120 Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature ANOPLIUS DUFOUR, 1834 (INSECTA, HYMENOPTERA): PROPOSED DESIGNATION OF A TYPE-SPECIES WITH PROPOSED DESIGNATION OF NEOTYPES UNDER THE PLENARY POWERS FOR SPHEX NIGRA FABRICIUS, 1775 AND SPHEX NIGERRIMUS SCOPOLI, 1763. Z.N.(S.) 1845 By J. van der Vecht (Division of Systematic Zoology of the Leiden University, c/o Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historic, Leiden, The Netherlands) and A. S. Menke {Systematic Entomology Laboratory, U.S.D.A., c/o U.S. National Museum, Washington D.C., U.S.A.) The generic name Anoplius Dufour has been unanimously considered to be a taxon of the spider wasp family Pompilidae since it was described by Dufour. Recently J. van der Vecht (1961, p. 19) examined the type material of the type-species, Sphex niger Fabricius, 1775 (originally described as Sphex nigra), and discovered that it is a species of the family Sphecidae (genus Liris Fabricius, 1804). J. de Beaumont (1961, p. 239) examined the Fabrician specimen declared by van der Vecht to be the type, and while agreeing that it was a Liris, concluded that it did not agree with the original description and was in fact not a European species. Fabricius (1775) gave " in Europa '" as the origin of his material. Irrespective of whether or not the specimen in question is the true type of Sphex niger Fabricius, there is no doubt that Fabricius based his description of niger on a sphecid wasp as van der Vecht (1961) has demonstrated. Therefore Anoplius would become a junior synonym of the sphecid genus Liris unless the Commission invokes its plenary powers as suggested at the end of this petition. Furthermore, the common pompilid genus heretofore called Anoplius will have to be called something else, probably Pompilioides Radoszkowski, 1 887. In view of the fact that Anoplius has enjoyed long standing as a genus in the Pompilidae (90 years) around which a large literature has been built (Sustera, 1912; Haupt, 1927; Arnold, 1937; Evans, 1951 ; Evans, 1966; Wolf, 1963, to cite a few examples), it is highly desirable to ensure continued usage of Anoplius in the Pompilidae. Although the case is basically simple in solution because the problem centres on a misidentified type-species, there are some side issues which may confuse the reader unless they are related in detail. Therefore a rather lengthy discussion is deemed necessary. History of the name Sphex niger 2. Fabricius (1775) described Sphex niger and according to van der Vecht (1961, p. 20) " the original description, although consisting of a single line, leaves no doubt that it is based on a larrid [i.e. Sphecidae], not on a pompilid wasp ". Fabricius' description reads " Sphex nigra, abdomine sessili, seg-mentorum marginibus lucidis ". As van der Vecht points out Fabricius in later works confused his niger " with some black Pompilidae in which the base, not the [apical] margin, of some of the gastral segments is sericeous (' lucidis')". For example, Fabricius ( 1 793) added the following to his original niger diagnosis : Bull. zool. Nomencl., Vol. 25, Parts 2/3. September 1968.
Anoplius Dufour, 1834 (Insecta, Hymenoptera): proposed designation of a type-species with proposed designation of neotypes under the plenary powers for Sphex nigra Fabricius, 1775 and Sphex nigerrimus Scopoli, 1763. (Z.N.C.S.) 1845
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