Anoplius cylindricus (Cresson 1867)

Anoplius (Pompilinus) cylindricus (Cresson)
Pompilus cylindricus Cresson, 1867, Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc, 1: 92 [Lectotype:
S, Texas (ANSP, no. 553)]. Arachnophila brevihirta Banks, 1945, Psyche, 52: 105 [Type: 2, Illinois:
Chicago, July (C. T. Brues) (MCZ, no. 26, 739)]. Synonymy by
Evans, 1951.
Pompilinus truncatus Dreisbach, 1949, Ent. Amer., (n.s.)29: 15-16 [Type: $,
Michigan: Gratiot Co., 2 Aug. 1947 (RRD) (MCZ, no. 29, 330)].
Synonymy by Evans, 1951. Pompilinus subtruncatus Dreisbach, 1949, ibid., p. 17-18 [Type: $ , Nebraska:
Lincoln, 14 June 1909 (C. H. Gable) (Univ. Nebraska; not seen by
present writer)]. Synonymy by Evans, 1951. Pompilinus hispidus Dreisbach, 1949, ibid., pp. 23-24 [Type: S, Michigan:
Tuscola Co., 20 Aug. 1940 (RRD) (MCZ, no. 29, 323)]. Synonymy
by Evans, 1951. Anoplius {Pompilinus) cylindricus Evans, 1951, Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc, 76:
294-297. — Evans, 1956, Ann. Ent. Soc. Amer., 49: 174 (Mexico). Pompilinus clavipes Dreisbach, 1958, Ent. News, 69: 61-62 [Type: $, Texas:
Conlon, "8-7" 1952 (RRD) (MCZ, no. 30, 027)]. New synonym.
I have placed four of Dreisbach's names in the synonymy of cylindricus well aware that each is somewhat distinctive with respect to the terminalia of the type and several associated specimens. Cylindricus is a puzzling species and may well consist of two or more sibling species some or all of which tend to form local races in certain parts of the range. However, studies of a more sophisticated nature than have yet been conducted on this complex will be needed to resolve the difficulties. At present, it seems to me equally likely that a single variable species is involved. Study of the limited Mexican specimens available does nothing to clarify the matter; in fact, one is sorely tempted to add two more names for consideration, as Mexican specimens appear to fall into three lots, two of which are somewhat different from any described so far (see below, under "variation"). The following description is a generalized one, designed to cover the species in its broadest sense.
Female. — Length 4.5-12 mm. Black, abdomen orange-brown at least on the basal two tergites, sometimes over as much as five tergites and the basal three sternites; pubescence wholly dark or with some silvery pubescence on the lower front, clypeus, and base of mandibles. Body generally with more erect hair than is usual in this subgenus, the thoracic dorsum with scattered hairs, the femora sometimes short-haired, the propodeum varying from conspicuously hairy to (rarely) completely without erect hairs. Clypeus 2.5-2.7 X as wide as high, truncate below. Front broad, MID .56-. 65 X TFD (usually over .60); LTD .80-.90 X LID; ocelli in a rather broad triangle, POL usually distinctly greater than OOL. Antennae rather short, third segment shorter than one and two together, equal to from .50 to .84 X UID (usually between .60 and .70). Pronotum angulate or subangulate behind. Propodeum shorter and higher than in splendens and with the declivity more strongly defined. Front basitarsus with three or (less commonly) four comb-spines, the spines distinctly longer than the width of the tarsal segments.
Male. — Length 3.5-12 mm. Black, the basal abdominal segments sometimes marked with orange; pubescence silvery at least on parts of the head, often over much of the body; propodeum often with some weak hairs on the sides. Clypeus 2.0-2.2 X as wide as high. MID .58-.64 X TFD; UID subequal to or slightly exceeding LID; POL usually slightly exceeding OOL. Third antennal segment 2.2-2.8 X as long as thick, often slightly shorter than fourth segment. Propodeum rather convex in profile, steeply declivous behind. Venter smooth, but SGP with the pubescence somewhat erect, with a variable number of short, erect or suberect setae medially and apically; median line of plate weakly to fairly strongly elevated, the apex obtusely or acutely angulate. Genitalia with the parameres with a rather strong sub-basal squama, apically much expanded, the apex acute; digiti clothed with short setae and with longer setae apically, the apex rather abruptly truncate; parapenial lobes slender and curved, aedoeagus simple, slightly expanded at the apex (see the various figures of Dreisbach and Evans, in the references cited above, for general features and variation).
Distribution. — North America except Arctic regions and along the Pacific coast; Ontario, Northwest Territories, and central Oregon to Arizona, Nayarit, Veracruz, and Florida. (Map 59.)
Mexican specimens examined. — 6 9 2 , 7 S S . Chihuahua: 1 <S , 8 mi. S Gallego, 5000 feet, 27 July 1953 [KU]; 1 8 , Santa Clara, 2 July 1947 (WG) [AMNH]. Nayarit: 2 S s , 15 km. N Chapalilla, 19 July 1951 (HEE, PDH) [MCZ, CIS]. Jalisco: 1 $ , El Tigre, 18 July 1954 (EIS) [CIS]; 1 $, Guadalajara, 5000 feet, 13 July 1959 (HEE) [MCZ]. Morelos: 1 S , Cuernavaca, 5500 feet, 19 April 1959 (HEE) [MCZ]. Veracruz: 5 5 2, Veracruz, June, Aug., Sept., Nov. (HEE, RRD, RHP) [MCZ, MSU]; 1 2 , Tecolutla, 4 Aug. 1962 (RHP) [MCZ].
Variation. — All seven males are entirely black, while the females have an unusually large amount of orange on the abdomen (three or four tergites and three sternites). The Chihuahua males are very similar to numerous Texas males before me and to the type specimen of cylindricus. The males from Nayarit, Jalisco, and Morelos are all rather small (5-7 mm.) and have terminalia very similar to one another and not exactly like those of any other males of this complex which I have studied. The subgenital plate is rather broad and tapers to an obtuse angle apically; the pubescence is suberect, especially along the slightly elevated midline, and on the sides toward the base
# Anoplius (Pompilmus) cylindricus (Cresson)
(also widely distr. in U.S. A Anoplius (Cameronoplius) decorus (Cameron) I Anoplius (Anoplius) ithoca (Banks) (also widely dislr. in U.S.)
there is a prominent series of strong setae (not visible without dissection). The genitalia differ from the more typical form (Evans, 1951, fig. 9 1 ) in having only a few very weak setae on the inner margin of the parameres and in having the setae along the apical margin of the digiti unusually strong and curved.
The females from the state of Veracruz are distinctive because of the large amount of orange coloration in the abdomen, but some have only three tergites orange, as in many Texas and Florida specimens. They are more distinctive in lacking more than a small amount of erect hair on the propodeum; in fact in four of them there is scarcely any at all. Also, the front is unusually narrow (MID .5 6-. 5 9 X TFD), the UID also narrow in relation to the third antennal segment (which measures .66-. 84 X UID). The fact that no males are available from Veracruz and no females available from Morelos, Jalisco, and Nayarit makes it difficult if not impossible to handle these specimens other than to assign them to cylindricus in the broad sense. It would contribute nothing to our understanding of the complex to describe these specimens as one or two new species or subspecies at this time.