Tachysphex austriacus Kohl, 1892 and T. pompiliformis (Panzer, 1804) (Hymenoptera, Crabronidae) are a complex of fourteen species in Europe and Turkey.

Jakub Straka

doi:10.3897/zookeys.577.7301

Abstract

Tachysphex pompiliformis (Panzer, 1804) and Tachysphex austriacus Kohl, 1892 species subgroups belong to the Tachysphex pompiliformis species group, and both subgroups consist of morphologically similar species. The Tachysphex austriacus Kohl species subgroup comprises four species in Europe and Turkey. For this subgroup, differential diagnoses of Tachysphex austriacus and Tachysphex prismaticus Straka, 2005 are presented, and Tachysphex hungaricus sp. n. from Hungary and Tachysphex smissenae sp. n. from Spain, France and Turkey are described. The Tachysphex pompiliformis species subgroup consists of ten species from Europe and Turkey. For this subgroup, differential diagnoses of Tachysphex ferrugineus Pulawski, 1967 and Tachysphex opacus F. Morawitz, 1893, as well as the differential diagnosis and redescription of Tachysphex pompiliformis, are presented. Tachysphex dimidiatus (Panzer, 1809), Tachysphex jokischianus (Panzer, 1809) and Tachysphex nigripennis (Spinola, 1808) are resurrected from synonymy with Tachysphex pompiliformis and redescribed. Neotypes of Tachysphex dimidiatus (Panzer) and Tachysphex nigripennis (Spinola) are designed. Tachysphex bohemicus sp. n. from the Czech Republic; Tachysphex cretensis sp. n. from Crete, Greece; Tachysphex nobilis sp. n. from Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Turkey; and Tachysphex punctipleuris sp. n. from Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Slovenia and Turkey are described. Identification keys to all species from Tachysphex pompiliformis and Tachysphex austriacus species subgroups known from Europe and Turkey are presented.

Highlights

Tachysphex pompiliformis (Panzer, 1804) and T. austriacus Kohl, 1892 species subgroups belong to the T. pompiliformis species group
Two new species that belong to the T. austriacus subgroup are described in the present study
Pulawski (1971) presented information on the extensive variability within T. pompiliformis (Panzer) species; no species recognition or change in taxonomy was made within this variable species until this time, except for the separation of species of the T. austriacus subgroup

Summary

Introduction

Tachysphex pompiliformis (Panzer, 1804) and T. austriacus Kohl, 1892 species subgroups belong to the T. pompiliformis species group. Tachysphex austriacus Kohl has been considered to be a sister species to T. pompiliformis (Panzer) (Straka 2004). T. austriacus Kohl, 1892 was recognized to be a cluster of closely related species different from T. pompiliformis (Panzer). Both species are considered to belong to separate lineages and form two different species subgroups (Straka 2008). Two other species were described and were considered to be related to T. austriacus Kohl: T. prismaticus Straka, 2005 and T. stysi Straka, 2008 (Straka 2005, 2008). Two new species that belong to the T. austriacus subgroup are described in the present study. Three species names are restored from synonymy, and four additional new species are described

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