Die Gattungen der Sphegiden

The Palaearctic species of the genus Ammoplanus Giraud are revised, based on material of over 1750 specimens from Europe, North Africa and Central Asia. For almost all species it was possible to examine the type material and in six species the lectotypes have been designated, in two cases (A. perrisi and A. marathroicus) the neotypes. As a result 38 species are recognized as valid, keyed out and commented on. Eight species are described as new and four species names are here placed in synonymy. Several species are of wide distribution, which made it necessary to include also those described from Central Asia and Mongolia. The keys are made to all Palaearctic species but no material is known from the regions east of Mongolia, although four undescribed species are available from South-East Asia. The Afrotropical species are listed and most of them were also examined. Two subgenera are recognized in the region; 32 species are classified in Ammoplanus sensu stricto and six in the subgenus Ammoplanellus. In the nominal subgenus the following species are described as new: A. atlasensis from Morocco, A. biscopula from Israel, A. biskrensis from Algeria, A. denesi from Turkey (Anatolia), A. freidbergi and A. kaplanae from Israel, A. minutus from Bulgaria and Turkey and A. strumae from Bulgaria and Greece. New synonymy: A. angelae becomes a junior synonym of rhodesianus (known before only from Africa), A. crudelis a synonym of A. kaszabi, A. handlirschi a synonym of A. marathroicus, A. suarezi a synonym of A. kohlii, A. subcompressus of A. gegen, A. orbiculatus of A. simplex and A. zarcoi of A. kohlii; A. wesmaeli is confirmed as a synonym of A. perrisi. Otherwise the synonymy is corrected under A. bischoffi and the names A. dusmeti and A. curvidens are re-established as valid. In a short review of the African species A. (Ammoplanellus) cradockensis Arnold, 1959 is placed as a new synonym under A. (Ammoplanellus) latiscapus Leclercq, 1959. The nomenclatural changes are explained under the relevant species.

Identifying alien species is important to detect invaders early and to survey shifts in species ranges in the context of global change. Here we present the first recorded occurrences of the Mediterranean digger wasp Psenulus fulvicornis (Schenck, 1857) (Crabronidae) in Switzerland. To aid species identification and separation from the morphologically similar congener P. schencki (Tournier, 1889), which is known to occur in Switzerland, we show discriminating morphological characters and deliver the first DNA barcode sequences and a molecular phylogenetic tree of the mitochondrial cox1 locus from specimens sampled at the European scale. While the species can be readily separated by morphological characters, maximum likelihood and Bayesian inferred phylogenetic trees revealed the existence of polyphyly. Thus, we could not identify a barcoding gap at the European scale, which may hamper taxon identification. Nevertheless, cox1 sequences were diagnostic for all Central European specimens. Finally, an exhaustive revision of P. schencki accessions in the Swiss historical museum and private collections did not reveal overlooked specimens of P. fulvicornis. This confirms the status of P. fulvicornis as a new species to Switzerland, where it is currently only known from the Cantons of Zurich and Geneva; inhabiting warm lowland habitats such as urban gardens.

A new species of Dolichurus Latreille (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Ampulicidae) from Brazil Dolichurus sensei Ferreira and Lopez sp. nov. is described based on a single female specimen from a Neotropical savanna fragment in São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil. We include images of the holotype and provide an additional commentary on its coloration.

The genus Psenulus from China is reviewed and two new species are described: Psenulus carinitibialis Jiang & Ma and Psenulus clypeoconvexus Jiang & Ma; two species are newly recorded from China: Psenulus bicinctus Turner, 1912 and Psenulus orinus van Lith, 1973. Additionally, the intraspecific morphological variations are clarified and discussed. An identification key to the Chinese species is provided.

The wasp genusPsenulusis the most diverse genus of the family Psenidae in the superfamily Apoidea, with its diversity peaking in the Oriental realm. Six species of the genus are here recorded for the first time from the Hong Kong SAR. Three of these,Psenulus ephippiussp. nov.,Psenulus gibbussp. nov. andPsenulus pallenssp. nov. are described as new to science. An identification key, figures for all taxa recorded in Hong Kong and phenology of five of the six species are also provided.

Abstract The genus Psenulus Kohl, 1897 is the largest in Pemphredoninae, with about 161 described species. In contrast to several groups of Crabronidae, especially to other Pemphredoninae, Psenulus is underrepresented in the Neotropical region, with only three described species: Psenulus aztecus Bohart & Grissell, 1969, P. improvisus van Lith, 1978 and P. mayorum Bohart & Grissell, 1969. The Neotropical species of Psenulus are revised, and nine new species are described: P. amazonicus sp. nov., P. auropilosus sp. nov., P. brasiliensis sp. nov., P. dispar sp. nov., P. flavipes sp. nov., P. mexicanus sp. nov., P. rafaeli sp. nov., P. silveirai sp. nov. and P. similis sp. nov. We also provide an identification key, descriptions of new species, redescriptions of previously described species, distribution maps and illustrations of external morphology. The first phylogenetic study of the genus Psenulus is based on 23 terminals (4 Psenini outgroup and 19 Psenulus species) and 55 morphological characters. Two monophyletic groups were recovered: a Nearctic + Palearctic clade and a Neotropical clade. Additionally, a closer relationship between the Neotropical clade and the Afrotropical and Oriental species included in this analysis is recognized.

The aim of this work is to propose the use of the Spheciformes wasps (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Ampulicidae, Sphecidae and Crabronidae) as indicators of European biodiversity. One advantage of studying this group of insects lies in the regulating effects that such wasps have on other insect populations. We discuss the applicability of seven criteria, taken from the literature, to use the Spheciformes wasps as an indicator group, with respect to which parameters this group offers guarantees of being good indicators of biodiversity, both for predicting the diversity of other groups of animals and for all the species of a given area.

A Revision ofStizoides Guérin-Méneville, 1844: Taxonomy, Phylogenetic Relationships, Biogeography, and Evolution (Hymenoptera: Apoidea, “Sphecidae”)

The aphid wasp genus Arpactophilus Smith, 1863 is reported from India, for the first time outside Australasia. A new species Arpactophilus pulawskii Amal & Girish Kumar sp. nov. is described and illustrated.

Abstract HarpactusShuckard, 1837 (an unjustified emendation of the preoccupied nameArpactusJurine, 1807) is an available name and must be restored as the valid name for the genus now calledDienoplusFox, 1894. The latter name has been incorrectly interpreted as valid by Pate (1937), de Beaumont(1954a)and all subsequent authors.