A key to the genera of the Eumeninae occurring in Oceania is presented. Hitherto there has been no published key to these genera, making routine identification difficult. New combinations are Pararrhynchium atrum emifasciatum (Giordani Soika), Pararrhynchium simillimum (Giordani Soika), Parodynerus mariannensis (Bequaert and Yasumatsu), and Phimenes solomonis malaitensis (van der Vecht).
INTRODUCTION
The potter wasp fauna of Oceania has been very incompletely studied. These wasps have been included in historical lists of some prominent islands, e.g., Fiji (Turner, 1919; Williams, 1947; Fullaway, 1957) and Samoa (Perkins and Cheesman, 1928), and are listed in contemporary treatments of, e.g., the Cook Islands (Kuhlmann, 2006) and French Polynesia (Ramage, 2017). There have been descriptive papers that included several taxa from a subregion, e.g., Micronesia (Bequaert and Yasumatsu, 1939; Yasumatsu, 1945). Giordani Soika (1958) provided a systematic treatment of the fauna of southern Polynesia. Carpenter (2008) revised the fauna of Hawaii, which is by far the most species-rich part of Polynesia. The aim of the present paper is to extend that treatment to other parts of Oceania by providing a key to genera and taxonomic notes with new combinations.
For the purposes of the present paper Oceania is construed to comprise Melanesia (less New Guinea), Micronesia and Polynesia. Australasia is not included because Australia has been recently treated (Carpenter and Brown, 2021a, 2021b) and New Zealand has no native vespid fauna. New Guinea is excluded because the Indonesian part has been treated by Nugroho et al. (2012).
KEY TO GENERA OF PACIFIC EUMENINAE
1. Metasoma petiolate: segment I in dorsal view with width half or less that of II, and at least twice as long as wide, usually longer (figs. 1, 3-4) Tribe Eumenini, 2
– Metasoma not petiolate: segment I with width more than half that of II, much less than twice as long as wide (figs. 2, 14-16, 19) Tribe Odynerini, 4
2. Pronotum with pretegular carina absent (fig. 24); Tergum II with translucent apical lamella (fig. 3) Eumenes Latreille
– Pronotum with pretegular carina present (fig. 23); Tergum II without apical lamella (fig. 4) 3
3. Tergum I with section after spiracles shorter than section before spiracles Delta de Saussure
– TI with section after spiracles longer than section before spiracles Phimenes Giordani Soika
4. Forewing with second submarginal cell petiolate (fig. 5) Paralastor de Saussure
– Forewing with second submarginal cell not petiolate (figs. 6, 7) 5
5. Tegula campanulate: laterally semicircular in shape (fig. 8) 6
– Tegula not evenly curved laterally, with length exceeding width (fig. 10, 17, 18, 22) 8
6. Submarginal carina and propodeal vavlula fused, with notch between them and not projecting (fig. 9); female cephalic foveae absent; anterior face of pronotum usually with weak impressions Nesodynerus Perkins
– Submarginal carina and propodeal vavlula not fused, projecting, elongate (fig. 12); female with cephalic foveae (fig. 11); anterior face of pronotum with two close-set, deeply impressed pits (fig. 13) 7
7. Tergum I with two transverse carinae; Tergum II without acarinarium, ridged basally (fig. 14) Subancistrocerus de Saussure
– Tergum I with one rudimentary carina (figs. 15, 16); Tergum II smooth basally (fig. 15), forming acarinarium beneath apex of first tergum that is often full of mites (often concealed, tergum should be bent backward to expose acarinarium) Parancistrocerus Bequaert
8. Tergum I transversely carinate (figs. 15, 16) Pararrhynchium de Saussure
– TI not carinate (figs. 2, 14, 19) 9
9. Tegula shorter than parategula posteriorly (figs. 10, 17); axillary fossa in dorsal view much narrower than long, slitlike (fig. 17) 10
