Sphex imporcatus, Doerfel, Thorleif H. & Ohl, Michael, 2015

Doerfel, Thorleif H. & Ohl, Michael, 2015, A revision of the Australian digger wasps in the genus Sphex (Hymenoptera, Sphecidae), ZooKeys 521, pp. 1-104 : 33-34

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Sphecidae

Sphex imporcatus sp. n.

Material examined.

Holotype. ♀, AUSTRALIA:SA: [no specific locality], 1937, M. F. L. (BMNH). Paratypes. AUSTRALIA:NSW: Fowlers Gap, 2♀, Dec 1981, M. L. Bason (AMS).

The collecting localities are shown in Fig. 23B.

Diagnosis.

Sphex imporcatus (of which only the female is known) is unique among Australian Sphex in having a remarkably modified clypeus (Fig. 4E, 19B). Dorsomedially on the clypeus, there is a deep groove of which the lower rim is encompassed by 5-8 markedly arcuate, broad wrinkles that almost reach the free clypeal margin. Furthermore, Sphex imporcatus possesses several distinct transverse ridges on the propodeum, a characteristic it only shares with Sphex sericeus , Sphex darwiniensis and Sphex rugifer . Sphex sericeus , as a member of the Sphex argentatus group, is set apart by having a pair of distinct tubercles on the metanotum and a partially ferruginous metasoma, while the metanotum of Sphex imporcatus lacks tubercles and its metasoma is black. The metasoma of Sphex darwiniensis is bright ferruginous, and Sphex rugifer can be distinguished by having fuscous wings, whereas Sphex imporcatus has hyaline wings with a slight yellow tinge.

Description.

Female: Body length 24.3-25.6 mm. Body black except for tarsomeres V, which are at least partly orange, and also base of mandible and ventral part of clypeus and the wrinkles on it, which range from orange to maroon. Forewing membrane with yellow tinge on basal half and a slightly fuscous band at apex, hindwing membrane slightly yellowish near base. Wing veins bright orange, almost yellow. Forebasitarsal rake with 6-7 spines which are markedly short and stout. Free clypeal margin inconspicuously notched medially. Clypeus dorsomedially with deep groove of which the lower end is encompassed by 5-8 markedly arcuate, broad wrinkles that almost reach the free clypeal margin. Appressed pubescence and erect setae on clypeus and frons silvery-white. Clypeus with medial glabrous stripe. Distance between hind- ocelli 0.9 × their shortest distance to compound eyes. Pubescence on collar, scutum, metanotum and propodeal enclosure silvery-white, scutum glabrous except laterally and posteriorly. Scutellum flat, without impressions. Propodeal enclosure with 6-9 discontinuous transverse ridges, pubescence not completely concealing sculpture. Length of petiole 1.15 × length of flagellomere II. Tomentum very sparse, on metasomal tergum I only present near center, absent on tergum II.

Male: Unknown.

Discussion.

All three available specimens were heavily deteriorated, seemingly by abrasion. It is unknown whether the lesser length of the spines in the tarsal rake is also a result of abrasion, or whether it is characteristic of the species. Also, the original state of the pubescence on the clypeus and propodeum was probably very different from the current one.

Etymology.

Imporcatus comes from the Latin noun porca (ridge between two furrows) and means "put into furrows", referring to the ridges on clypeus and propodeal enclosure of this species.