumatsu 1938:93; de Beaumont 1947:383, 1951:268, 1953:195; Leclercq 1955:25; Berland 1956:1170; Myartseva 1963:59; Tsuneki 1963:52; de Beaumont 1968:149; Kazenas 1969:22, 1978:41.— As Harpactopus subfuscatus: Radoszkowski 1892:586.— As Chlorion subfuscatum: Bischoff 1931:8.— As Prionyx subfuscatus: Diniz 1965:4; Myartseva 1972:84; R. Bohart & Menke 1976:134; Guichard 1978:270; Kazenas 1998:125, 2001:15, 2002:30; Roche 2007a:36; Dollfuss 2008:1415; Nemkov 2008:17; Danilov 2009:55; Nemkov 2009:46; Pagliano 2009:175; Danilov 2012a:163, 2012b:61, 2014a:424, 2014b:514; Ebrahimi 2014:24; Arens 2017:630; Danilov 2017:215; Danilov & Mokrousov 2017:109; Jahantigh, Rakhshani, Mokhtari & Ramroodi 2017:27; Danilov 2019:78; Can & Gülmez 2019:349; Danilov 2020:320; Gadallah 2020:86; Danilov & Odintsev 2023:433; Pulawski 2024:33. Sphex soror Dahlbom 1845:436, sex not stated. Holotype: ♀, “Rhodus” [Greece: Island of Rhodes] (NRM). Synonymized with Sphex aegyptius by Kohl 1885:181, and with Sphex subfuscatus by de Beaumont 1949:127.—F. Smith 1856:243; Balthasar 1952:281. Sphex nigritus Lucas, 1849:271, sex not stated (as nigrita), junior primary homonym of Sphex nigritus Fabricius, 1781, and of Sphex nigritus Turton, 1802. Holotype or syntypes: “Lacalle” [Algeria: El Taref Province: El Kala] (MNHN). Synonymized with Sphex subfuscatus by Kohl 1885:179.—F. Smith 1856:244. Sphex desertorum Eversmann 1849:368, ♀, ♂. Syntypes: “Hab. in campis provinciarum Astrachan., Saratov. et Orenburg., nec non in campis Kirgisorum australibus” [Russia: Astrakhan, Orenburg, and Saratov Provinces; and Kazakhstan] (ZISP, possibly lost according to Danilov 2016). Synonymized with Sphex subfuscatus by Kohl 1885:179.— Radoszkowski 1881:209, 1886:25. Enodia chrysoptera Ruthe et Stein 1857:312, ♀. Holotype: ♀, “bei Berlin ” [Germany: Berlin] (ZMHU). Synonymized with Sphex subfuscatus by Kohl 1885:179.—As Sphex chrysoptera: Myartseva 1971:180.—As Parasphex chrysoptera: Kirchner 1867:217. Gastrosphaeria anthracina A. Costa 1858:10. ♀, ♂. Syntypes: [Italy: various localities] (MZUN). Synonymized with Sphex subfuscatus by Kohl 1885:179.— Kirchner 1867:217.—As Sphex anthracina: A. Costa 1867a:70, 1867b:14. Sphex namkumiensis Laidlaw 1929:232, ♀. Holotype: ♀, “Namkum, Bengal” [India: Jharkhand: Ranchi: Namkum] (NMSE). Tentatively synonymized with Sphex subfuscatus by R. Bohart & Menke 1976:134. Sphex subfuscatus albovillosulus Giordani Soika 1942:198, ♂. Syntypes: “ Somalia: Iscia Baidoa” [Somalia: South West State: Baidoa] (depository unknown).—As Prionyx subfuscatus albovillosulus: R. Bohart & Menke 1976:134. Chlorion subfuscatum race rhodesianum Arnold 1936:28, ♀, ♂. Syntypes: “Matetsi” [Zimbabwe: Matabeleland North: Matetsi] (ISAM).—As Prionyx subfuscatus? ssp. rhodesianus: R. Bohart & Menke 1976:134. ? Sphex (Calosphex) rukwaensis Arnold 1959:325, ♂. Holotype: ♂, “Ukia, Rukwa valley, Tanganyika” [Tanzania: Rukwa Region: Ukia] (BMNH).