– Tegula usually exceeding parategula posteriorly (figs. 18, 22), or at least equaling it; axillary fossa in dorsal view not slitlike, at least as wide as long, oval (fig. 18) 12
10. Metasomal segment I subcylindrical, petiolate basally before expanding abruptly to a width slightly more than half that of segment II (fig. 19); color bright metallic Eudiscoelius Friese
– Metasomal segment I sessile, about as wide as II; color not bright metallic (figs. 2, 14–16) 11
11. Scutum posteriorly and scutellum impunctate; metanotum depressed medially; male midfemur basally emarginate (fig. 20) Rhynchium Spinola
– Scutum and scutellum punctate; metanotum not depressed; male midfemur not basally emarginate Anterhynchium de Saussure
12. Tegula long, with posterior lobe covering parategula and pointed medially (fig. 21) Knemodynerus Blüthgen
– Tegula shorter, with posterior lobe not covering parategula, never pointing medially (fig. 18) 13
13. Propodeum without superior carinae; second submarginal cell with second recurrent vein nearly or completely interstitial with third submarginal cell (fig. 7) Epsilon de Saussure
– Propodeum with superior carinae (fig. 22; sometimes faint); second submarginal cell with second recurrent vein far from third submarginal cell (figs. 5-6) 14
14. Pronotum with oblique humeral carina (fig. 23) Pachodynerus de Saussure
– Pronotum without humeral carina (fig. 24). 15
15. Tegula exceeding parategula (fig. 18); Tergum I about as wide as Tergum II (fig. 16); punctation strong Euodynerus Dalla Torre
– Tegula not exceeding parategula; Tergum I narrower than II (fig. 2); punctation reduced Parodynerus de Saussure
TAXONOMIC NOTES
Tribe Eumenini Leach
Genus Delta de Saussure
Delta de Saussure, 1855: 130, 132, 143, name for divisions II and III of genus Eumenes Latreille in de Saussure, 1852: 44, 60 (26 + 3 species).
Type species: Vespa maxillosa DeGeer, 1775 [= Vespa emarginata Linnaeus, 1758], by subsequent designation of Bequaert, 1925a: 137 [erroneously as Sphex maxillosus DeGeer, correctly in 1926: 487].
Erinys Zirngiebl, 1953: 173, subgenus of Eumenes Latreille (junior homonym of Erinys Rye, 1876).
Type species: Vespa unguiculata Villers, 1789, by monotypy.
Alfieria Giordani Soika, 1934: 436, genus.
Type species: Eumenes anomalus Zavattari, 1909, by original designation and monotypy.
This is an Old World genus, consisting of nearly 50 species, with most of them being African or Asian. All of the species in Hawaii are introduced, as is one in New Caledonia, but there are a half dozen indigenous species distributed from the Solomon Islands to Fiji: Delta campaniforme (Fabricius) and D. pyriforme philippinense (Bequaert) are adventive in Hawaii (Carpenter, 2008), D. esuriens esuriens (Fabricius) is adventive in New Caledonia (Gusenleitner and Madl, 2011), and D. esuriens okinawae Giordani Soika adventive in the Cook Islands (Kuhlmann, 2006) (and probably Palau). Delta latreillei petiolare (Schulz) is adventive in Hawaii as well (and Fiji; Evenhuis, 2007), but is presumably indigenous to the Admiralty Islands, Trobriand Islands, and Solomon Islands (it is also found in New Guinea); D. latreillei silaceum (van der Vecht) is endemic to the Solomon Islands, New Britain and New Ireland (van der Vecht, 1960). Delta insulare (Smith) is endemic to Fiji; D. pagdeni (van der Vecht) and D. versicolor van der Vecht are both endemic to the Solomon Islands (van der Vecht, 1981); and six subspecies of D. xanthura (de Saussure) are found in Vanuatu and New Caledonia (Giordani Soika, 1958).
Genus Eumenes Latreille
Eumenes Latreille, 1802: 360, genus.
Type species: “Eumenes coarctata Fab.” [= Vespa coarctata Linnaeus, 1758], by subsequent designation of Latreille, 1810: 438.
