Sphex socotrensis, Dörfel & Ohl, 2022

Dörfel, Thorleif H. & Ohl, Michael, 2022, The wasp genus Sphex in Sub-Saharan Africa (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 796 (1), pp. 1-170 : 146-148

Sphex socotrensis sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:65257FF5-CA69-4417-BA68-92E2FC9885D4

Figs 116–117, 118 (purple)

Differential diagnosis

Males of this species are characterized by having at least the trochanter and femur bright ferruginous ( Fig. 117 ), while the legs of males of the other members of the group are uniformly black. Females have the metanotum and the posterior margin of the scutellum ferruginous with the anterior part black ( Fig. 116 ), whereas the scutellum and metanotum are uniformly ferruginous in S. pseudosatanas sp. nov. ( Fig. 109 ) and S. rufoclypeatus sp. nov. ( Fig. 110 ), and uniformly black in S. satanas s. lat. ( Figs 113–114 ).

Etymology

‘ Socotrensis ’ is a Latinization meaning ‘from Socotra’, as this island is one of the only known locations where the species occurs.

Material examined

Holotype YEMEN – Socotra Governorate • 1 ♀; Hadibo Plain; alt. 0–300 ft; [12°39ʹ N, 54°01ʹ10ʺ E]; 16 Apr. 1967; K.M. Guichard leg.; BMNH.

Paratypes YEMEN – Aden Governorate • 7 ♂♂; Khormaksar, S.L .; [12°51ʹ56ʺ N, 45°03ʹ18ʺ E]; 13 Mar. 1967; K.M. Guichard leg.; BMNH . – Socotra Governorate • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; BMNH • 1 ♂; same locality as for holotype; alt. 0–200 ft; 2 Apr. 1967; K.M. Guichard leg.; BMNH • 3 ♂♂, 1 ♀; Hadibo Plain , Ras H.M. Foothills ; [12°39ʹ N, 54°01ʹ10ʺ E]; 30 Apr. 1967; K.M. Guichard leg.; BMNH • 1 ♂; Hadibo Plain , S.L.; [12°39ʹ N, 54°01ʹ10ʺ E]; 19 Mar. 1967; K.M. Guichard leg.; BMNH • 8 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding but 2 Apr. 1967; BMNH • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding but 7 Apr. 1967; BMNH • 1 ♀; Hamadara [Hamadero] ; [12°36ʹ N, 54°16ʹ E]; alt. 400 m; 4 Apr. 1967; K.M. Guichard leg.; BMNH • 1 ♂; Kishin ; [12°33ʹ N, 54°04ʹ E]; Aug. 1956; OUMNH exped.; BMNH • 1 ♂; same locality as for preceding; alt. 700 m; 18 Apr. 1967; K.M. Guichard leg.; BMNH • 1 ♂; Sha’ab [Shuab] Bay , Avicennia Mangrove ; 12°34ʹ N, 53°24ʹ E; 20 Feb. 1999; H. Pohl leg.; coll. Schmid-Egger.

Description

Female

SIZE. 22.1–24.2 mm.

COLOR. Black except for the following, which are ferruginous: basal half of mandible, clypeus, scape, pedicel, flagellomeres I–IV, collar, apical half of pronotal lobe, tegula, prepectus, posterior two-thirds of scutellum, metanotum and legs excluding apical half of claw. Wings hyaline, apical margin of fore- and hindwing slightly fuscous.

VESTITURE. Appressed setae on clypeus and paraocular area golden, on collar, scutum and propodeal enclosure silvery. Erect setae on clypeus and paraocular area golden, on collar, scutum and propodeal enclosure silvery. Erect propodeal setae oriented anteriorly. Lower center of clypeus glabrous. Scutellum sparsely and finely pubescent.

STRUCTURE. Free clypeal margin simple, stepped medially. Clypeus without indentation or carina. Scutellum flat. Metanotum not raised, not bituberculate. 2 nd recurrent vein joins markedly proximal from interstitium between submarginal cells II and III. Propodeal enclosure with 5–8 transversal ridges. Foretarsomere I 1.7–1.8× length of antepenultimate spine. Petiole length 1.3–1.5× its medial width.

Male

SIZE. 15.6–19.3 mm.

COLOR. Black except for the following, which are ferruginous: basal half of mandible, scape, tegula, legs except coxa and tarsomere V, and metasomal sterna I and VIII. Wings hyaline, apical margin of forewing slightly fuscous.

VESTITURE. Appressed and erect setae on clypeus, paraocular area, collar, scutum and propodeal enclosure silvery. Erect propodeal setae oriented anteriorly. Clypeus with small glabrous spot in upper center. Scutellum densely and finely pubescent.

STRUCTURE. Free clypeal margin simple. Scutellum flat. Metanotum not raised, not bituberculate. 2 nd recurrent vein joins markedly proximal from interstitium between submarginal cells II and III. Propodeal enclosure without any notable ridges. Posterior margin of metasomal tergum VII convex. Posterior margin of metasomal sternum VII simple, of metasomal sternum VIII very slightly concave. Penis valvae without conspicuous modifications. Petiole length 2.2–2.5× its medial width. Flagellomeres IV– VI with narrow placoids covering their proximal two-thirds.

Variation

Unknown.

Distribution

Socotra, southwestern Yemen.

Figures

Figs 113–118. 113–114, 116. Habitus of ♀. 115, 117. Habitus of ♂. 113, 115. Sphex satanas satanas Kohl, 1898. 114. S. satanas memnon subsp. nov. 116–117. S. socotrensis sp. nov. 118. Geographic distribution of S. pseudosatanas sp. nov. (red), S. rufoclypeatus sp. nov. (blue), S. s. satanas (yellow) and S. socotrensis sp. nov. (purple).

Figs 106–112. 106–107. Sphex jansei Cameron, 1910. 108. S. schmideggeri sp. nov. 109. S. pseudosatanas sp. nov. 110–111. S. rufoclypeatus sp. nov. 106, 108–110. Habitus of ♀. 107, 111. Habitus of ♂. 112. Geographic distribution of S. decipiens Kohl, 1895 (red), S. pruinosus Germar, 1817 (blue), S. gaullei Berland, 1927 (yellow), S. jansei (purple) and S. schmideggeri sp. nov. (green).