—As Prionyx subfuscatus? rukwaensis: R. Bohart & Menke 1976:134. Prionyx binghami Jha et Farooqi 1996:15, ♂, ♀. Holotype: ♀, “Pusa, Bengal” [India: Bihar: Pusa] (depository unknown), Paratype: ♀, “Banhar” [India: Bihar: Banhar] (NPC), photo examined. New synonymy. — Danilov & Odintsev 2023:432; Pulawski 2024:4. Full bibliography see: Pulawski 2024:33. Diagnosis. Both sexes of P. subfuscatus closely resemble P. saevus, P. crudelis, and P. judaeus. The female of P. subfuscatus differs from P. crudelis and P. judaeus in having the head and mesosoma with pale setae, propodeal enclosure without long, dense, black setae, tarsal rake of foreleg only with some long, stout, bladelike setae (P. crudelis and P. judaeus have the head and mesosoma with dark setae, the propodeal enclosure with long, dense, hairlike black setae, the tarsal rake of the foreleg with long, stout, bladelike and some hairlike setae). The male of P. subfuscatus differs from P. crudelis and P. judaeus in having the propodeal enclosure without long, dense, black setae (propodeal enclosure with long, dense, hairlike black setae in P. crudelis and P. judaeus). The female of P. subfuscatus differs from P. saevus in having the mandible black (mandible reddish mesally in P. saevus). The male of P. subfuscatus differs from P. saevus in having F3–F6 with placoids and S4–S6 without long black setae (F3–F4 with placoids and S4–S6 with long black setae apically in P. saevus). Description. Head. Labial palpomeres 2–4 usual. Mandible black. Vertex, occiput and gena microsculptured, punctate. Mesosoma.Pronotum moderately angulate laterodorsally,finely rugose.Scutum,mesopleuron,metapleuron, and propodeum areolate-rugose, slightly shiny. Scutellum slightly longitudinally depressed, longitudinlly rugose and punctate. Metanotum slightly tuberculate dorsally. Wings yellow in venation zone, smoky apically; veins light brown to yellow; recurrent vein II of forewing received by submarginal cell III. Legs. Claws with 2 ventral teeth; arolia present. Male. Body length 10–17 mm. Body black with black erect setae. Head. Labrum trapeziform. Clypeus with wide V-shaped median emargination. Clypeus, subantennal sclerite and paraocular area with appressed, silvery setae, moderately concealing integument. F3–F6 with narrow, depressed placoids. Mesosoma. Propodeal enclosure with long, sparse black setae. Metasoma. S4–S6 without long black setae; S6 entire, without teeth. Female. Body length 14–22 mm. Body black with light erect setae. Head. Labrum trapeziform, emarginate apically. Clypeus angulate, with U-shaped median notch. Clypeus, subantennal sclerite, paraocular area and frons with appressed, goldish or silvery setae, concealing integument. Mesosoma. Pronotum and scutum with sparse semiappressed, goldish or silvery setae, not concealing integument. Propodeal enclosure with sparse light setae. Legs. Tarsal rake of foreleg with long, stout, bladelike and some short, hairlike setae. Justification of new synonymy. Having studied the photographs of the paratypes of Prionyx binghami from NPC, as well as the original description, we did not find any clear differences from subfuscatus. Questionable synonymy. Sphex rukwaensis described by G. Arnold (1959) in the subgenus Calosphex was tentatively treated as Prionyx subfuscatus rukwaensis by R. Bohart and A. Menke (1976). Arnold in diagnosis of rukwaensis pointed out the differences between