Alpha de Saussure, 1855: 128, 137, name for division I of genus Eumenes Latreille in de Saussure, 1852: 28 (junior homonym of Alpha de Saussure, 1854).
Type species: Vespa coarctata Linnaeus, 1758, by subsequent designation of Bequaert, 1926: 485.
Eumenis Kriechbaumer, 1879: 57 (unjustified emendation of Eumenes Latreille).
Eumenidion von Schulthess, 1913: 2, subgenus of Eumenes Latreille.
Type species: “Eumenes coarctatus L.” [= Vespa coarctata Linnaeus, 1758], by original designation.
The genus is cosmopolitan, with more than 100 described species. A single species, Eumenes mediterraneus Kriechbaumer, has been introduced into Tahiti. This is a Palearctic species, first reported by Cheesman (1928) as E. pomiformis. Gusenleitner (2011) identified the species from Tahiti.
Genus Phimenes Giordani Soika
Phimenes Giordani Soika, 1992: 41, 66, genus, replacement name for Phi de Saussure, 1855, non de Saussure, 1854.
Type species: Vespa arcuata Fabricius, 1775, by subsequent designation of Bequaert, 1926: 487, as type species of Phi de Saussure, 1855.
Phi de Saussure, 1855: 132, name for division IV of genus Eumenes Latreille in de Saussure, 1852: 63, 145 (junior homonym of Phi de Saussure, 1854).
Type species: Vespa arcuata Fabricius, 1775, by subsequent designation of Bequaert, 1926: 487.
This is a primarily Asian genus consisting of 15 species, with one species, Phimenes solomonis (van der Vecht), in the Solomon Islands (van der Vecht, 1959), with two subspecies, one of which is a new combination in Phimenes: P. solomonis malaitensis (van der Vecht), NEW COMBINATION, and P. solomonis solomonis (van der Vecht). Phimenes curvatus (de Saussure) was introduced into Hawaii, and I earlier (Carpenter, 2008) suggested that it may no longer occur there, but later I collected it on Kauai.
Tribe Odynerini Lepeletier
Genus Anterhynchium de Saussure
Anterhynchium de Saussure, 1863: 205, name for division I of genus Rhynchium Spinola in de Saussure, 1852: 103, and 1855: 175.
Type species: Rygchium synagroides de Saussure, 1852, by subsequent designation of van der Vecht, 1963: 73.
This is an Old World genus consisting of nearly 50 species. There are four species in the subgenus Epiodynerus distributed from Indonesia, Australia, and the Solomon Islands (Anterhynchium nigrocinctum (de Saussure); Anterhynchium woodfordi (Meade-Waldo) is endemic to the Solomon Islands) to Vanuatu (A. alecto lalepi (Giordani Soika) and A. alecto parallelum (Giordani Soika)) and New Caledonia (A. alecto alecto (Lepeletier) and A. chozali (Cheesman)), and further to Fiji and French Polynesia (A. rufipes (Fabricius)) (see Giordani Soika, 1958; van der Vecht, 1963; Gusenleitner, 2011; Gusenleitner and Madl, 2011; Carpenter and Brown, 2021a).
Genus Epsilon de Saussure
Epsilon de Saussure, 1855: 229, 252, name for division III of subgenus Leionotus de Saussure of genus Odynerus Latreille in de Saussure, 1852: 169; declared available from date of publication by Opinion 893 (ICZN, 1970).
Type species: Odynerus dyscherus de Saussure, 1852, by subsequent designation of van der Vecht, 1967: 31; confirmed by Opinion 893 (ICZN, 1970).
This is an Oriental and Australian genus consisting of nearly 20 species. There is one species in the Solomon Islands (Giordani Soika, 1994), Epsilon achterbergi Giordani Soika.
Genus Eudiscoelius Friese
Eudiscoelius Friese, 1904: 16, genus.
Type species: Eudiscoelius metallicus Friese, 1904, by monotypy.
Euchalcomenes Turner, 1908: 90, genus.
