Anoplius lepidus (Say 1836)

Anoplius (Notiochares) lepidus lepidus (Say) new combination
Pompilus lepidus Say, 1835, Boston Jour. Nat. Hist., 1: 304 [Type: $, "Mexico" (no longer extant)]. — Cresson, 1867, Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc, 1: 94-95 (not identified). — Cresson, 1869, Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., 12: 367 (Orizaba, Mexico; Cresson apparently placed specimens of several species under this name). — Cameron, 1893, Biol. Cent.-Amer., Hymen. II, p. 199 (not identified).
Pompilus philadelphicus Cameron, 1893, Biol. Centr.-Amer., Hymen. II, p. 197 (in part).
Notiochares philadelphicus Banks, 1925, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 67: 338 (Panama).
Anoplius lepidus Bradley, 1944, Notulae Nat., Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., no. 145, p. 9 (not lepidus as interpreted here; Bradley examined some of Cresson's material and found it to belong to Anoplius, subgenus Anoplius). — Dreisbach, 1950, Amer. Midi. Nat., 43: 584 (not identified).
Notiochares coxalis Banks, 1945, Bol. Ent. Venez., 4: 100-101 [Type: 5, British Guiana: Kartabo, July-Aug. 1920 (W. M. Wheeler) (MCZ, no. 26, 700)]. — Banks, 1947, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zoo]., 99: 410. New synonym.
Anoplius (Notiochares) amethystinus amethystinus Evans, 1951, Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc, 76: 229-231 (in part; several Mexican and Central American records).
Say's name has been employed very loosely (or not at all) in the past. There are no specimens in the Harris collection at the MCZ which might represent type material of this species, and there seems no question that the type has been destroyed, like most of Say's. In order to pin down the name once and for all, I have selected the following neotype: S , Mexico: Morelos: 3 mi. NW Cuernavaca, 6500 feet, 7 June 1959 (HEE) [MCZ]. This specimen is 10 mm. long (i.e., two-fifths of an inch, as Say indicated), and agrees perfectly with Say's description so far as it goes. The males placed by Cresson in lepidus and mentioned by Bradley (1944) have strong hair-tufts on the abdomen (not mentioned by Say) and on the whole agree less well with the description. If one were to use the name lepidus in the subgenus Anoplius or discard it as a nomen oblitum, the name coxalis would have to be used for this form. However, coxalis was described from highly silvery-sericeous specimens from the extremity of the range, and future studies may indicate that this form should be regarded as a third subspecies. I might add that specimens in the MCZ determined by Banks as lepidus (although not published as such) agree with the present interpretation of this form.
The curvature of the tibial spurs is a less than ideal character for separating the females of amethystinus and lepidus. Actually only lepidus lepidus is broadly sympatric with amethystinus, and two additional characters are useful for its identification: the front of /. lepidus tends to be narrower (MID averaging .53 X TFD as compared to .54 in amethystinus), and the pubescence is a little finer and less intensely bluish, also always silvery or at least pale cinereous on the sides of the lower front (and sometimes elsewhere). By using the three characters in combination, one can usually separate the females, although the matter is still more difficult than separation of the males. Female. — Length 11-21 mm. Black; pubescence rather strongly reflecting various shades of blue, blue-green, or violet over much of the body, including the femora, pubescence on the mesosternum and under side of the coxae brownish, that of the base of the mandibles, temples, and sides of the lower front light brownish or cinerous to silvery, some specimens also with silvery pubescence on the coxae, including the hind coxae above, and the posterior margin of the propodeum; wings fuliginous, with strong bluish reflections. Front and vertex with moderately dense, dark setae; temples and propleura densely setose; front coxae with some strong setae, but other coxae sparsely if at all setose; pronotum and propodeum with some short, fine hair, the thoracic dorsum and pleura scarcely hairy; abdomen setose ventrally and densely bristly apically. Clypeus with a strong median emargination. Front very narrow, scarcely wider than the two eyes taken together, MID varying from .51 to .55 X TFD (mean .53); inner orbits subparallel below or slightly diverging to the middle, then strongly convergent above; POL subequal to or slightly exceeding OOL. Third antennal segment equal to from 1.15 to 1.50 X UID. Front basitarsus with four comb-spines, the spines slightly longer than the width of the tarsus at their base (except the basal one often shorter than the others). Middle and hind tibial spurs tending to be more strongly curved apically than in amethystinus, shorter spur of hind tibia always evidently curved near the tip, usually quite strongly so. Third submarginal cell narrowed by .4-.8 above.
