Anoplius varius (Fabricius 1804)

Anoplius (Anopliodes) varius (Fabricius)
Pompilus varius Fabricius, 1804, Syst. Piezatorum, p. 189 [Type: $ , "America Meridionalis" (Copenhagen Mus)]. — Dalla Torre, 1897, Cat. Hymen., 8: 331. — Fox, 1897, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 49: 256 (Brazil).
Anoplius varius Banks, 1944, Zoologica, 29: 112 (Br. Guiana). — Banks, 1947, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 99: 420 (Surinam).
Psammochares caloderes Banks, 1945, Bol. Ent. Venez., 4: 102 [Type: 2, Colombia: Restrepo, Dept. Meta, 1936 (JB) (MCZ, no. 26, 229)]. — Banks, 1947, Bui. Mus. Comp. Zool., 99: 406. New synonym.
Psammochares alcatara Banks, 1945, Bol. Ent. Venez., 4: 103 [Type: 2, British Guiana: Kartabo, 27 March 1922 (MCZ, no. 26, 228)]. New synonym.
Psammochares alcataria Banks, 1947, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 99: 404 (misspelling; Br. Guiana, Surinam, Colombia).
I have not seen the type of varius, but Fabricius' description seems to fit this species quite well as far as it goes. I have little doubt that Banks' caloderes and alcatara represent the female of this species, the former being described from a specimen with unusually strong silvery banding. I am less certain as to how to separate the females from those of parsonsi, as the two species are very similar in this sex. The characters presented in the key are all relative, and if the males were not so distinct I would be inclined to consider them a single species.
Female. — Length 11-14 mm. Black, patterned with silvery pubescence as follows: clypeus, base of mandibles, lower front and temples, propleura, lower mesoand metapleura, all of coxae and sometimes much of remainder of legs, anterior part of pronotum, sides of metanotum, propodeum at least posteriorly and sometimes almost in its entirety, basal three sternites, basal bands on basal three tergites and much or all of apical two tergites. Wings strongly infuscated, hind wing and in some specimens the front wing tending to be more lightly infuscated on the posterior half. Clypeus with a shallow median emargination; front narrow, MID .48-.52 X TFD; UID .68-/75 X LID; antennal segment three 1.25-1.40 X UID; POL and OOL subequal. Pronotum broadly but distinctly angulate behind, about as in bolli. Propodeum sloping rather evenly, the declivity ill-defined and strongly oblique; surface covered with long, whitish hairs. Front basitarsus with three short comb-spines. SMC2 narrowed above by about two-thirds its width at the bottom; SMC3 wide above.
Male. — Length 9-12 mm. Black, except posterior margin of pronotum with a whitish or pale yellow stripe and basal segments of flagellum weakly to strongly suffused with orange below; wings hyaline, outer margins broadly infuscated, some specimens weakly infuscated along basal vein of fore wing. Pubescence in large part silvery, dark on the greater part of the mesonotum, disc of scutellum, anterior part of propodeum, apical parts of Tl-3, all of T4, and sternites beyond basal three (in some specimens there are sparse silvery setulae on T4). S2 and 3 sparsely setose; S4 with a dense brush of hairs, longer in front than behind; S5 and 6 somewhat hirsute. SGP somewhat elevated medially, its apex narrowly rounded. Genitalia with the parameres slender except weakly broadened and long-setose basally; digiti strongly spatulate, rounded apically, covered with curved setae which are slightly longer toward the sides than mesally (fig. 42).
Distribution. — Peru and Surinam to Costa Rica. (Map 43.) Specimens examined. — 6 9 5,4 $ $ . Surinam: 1 9, Paramaribo, 9 May 1928 [CU]; 1 S , Barbara Pin., Surinam R., 11 Apr. 1927 [CU]. British Guiana: 2 9 9, Kartabo, March, June [MCZ]. Peru: 1 i , Tingo Maria, Huanuco, 19 Sept. 1960 (J. M. Schunke) [BMNH]. Ecuador: 1 9, Napo, Pano R, 8 April 1923 (FXW)
[MCZ]; 1 9 , Tena, 20 April 1923 (FXW) [MCZ]. Colombia: 1 9 , Restrepo, Dept. Meta, 1936 (JB) [MCZ]. Panama: 1 $ , Barro Colorado Island, Canal Zone, May 1929 (P. J. Darlington) [MCZ]. Costa Rica: 1 $ , Los Diamantes, 22 June 1949 (KWC) [USNM].