Type species: Euchalcomenes gilberti Turner, 1908, by original designation.
This is an Oriental and Australian genus consisting of 12 species. There are four species in the Bismarck and Solomon Islands (Giordani Soika, 1994): Eudiscoelius bismarcki Giordani Soika is from New Britain and the Solomon Islands; E. ferrugineipes Giordani Soika, E. lucens Giordani Soika and E. solomon Giordani Soika are all endemic to the Solomon Islands.
Genus Euodynerus Dalla Torre
Euodynerus Dalla Torre, 1904: 38, name for section II of division III of subgenus Leionotus of genus Odynerus Latreille in de Saussure, 1853: 177; declared available from date of publication by Opinion 893 (ICZN, 1970).
Type species: Vespa dantici Rossi, 1790, by subsequent designation of Blüthgen, 1938: 277; confirmed by Opinion 893 (ICZN, 1970).
This is a cosmopolitan genus, of more than 100 species, with four species of the nominate subgenus endemic to Hawaii (Carpenter, 2008): Euodynerus epipseustes (Perkins), E. localis (Smith), E. nigripennis (Holmgren) and E. radula (Fabricius).
Genus Knemodynerus Blüthgen
Knemodynerus Blüthgen, 1940: 43, subgenus of “Euodynerus Blüthgen” [= Euodynerus Dalla Torre].
Type species: Odynerus excellens Pérez, 1907, by original designation.
This is an Old World genus consisting of more than 40 species. There are three species in Oceania: Knemodynerus circumspectus derufatus Giordani Soika was described from the Solomon Islands (Giordani Soika, 1994), and K. paganensis (Yasumatsu) and K. saipanensis (Yasumatsu) were described from the Marianas (Yasumatsu, 1945).
Genus Nesodynerus Perkins
Nesodynerus Perkins, 1901: 267, genus, in key.
Type species: Odynerus rudolphi Dalla Torre, 1889 (a replacement name for Odynerus cardinalis Blackburn, 1886, non Morawitz, 1885), by subsequent designation of Carpenter, 1986: 76.
Pseudopterocheilus Perkins, 1901: 266, genus. Type species: Odynerus pterocheiloides Perkins, 1899, by original designation.
Chelodynerus Perkins, 1902: 136, genus. Type species: Odynerus chelifer Perkins, 1899, by monotypy.
This genus is endemic to Hawaii (Carpenter, 2008). With more than 100 described species, it is much the largest eumenine genus in Oceania.
Genus Pachodynerus de Saussure
Pachodynerus de Saussure, 1870: 56, division of subgenus Odynerus of genus Odynerus Latreille; declared available from date of publication by Opinion 893 (ICZN, 1970).
Type species: Odynerus californicus de Saussure, 1870, by subsequent designation of Bohart, 1951: 892; confirmed by Opinion 893 (ICZN, 1970).
Monobiella Ashmead, 1900: 312, genus. Type species: Vespa atrata, 1798, by monotypy.
This is an American genus consisting of nearly 50 species; the so-called keyhole wasp, Pachodynerus nasidens (Latreille), has been introduced on islands all over the Pacific (e.g., Krombein, 1949; Yamane et al., 1996; Gusenleitner, 2011), thanks to its indiscriminate choice of preexisting cavities as nesting sites. At Brisbane airport these nesting habits now present an aviation hazard (House et al., 2020a, 2020b)!
Genus Paralastor de Saussure
Paralastor de Saussure, 1856: 328, division of subgenus Alastor of genus Alastor Lepeletier; declared available from date of publication by Opinion 893 (ICZN, 1970).
Type species: Alastor tuberculatus de Saussure, 1853, by subsequent designation of van der Vecht, 1967: 31; confirmed by Opinion 893 (ICZN, 1970).
Alastoroides de Saussure, 1856: 327, subgenus of Alastor Lepeletier.
Type species: Alastor clotho Lepeletier, 1841, by subsequent designation of Ashmead, 1902: 210.