Male. — Length 9-14 mm. Coloration of body and wings as described for the female, the lower front and temples always with silvery pubescence. Erect setae about as in female, except coxae and thoracic dorsum tending to be slightly more setose, the propodeum also with somewhat longer and more abundant setae; abdomen sternites and the apical tergite each with some strong setae. Clypeus about twice as broad as high. MID .55-. 60 X TFD; inner orbits strongly convergent on their upper third, UID distinctly less than LID; POL subequal to or slightly greater than OOL. Third antennal segment slightly longer than fourth. Spurs of middle and hind tibiae curved at their tips. SGP somewhat elevated medially, especially toward the base, but without a strongly defined, polished median carina as in amethystinus; basal half with a pair of lateral carinae of variable development; apical half with some strong setae, but the punctures from which they arise generally less strong than in amethystinus; apical emargination strong, angular, the lateral prongs rather sharp, depth of the emargination usually .6 or more X as great as the distance between the apical prongs (fig. 76) (but see below, under "variation"). Genitalia not differing noticeably from those of amethystinus.
Distribution. — British Guiana to Ecuador, north through Central America to Sinaloa and San Luis Potosi. I have seen no specimens from Tamaulipas, but I would expect specimens from that state to show evidence of intergradation with atramentarius (see also under
that subspecies). (Map 45.)
Mexican and Central American specimens examined. — 170 9 2 , 151 8 8. Panama: 1 9, Boquete, Chiriqui [USNM]; 1 2,1 8, Alhajuela, Mch. (A. Busck) [USNM]; 2 9 9, Pacora, Apr., May [USNM]; 2 9 9,1 8, Cabima, May 1911 (A. Busck) [USNM]; 8 9 9,1055, Barro Colorado Isl., Mch.-Nov. [MCZ, USNM, KSU, KU]; 1 9, Frijoles, 10 July 1924 (NB) [MCZ]; 1 8 , Rio Trinidad (A. Busck) [USNM]; 1 9,1 8 , nr. Rio Trinidad, Gatun Lake, 25 Mch. 1920 (J. C. Bradley) [CU]. Costa Rica: 1 9,1 8 , San Carlos [USNM]; 12 9 9 , 12 8 8 , Pacuare, May-July 1949 (KWC) [USNM, MCZ]; 10 9 9, 13 8 8, Turrialba, July 1949 (KWC) [USNM, MCZ]; 6 9 9, Monteverde, Feb. 1963 (CWR) [KSU]; 3
8 8 , Los Diamantes, 1948 (KWC) [USNM]; 1 $ , Palmar (D. O. Allen) [USNM]; 1 9,3 8 8 , 12 mi. SW Canas, Guanacaste Prov., 27 Feb. 1964 (HEE) [MCZ]. El Salvador: 14 9 9,4 8 2 , 2.5 mi. W Quezaltepeque, July 1961 (M. Irwin) [UCD]. Honduras: 1 9,2 88, Tela, May (T. H. Hubbell) [U. Mich.]; 1 8 , Rio Paulaya, El Dorado, Apr. 1923 [U. Mich.]; 3 9 9, Corocito, 3 Apr. 1924 (JB) [MCZ]; 1 9 , Roatan, Bay Is., 20 April 1935 (M. Bates) [MCZ]; 1 8, Aguan R. Valley, Apr. 1923 (T. H. Hubbell) [U. Mich.]; 1 9, Subirana, Yoro (Stadelmann) [MCZ]; 2 8 8, Sangrelaya, 13 Apr. 1924 (JB) [MCZ]. British Honduras: 1 9,288, Augustine Mt. Pine Ridge, 3-7 July 1963 (CCP) [MCZ]; 2 8 8, Hummingbird Gap, Stann Cr. Dist., 8-11 July 1963 (CCP) [MCZ]. Guatemala: 1 9 , Tikal, Peten, 15 May 1956 (T. H. Hubbell) [U. Mich.]; 1 9,1 8 , El Salto, Escuintla, June (FXW) [MCZ]. Mexico: Chiapas: 1 9 , 7.5 km. above Soyalo, 18 Apr. 1959 (T. C. Emmel) [Los Angelos Co. Mus]; 1 9,7 88, Simojovel & vie, Mch. (EIS, RCB) [CIS]; 1 9, Ocozocoautla, 26 July 1952 (EG & CM) [CIS]; 1 8, Pueblo Nuevo, 20 Mch. 1953 (EIS) [CIS]; 1 9 , 4 mi. NW Cocosingo, 8 Mch. 1953 (EIS) [CIS]; 1 9,1 8, Ixtapa, 11 Apr. 1962 (FDP) [UCD]; 5 8 8 , 28 mi. W Cintalapa, 9 Apr. 1962 (FDP) [UCD]. Oaxaca: 3 9 9,4 8 8 , 7 mi. NE Juchitan, 18 July 1952 (EG & CM) [CIS, MCZ]; 1 8 , 28 mi. N Matias Romero, 250 feet, 25 June 1961 [KU]; 1 9,4 88, Palomares, 5 Sept. 1961 (RRD) [MSU]; 1 9 , El Camaron, 21 July 1956 (JWM) [CIS]; 2