his new species and the other two African species of the subgenus Calosphex: P. niveatus (Dufour, 1854) and P. nigropectinatus (Taschenberg, 1869). However, he did not mention subfuscatus, which was well known to him. Unfortunately, we were unable to study the holotype of rukwaensis, and the description does not provide sufficient evidence to resurrect this taxon to full species status. Material examined. AZERBAIJAN. Ganja [formerly Yelisavetpol] [40°40’N, 46°21’E], 14–19.V.1909, I. Babadjanidi (1 ♂, ZISP); Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic: Shahbuz District, Türkeş [39°25’N, 45°28’E], 18– 26.VII.1940, M. Ryabov (2 ♂, ZISP). CHINA. Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region: Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Künes River, no specific locality [43°35’N, 82°33’E], VIII.1877, N. Przhevalsky (1 ♀, ZISP). IRAN. South Khorasan Province: Birjand [32°52’N, 59°12’E], 21–26.VI.1896 [the dates are possibly in error], N. Zarudny, (5 ♀, ZISP); Khusf County, Chahkand-e Gol [32°41’N, 59°13’E], 17.VI.1896 [the dates are possibly in error], N. Zarudny (1 ♂, ZISP); Zirkuh County, Dakkepatargun salt-marsh near Shahrakht [33°27’N, 60°37’E], 24.IV.1898, N. Zarudny (7 ♂, 2 ♀, ZISP); Zirkuh County, Makhunik [32°27’N, 60°25’E], 1.V.1898, N. Zarudny (1 ♀, ZISP); Zirkuh County, Ardakul near Mohammadabad [33°29’N, 60°03’E], 22.IV.1898, N. Zarudny (1 ♂, ZISP); Ardabil Province: Parsabad County, Owltan [39°36’N, 47°46’E], 30.VI.1927, Zapolsky (2 ♀, ZISP). KAZAKHSTAN. Abai Province: Beskaragay District, near Kanonerka [50°41’N, 79°41’E], 18.VI.1955, P. Rafes (1 ♀, ZISP); Akmola Province: Kokshetau Mountains [53°05’N, 70°16’E], 23.VI.1957, V. Rudolf (1 ♂, ZISP); 12.VII.1957, V. Tobias (2 ♂, ZISP); Aktobe Province: Mugalzhar District, Zhaksytau in Mugodzhar Hills [48°10’N, 58°23’E], 26.VII.1904, V. Dubiansky (1 ♀, ZISP); Yrgyz District, Shet-Irgiz River [48°45’N, 60°08’E], 10.VII.1928, V. Popov (3 ♀, ZISP); Lesser Barsuki desert [47°12’N, 60°44’E], 28.VI–1.VII.1910, N. Androssow (1 ♂, 1 ♀, ZISP); 21.VII.1930, E. Luppova (1 ♀, ZISP); Greater Barsuki desert near Shalkar [47°35’N, 59°32’E], 14.VI.1907, N. Androssow (1 ♂, 2 ♀, ZISP); 24.VI.1930, A. Gozhev (1 ♀, ZISP); 1.VI.1908, N. Androssow (1 ♀, ZISP); 3.VI.2011, A. Ivanov (1 ♀, ZISP); Mugalzhar District, Kokzhide Sands [48°24’N, 57°13’E], 19–23.VI.1908, D. Borodin, B. Uvarov (9 ♂, 1 ♀, ZISP); Shalkar District, Berchogur [48°25’N, 58°43’E], 26.VI.1910, L. Wollman (1 ♂, ZISP); Shalkar District, near Shalkar [47°47’N, 59°41’E], 2.VII.1930, A. Gozhev (1 ♂, ZISP); Almaty Province: Ile District, Usharal [44°14’N, 76°51’E], 4.VII.1903, L. Bergh (2 ♂, ZISP); Mountains near Almaty, no specific locality [43°05’N, 76°50’E], 17.VI.1903, L. Bergh (1 ♂, ZISP); Balkhash District, Bokkary natural boundary near Akkol [45°08’N, 75°20’E], 8.VII.1903, L. Bergh (1 ♀, ZISP); Balkhash District, near Akzhar [44°52’N, 75°53’E], 26.V.2015, K. Fadeev (1 ♀, ZISP); Balkhash District, 17 km NW Bakanas [44°52’N, 76°01’E], 23.VI–15.VII.1970, V. Kazenas (2 ♂, SZMN); 17–19.VII.1970, V. Kazenas (2 ♀, FSCV); Atyrau Province: Inder District, Lake Inder [48°28’N, 51°54’E], 1.VI.1907, B. Uvarov