Paralastoroides de Saussure, 1856: 328, division of subgenus Alastoroides de Saussure of genus Alastor Lepeletier; declared available from date of publication by Opinion 893 (ICZN, 1970).
Type species: Alastor clotho Lepeletier, 1841, by monotypy.
This is a primarily Australian genus, consisting of well over 100 species (Carpenter and Brown, 2021a), with a single species described from Fiji, Paralastor graeffei (de Saussure) (see Perkins, 1914).
Genus Parancistrocerus Bequaert
Parancistrocerus Bequaert, 1925b: 64, subgenus of Ancistrocerus Wesmael.
Type species: Odynerus fulvipes de Saussure, 1855 [= O. “flavipes Fabricius” sensu de Saussure, 1852, non Vespa flavipes Fabricius, 1775], by original designation.
This genus consists of more than 100 species from the Americas and the Oriental Region. There are more than 50 species recorded from the Oriental Region (Kumar et al., 2016; Li and Carpenter, 2019), but the only Pacific species is the American species Parancistrocerus fulvipes (de Saussure), which has been introduced into Midway (Nishida and Beardsley, 2002).
Genus Pararrhynchium de Saussure
Pararrhynchium de Saussure, 1855: 173, division of genus Rhynchium Spinola.
Type species: Rhynchium ornatum Smith, 1852, by monotypy.
Prorhynchium de Saussure, 1855: 174, division of genus Rhynchium Spinola. Rejected by van der Vecht, 1963: 94, acting as first reviser.
Type species: Rhynchium smithii de Saussure, 1855, by monotypy.
Lissodynerus Giordani Soika, 1973: 119, used as generic name for Odynerus septemfasciatus var. feanus Giordani Soika, 1941. Unavailable under Article 13.1.1 of the Code.
Trichodynerus Giordani Soika and Kojima, 1988: 178, used as a generic name in the combination Trichodynerus agilis cursor Giordani Soika and Kojima, 1988. Unavailable under Article 13.1.1 of the Code.
Lissodynerus Giordani Soika, 1993: 135, genus; reference to Lissodynerus Giordani Soika, 1973, and Trichodynerus Giordani Soika and Kojima, 1988.
Type species: Odynerus septemfasciatus Smith, 1857, by original designation.
Note: Redescribed as a “new” genus by Giordani Soika, 1994: 301.
This is a primarily Oriental genus, consisting of more than 30 species. Three species have been described, in the genus Lissodynerus, from the Solomon Islands (Giordani Soika, 1994): Pararrhynchium atrum atrum (Giordani Soika), P. atrum emifasciatum (Giordani Soika) NEW COMBINATION, P. simillimum (Giordani Soika) NEW COMBINATION and P. solomon (Giordani Soika).
Genus Parodynerus de Saussure
Parodynerus de Saussure, 1855: 245, name for division I of subgenus Odynerus of genus Odynerus Latreille, in de Saussure, 1852: 155; declared available from date of publication by Opinion 893 (ICZN, 1970).
Type species: “Odynerus bicinctus (F.)” [= Vespa bicincta Fabricius, 1781], by subsequent designation of Giordani Soika, 1958: 214, who in the same paper listed the originally included Odynerus bizonatus Boisduval, 1833, as a synonym of Odynerus bicinctus (F.); confirmed by Opinion 893 (ICZN, 1970).
This genus is endemic to Oceania, with a total of five species: four in Fiji (P. bicinctus (Fabricius), P. mediocinctus mediocinctus (Turner), P. mediocinctus taveunensis Giordani Soika, and P. nigropetiolatus nigropetiolatus Giordani Soika); two in Samoa (P. bicinctus (Fabricius) and P. quodi quodi (Vachal)); two in Tonga (P. bicinctus (Fabricius) and P. quodi quodi (Vachal)); one in Tuvalu (P. bicinctus (Fabricius)); five in Vanuatu (P. cheesmani Giordani Soika, P. nigropetiolatus nigerrimus Giordani Soika, P. quodi hebridensis Giordani Soika, P. quodi iasafui Giordani Soika, and P. quodi malekulensis Giordani Soika); two in New Caledonia (P.quodi lifuensis Giordani Soika and P. quodi quodi (Vachal)); one in the Cook Islands (P. bicinctus (Fabricius)); and two in French Polynesia (P. bicinctus (Fabricius) and P. quodi quodi (Vachal)) (see Giordani Soika, 1958, 1971). A sixth species is a new combination in the genus, from the Marianas, Parodynerus mariannensis (Bequaert and Yasumatsu), NEW COMBINATION (Bequaert and Yasumatsu, 1939).