9 9 , 22 mi. W Rio Coatzacoalcos, 14 Dec. 1955 (E. Bay) [CU]; 1 2,2 8 8 , Tehuantepec, 18 July 1952 (EG & CM) [CIS]. Yucatan: 1 9, 16 mi. N Merida, 17 July 1962 (HEE) [MCZ]. Campeche: 1 9,1 8, Candelaria, Dec. 1944 (M. Guerra) [AMNH]; 1 8, Escaranga, Dec. 1944 (M. Guerra) [AMNH]. Veracruz:
1 9, Cordoba (F. Knals) [USNM]; 1 8 , 6 mi. N Jesus Carranza, 25 June 1961, 250 feet [KU]; 2 92,1 8 , Orizaba [MCZ, RRD];
4 9 9, 5 mi. E Acultzingo, 5000 feet, 15 June 1959 (HEE) [CU, MCZ]; 3 9 9,9 8 8 , Fortin de las Flores, June, Sept. (FXW, HEE) [CAS, MCZ]; 1 8 , 3 mi. S Santa Rosa, 17 Aug. 1959 (LS & AM) [UCD]; 1 8 , 25 km. from Sureste, Aug. 1944 (M. Guerra) [AMNH]; 3 8 8 , 7 mi. SE Catemaco, 28 April 1953 (RCB & EIS) [CIS, MCZ]; 2 9 9,5 8 8 , Minatitlan, 26 Aug. 1961 (RRD) [MSU];
2 2 9, Rio Blanco, 13 Nov. 1957 (RRD) [MSU]; 2 9 9, Acayucan, 23 Oct. 1953 (RRD) [MSU]. San Luis Potosi: 1 9 , El Salto, 1800 feet, 8 June 1961 [KU]; 1 9,4 8 8, Xilitla, July 1954 [KU]; 1 9, Picolco, 21 May 1952 (MC) [AMNH]; 6 8 8 , 15 mi.
5 Pujal, 21 June 1953 [KU, MCZ]. Mexico: 1 9,2 8 8 , Valle de Bravo, 6500 feet, 3 Aug. 1962 (HEE) [MCZ]. Morelos: 55 9 9 , 24 8 8 , Cuernavaca & vie, Mch.-June, Aug., Nov. [MCZ, CU, ENAC, CAS, RRD, USNM]; 1 2,1 8, Yautepec & vie, Mch.April 1959 (HEE) [MCZ]; 1 9 , Tepoztlan, May 1956 (CY) [MCZ]; 1 9 , Cuautla, Sept. [MCZ]; 1 9 , Puente de Ixtla, 2000 feet, 31 July 1962 (HEE) [MCZ]; 1 8, Tetecala, 25 Mch. 1959 (HEE) [MCZ];
1 8 , Huajintlan, 2800 feet, 28 May 1959 (HEE) [MCZ]. Colima:
2 9 9,2 8 8, Colima (L. Conrad) [USNM]. Nayarit: 1 9 , 17 mi. NW Tepic, 23 Nov. 1948 (ESR) [CAS]; 3 9 2, Ahuacatlan, 18 July 1951 (PDH) [CIS]. Sinaloa: 1 9, Chupaderos, 600 feet, 21 Aug. 1962 (HEE) [MCZ].
South American specimens examined. — 4 9 9,9 8 8. Ecuador: 1 9 , Guayaquil, 1930 (F. Campos R.) [USNM]. Venezuela: 1 8 , Caripito, 14 Aug. 1937 (L Martorell) [USNM]; 1 9, Caipe (P. Anduze) [MCZ]. British Guiana: 2 9 9,8 8 8 , Kartabo, July-Aug. 1920 (W. M. Wheeler) [MCZ].
Variation. — Both sexes show a greater amount of silvery pubescence toward the south. The majority of specimens from Honduras to Panama, and all of those from South America, have silvery pubescence on the upper part of the hind coxae and in a transverse
band across the posterior edge of the propodeum (coxalis Banks). Panama males and those from Venezuela and British Guiana also have the emargination of the subgenital plate less deep and the lateral prongs less sharp, thus paralleling a trend in amethystinus, although the break is less distinct than between that form and its subspecies exclusus. Among these males from Panama eastward the depth of the emargination measures from .35 to .70 X the width between the apical prongs, this figure being very variable and showing much overlap with that for specimens from localities farther north and west.