Ammoplannelus

Boucïek, Zdenek, 2001, Palaearctic species of Ammoplanus (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae), Journal of Natural History 35, pp. 849-929 : 856

Subgenus Ammoplannelus

The marginal cell either relatively long or short, anteriorly either open (fi gure 59) as the enclosing vein RS is straight and clearly ends before reaching anterior margin of wing, or anteriorly more or less closed as at least the inner margin of the enclosing vein is detectable (fi gure 64) (according to Marshakov (1978: 371 -373) the lack of part of the enclosing vein may be variable within one species, which I cannot con fi rm). The vein RS-a (RS) is usually indicated or traceable and distinctly removed from the anterior margin of wing (fi gures 68, 70, 71). The female usually has the last tergite convex and fi nely pubescent, the pygidial area is delimited only in shestakovi , and vaguely so in some specimens of nanus . The sternites of the male are not distinctly modi fi ed, although slight differences may be discovered in the pilosity or puncturation. The clypeus always lacks a median tooth (but one African species has in its place a tubercle or small transverse projection). Its anterior margin is not cut out for the labrum, although short and blunt submedian teeth are often present. The upper face is without an orbital fovea. The oral fossa is broadly V-shaped as hypostomal carinae diverge in a more or less obtuse angle anteriorly reaching the base of the mandibles, and with the hypostome more or less sloping.

The pterostigma is bicolorous in Palaearctic species, except in some specimens of shestakovi which have generally very pale venation (fi gure 68) and in two Madagascan species. One Madagascan species has the mandibles pointed, without the upper apical tooth, another Afro-Mediterranean species has a short lobe at the base of lower edge of the mandible (fi gure 58) and yet another has a blunt tubercle outside the oral fossa on the underside of the head.

Whilst in the Palaerarctic region only a few species belong to Ammoplanellus , in the Afrotropical region, except the South African mandibularis Cameron , all belong to this subgenus. However, fi ve Madagasca n species exhibit a horizontal (subscrobal) crenulate groove on the mesepimeron. The importance of this character is still uncertain, but could be used to help delimit another subgenus.