Genus Rhynchium Spinola
Rhynchium Spinola, 1806, Ins. Ligur. 1: 84, genus, emendation of Rygchium validated by Opinion 747 (ICZN, 1965) (no. 1688 of Official List of Generic Names in Zoology).
Type species: Rygchium europaeum Spinola, 1806 [= Vespa oculata Fabricius, 1781], by monotypy (no. 2095 of Official List of Specific Names in Zoology).
Rygchium Spinola, 1806: 84, genus. Incorrect original spelling of Rhynchium Spinola, placed on Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Generic Names in Zoology (as no. 1768) by Opinion 747 (ICZN, 1965).
Rhynchium Billberg, 1820: 109. Emendation of Rychium [!] Spinola; validated and placed on Official List of Generic Names in Zoology (as no. 1688) by Opinion 747 (ICZN, 1965).
Rychium [!] Billberg, 1820: 109. Placed on Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Generic Names in Zoology (as no. 1769) by Opinion 747 (ICZN, 1965).
Rynchium Sturm, 1829: 12. Unjustified emendation of Rhynchium Spinola, placed on Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Generic Names in Zoology (as no. 1770) by Opinion 747 (ICZN, 1965).
Rhygchium [!] de Saussure, 1853: xxxi, 276. Placed on Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Generic Names in Zoology (as no. 1771) by Opinion 747 (ICZN, 1965).
Eurrhynchium Dalla Torre, 1904: 33, name for division II of Rhynchium Spinola in de Saussure, 1852: 105.
Type species: Vespa oculata Fabricius, 1781, by subsequent designation of van der Vecht and Carpenter, 1990: 23.
This Old World genus, consisting of more than 20 species, has one widespread species distributed from the Seychelles to the Marianas and possibly Palau (Rhynchium brunneum brunneum (Fabricius)), with two other species in the Solomon Islands (R. salomonis Meade-Waldo and R. vittatum du Buysson), and one in New Caledonia and French Polynesia (R. quinquecinctum tahitense de Saussure) (see Bequaert and Yasumatsu, 1939; van der Vecht, 1960; Madl et al., 1996; Gusenleitner, 2011).
Genus Subancistrocerus de Saussure
Subancistrocerus de Saussure, 1855: 206, name for division I of subgenus Ancistrocerus Wesmael of genus Odynerus Latreille in de Saussure, 1852: 126, declared available from date of publication by Opinion 893 (ICZN, 1970).
Type species: Odynerus sichelii de Saussure, 1855, by subsequent designation of Bequaert, 1925b: 61; confirmed by Opinion 893 (ICZN, 1970).
Epancistrocerus de Saussure, 1856: 352, in Errata, substitute name for Subancistrocerus de Saussure.
Type species: Odynerus sichelii de Saussure, 1855, by subsequent designation of Bequaert, 1925b: 61.
This Old World genus, consisting of more than 30 species, has two species on Palau (Subancistrocerus esakii (Bequaert and Yasumatsu) and S. palauensis (Bequaert and Yasumatsu)), one in the Solomon Islands (S. solomonis gizensis Giordani Soika and S. solomonis solomonis Giordani Soika), and one on Yap (S. yapensis (Yasumatsu)) (see Giordani Soika, 1994).
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I thank Valerie Giles, Molly Rightmyer, and Ann Sanderson for assistance with illustrations and Lien Nguyen for reviewing the manuscript.