Pseudalastor

Pseudalastor concolor, copyright Reiner Richter.

Belongs within: Eumeninae.

Pseudalastor is a genus of relatively robust potter wasps in which the female bears a large, raised oval plate on the vertex of the head.

Characters (from Giordani Soika 1962): Mesosoma squat, sub-cylindrical. Postscutellum rounded posteriorly, forming part of the posterior face of the mesosoma. Propodeum very depressed on sides, lateral margins subrectilinear and almost parallel; lateral carina strongly developed, meeting with lower carina to form an almost right angle. First tergite subtruncate at base, much narrower than the following tergite. Vertex of female with a large transverse oval plate, much larger than ocellar area, with sharp contours, sharply raised above the remaining surface of the vertex, provided in center with a round dimple bearing short and dense hair. Aedeagus with very long basal lobes, ribbon-like, depressed, arched towards apex of aedeagus.

<==Pseudalastor Giordani Soika 1962 C85
    |--*P. concolor (Saussure 1853) [=Odynerus (Leionotus) concolor] C85
    |    |--P. c. concolor C85
    |    `--P. c. rapax Giordani Soika 1977 C85
    |--P. anguloides Giordani Soika 1962 C85
    |--P. cavifemur Giordani Soika 1962 C85
    |--P. metathoracicus (Saussure 1855) (see below for synonymy) C85
    |--P. superbus Giordani Soika 1977 C85
    `--P. tridentatus (Schulthess-Rechberg 1935) [=Alastor (Paralastor) tridentatus] C85
         |--P. t. tridentatus C85
         |--P. t. paganus Giordani Soika 1977 C85
         |--P. t. septentrionalis Giordani Soika 1977 C85
         `--P. t. transgrediens Giordani Soika 1977 C85

Pseudalastor metathoracicus (Saussure 1855) [=Odynerus metathoracicus; incl. O. (Ancistroceroides) sanguinolentus Saussure 1856] C85

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[C85] Cardale, J. C. 1985. Vespoidea and Sphecoidea. In: Walton, D. W. (ed.) Zoological Catalogue of Australia vol. 2. Hymenoptera: Formicoidea, Vespoidea and Sphecoidea pp. 150–303. Australian Government Publishing Service: Canberra.

Giordani Soika, A. 1962. Gli Odynerus sensu antiquo del continente Australiano e della Tasmania. Boll. Mus. Civ. Venezia 14: 57–202.