Prionyx (Harpactopus) melanotus
Creators: name: Odintsev, Yuriy N. Danilov Oleg A.
name: Kobets, Anastasia S.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Sphecidae
Prionyx
Prionyx melanotus

description: Prionyx (Harpactopus) melanotus (F. Morawitz, 1890)
(Figs 3c, 4e, 5g, 6g, 8e, 9h, 12c)
Sphex melanotus F. Morawitz 1890:575, ♂, ♀. Lectotype: ♀, “Transcaspien” [most likely Turkmenistan: no specific locality], designated by Danilov 2012b:64 (ZISP), examined.— Kohl 1890:346; Dalla Torre 1897:432; Berland 1926:200.— As Priononyx melanotus: de Beaumont 1968:149.— As Prionyx melanotus: Myartseva 1972:84; Bohart & Menke 1976:133; Dollfuss 1989:12; Danilov 2012a:163, 164, 2012b:64, 2016:341, 2019:78; Danilov & Odintsev 2023:433; Pulawski 2024:22.
Diagnosis. The male of P. melanotus closely resembles P. stschurowskii in having the labial palpomeres 2–4 elongate, the placoids on flagellomeres narrow, depressed, and S6 entire, without teeth, but differs in having F3–F8 with the placoids (P. stschurowskii has F3–F6 with the placoids). It is similar to P. persicus and P. radoszkowskyi in habitus, but differs in having the labial palpomeres 2–4 elongate, the placoids on flagellomeres narrow, depressed, S6 entire, without teeth, and the arolia present (P. persicus and P. radoszkowskyi have the labial palpomeres 2–4 extremely short, club-shaped, the placoids on flagellomeres broad, flat, S6 with pair teeth posterolaterally, and the arolia absent).
The female of P. melanotus resembles P. stschurowskii, P. persicus, and P. radoszkowskyi in habitus. It differs from P. persicus, and P. radoszkowskyi in having the labial palpomeres 2–4 elongate, and the arolia present (P. persicus and P. radoszkowskyi have the labial palpomeres 2–4 extremely short, club-shaped, and the arolia absent). Unlike P. stschurowskii and P. persicus it has the scutum with no appressed, silvery setae.
Description. Head with black erect setae. Labrum trapeziform, slightly emarginate apically; labial palpomeres 2–4 elongate; head without appressed, silvery setae; frons microsculptured, punctate, slightly shiny; vertex, occiput and gena punctate, shiny. Mesosoma with black erect setae. Pronotum finely rugose and punctate, slightly shiny. Scutum shiny, punctate (punctures about 0.5–1.5 diameters apart). Scutellum slightly longitudinally depressed, punctate and rugose, shiny. Metanotum tuberculate dorsally. Metapleuron and propodeum areolate-rugose and punctate, slightly shiny. Wings dark; veins black; recurrent vein II of forewing interstitial with 1 st intersubmarginal vein or received by submarginal cell III at its basal angle. Legs. Claws with 2 ventral teeth; arolia present.
Male. Body length 15–19 mm. Head. Clypeus slightly emarginate anteriorly. F3–F8 or F3–F7 with narrow, depressed placoids. Mesosoma. Mesopleuron shiny, punctate (punctures about 0.5–1.5 diameters apart). Metasoma. S6 entire, without teeth.
Female. Body length 16–23 mm. Head. Anterior margin of clypeus rounded; clypeal disk moderately convex, slightly depressed anteriorly. Legs. Tarsal rake of foreleg with long, bladelike and long, fine, hairlike setae.
Material examined. KAZAKHSTAN. Jambyl Province: Bayzak District, Sarykemer [formely Michailovka] near Taraz [43°00’N, 71°30’E], VI.1912 (1 ♂, 1 ♀, ZISP); Kyzylorda Province: Kazaly District, Kazaly [formely Kazalinsk] [45°46’N, 62°06’E], 07.VI.1928, Rukavishnikov (1 ♂, ZISP); Shieli District, Balamurun Mount near Shieli [44°23’N, 66°50’E], 20.V.1913, Koshantschikow (1 ♀, ZISP); 21.V.1913 (1 ♀, ZISP); 23.V.1913 (2 ♀, ZISP); 30.V.1913 (1 ♂, ZISP). TURKMENISTAN. no specific locality, Komarov (1 ♂, paralectotype, 1 ♀, lectotype, ZISP); Ahal Province: Kirpili, 100 km NE Serdar [formerly Kyzyl-Arvat] [39°35’N, 57°13’E], 07.V.1953, E. Arens (1 ♂, ZISP); 10.V.1953 (3 ♂, 1 ♀, ZISP); 11.V.1953 (4 ♂, ZISP); 15.V.1953 (4 ♂, 1 ♀, ZISP); 11–12.V.1953, Kirjakova (1 ♂, ZISP); Tejen [37°23’N, 60°30’E], 20.IV.1893, Glasunov (1 ♂, ZISP); Balkan Province: Garabogaz, 40 km N Serdar [formerly Kyzyl-Arvat] [39°13’N, 56°23’E], 17.V.1953, D. Steinberg (3 ♀, ZISP); 18.V.1953 (2 ♀, ZISP); 18.V.1953, Odintsova (1 ♂, 1 ♀, ZISP); 19.V.1953 (2 ♂, 1 ♀, ZISP); Jebel [39°38’N, 54°13’E], 03–05.VI.1934, V. Popov (2 ♂, ZISP); Mollagara near Jebel [39°36’N, 54°10’E], 06.VI.1934, V. Popov (1 ♀, ZISP); Daşoguz Province: Ortakui well, 240 km SW Daşoguz [40°41’N, 57°29’E], 29.V.1953, Kirjakova (1 ♀, ZISP); 26.V.1953, E. Arens (1 ♂, ZISP); 22.V.1953 (1 ♂, ZISP); 29.V.1953 (2 ♂, ZISP); 19.V.1953 (2 ♂, ZISP); ruins of Schahsenem, 100 km SWW Daşoguz [41°34’N, 58°42’E], 30.V.1953, E. Arens (1 ♀, ZISP); Lebap Province: Repetek Biosphere State Reserve [38°34’N, 63°10’E], 23.V.1913, N. Androssov (1 ♀, ZISP); Mary Province: Imeni Chapayeva [formely Ymam Baba] [36°42’N, 62°27’E], 05.VI.1931, Frolova (1 ♂, ZISP); 03–08.V.1912, Koshantschikow (2 ♀, ZISP); 12–14.V.1912 (1 ♀, ZISP); Utsch-Adshi [38°05’N, 62°47’E], 30.IV.1929, A. Shestakov (1 ♂, 5 ♀, ZISP); 01–03.V.1929 (3 ♂, 10 ♀, ZISP); 01.V.1929 (2 ♂, 2 ♀, ZISP); 10.V.1932, E. Kuznetsova (1 ♀, ZISP); 12.V.1932 (1 ♀, ZISP); 11.VI.1921 (1 ♀, ZISP). UZBEKISTAN. Karakalpakstan: Qo’ng’irot District, Qiziljar [43°08’N, 59°07’E], 02.VI.1939, Veltischev (1 ♀, ZISP).
Distribution. Desert areas of Central Asia (* Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, * Uzbekistan).
description: Published as part of Odintsev, Yuriy N. Danilov Oleg A. & Kobets, Anastasia S., 2024, A taxonomic study on the genus Prionyx Vander Linden, 1827 (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae: Prionychini). Subgenus Harpactopus F. Smith, 1856, pp. 263-298 in Zootaxa 5551 (2) on pages 275-276, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5551.2.3, http://zenodo.org/record/14421160