Sphex stadelmanni rufus, 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 : 120-122

Sphex stadelmanni rufus subsp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:4873E4CA-248F-4293-852F-0144E8E2E1D9

Figs 96–97, 99 (purple)

Differential diagnosis

Females of S. stadelmanni rufus subsp. nov. ( Fig. 96 ) are easy to recognize within the bohemanni group because of their predominantly ferruginous clypeus, femora and tibiae. These areas are largely black in other species, with at most the free clypeal margin being ferruginous.

In males ( Fig. 97 ), the ferruginous color on the clypeus is less extensive and sometimes barely visible, but the leg coloration is concurrent with that of the female and often sufficient for identification as well. Another character that differs from S. stadelmanni stadelmanni is the color of the appressed facial setae, which is silvery-white in the nominate species, but brassy in this subspecies. Both are identical in genital structure, and the shape of their penis valvae ( Figs 21–22 ) reliably separates them from other species in the group.

Etymology

‘ Rufus ’ is a Latin adjective meaning ‘red’, which refers to the conspicuously-colored legs and clypeus of this taxon.

Material examined

Holotype KENYA – Taita-Taveta County • 1 ♂; Wundanyi ; [3°23ʹ54ʺ S, 38°21ʹ37ʺ E]; 5–10 Apr. 1997; Ma. Halada leg.; THD-014-OOLM ; GenBank CO1 gene: MW538562 ; OÖLM.

Paratypes KENYA – Taita-Taveta County • 5 ♂♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; OÖLM • 3 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; same collection data as for holotype but 18–22 Mar. 1997; OÖLM .

TANZANIA • 1 ♀; “German East Africa”; F. Fischer leg.; ZMB. – Kilimanjaro Region • 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀; “Kilimanjaro”; [3°04ʹ33ʺ S, 37°21ʹ12ʺ E]; Jan. 1906; Schröder leg.; ZMB • 1 ♀; Gonja ; [4°16ʹ09.3ʺ S, 38°02ʹ54.9ʺ E]; 10 Jan. 1906 ; Schröder leg.; ZMB. – Morogoro Region • 1 ♀; “ Usaramo, Rufidji, Khutusteppe ”; [7°47ʹ59.4ʺ S, 37°29ʹ13.1ʺ E]; Oct.–Nov. 1896 ; Götze leg.; ZMB. – Tanga Region • 1 ♀; early 1904; A. Karasek leg.; ZMB • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Dec. 1905; Schröder leg.; ZMB • 1 ♀; “ East Usambara ”; [4°59ʹ54.1ʺ S, 38°41ʹ37.7ʺ E]; F. Fischer leg.; ZMB • 1 ♀; Amani Research Institute ; [5°05ʹ S, 38°40ʹ E]; 2 Mar. 1908; J. Vosseler leg.; ZMB • 1 ♀; Bumbuli ; [4°52ʹ S, 38°28ʹ E]; 15 Dec. 1902; Meinhof leg.; ZMB .

Description

Female

SIZE. 25.0– 31.5 mm.

COLOR. Black except for the following, which are ferruginous: basal half of mandible, clypeus excepting dorsal and lateral margin, basal half of scape, trochanters, femora and tibiae. Wings uniformly fuscous, with purple-bluish iridescence.

VESTITURE. Appressed setae on clypeus and paraocular area black with ferruginous-golden luster, on collar, scutum and propodeal enclosure black. Erect setae on clypeus, paraocular area, collar, scutum and propodeal enclosure black. Erect propodeal setae oriented posteriorly. Lower center of clypeus glabrous. Scutellum densely and coarsely pubescent.

STRUCTURE. Free clypeal margin medially with two broad, indistinct processes, stepped above. Clypeus with inconspicuous indentation in lower center, longitudinal carina in upper center barely noticeable. Scutellum convex. Metanotum slightly raised, not notably bituberculate. 2 nd recurrent vein joins markedly proximal from interstitium between submarginal cells II and III. Propodeal enclosure without any notable ridges. Foretarsomere I 2.5–2.8 × length of antepenultimate spine. Petiole length 1.3–1.9 × its medial width.

Male

SIZE. 24.5–28.2 mm.

COLOR. Black except for the following, which are ferruginous: basal half of mandible, longitudinal stripe medially on clypeus, basal half of scape, trochanters, femora and tibiae. Wings slightly fuscous, with violet iridescence.

VESTITURE. Appressed setae on clypeus and paraocular area brassy, on collar, scutum and propodeal enclosure black, on posterior margin of propodeum silvery-golden. Erect setae on clypeus black, on paraocular area black intermixed with silvery ones, on collar, scutum and propodeal enclosure black, on posterior margin of propodeum silvery-golden. Erect propodeal setae oriented posteriorly. Free clypeal margin medially glabrous. Scutellum densely and coarsely pubescent. Sterna II–VII laterally with increasingly dense fringes of black setae, sternum VIII uniformly with shorter, erect, ferruginous-brown setae which are longer laterally and posteriorly.

STRUCTURE. Free clypeal margin simple. Scutellum convex. Metanotum slightly raised, not bituberculate. 2 nd recurrent vein joins markedly proximal from interstitium between submarginal cells II and III. Posterior margin of metasomal tergum VII convex. Propodeal enclosure without any notable ridges. Posterior margin of metasomal sternum VII simple, of metasomal sternum VIII semicircular. Petiole length 1.9–2.1× its medial width. Flagellomeres IV–VI with broad placoids covering their entire length, flagellomere VII sometimes with moderately broad placoid covering approximately its basal half.

Variation

Unknown.

Distribution

Eastern Africa.

Figures

Figure 93–99. 93, 96. Habitus of ♀. 94–95, 97. Habitus of ♂. 93. Sphex pseudopraedator sp. nov. 94. S. schoutedeni schoutedeni Kohl, 1913. 95. S. stadelmanni stadelmanni Kohl, 1895. 96– 97. S. stadelmanni rufus subsp. nov. 98. Geographic distribution of S. pseudopraedator sp. nov. 99. Geographic distribution of S. schoutedeni schoutedeni (red); S. schoutedeni malawicus subsp. nov. (blue); S. stadelmanni stadelmanni (yellow); S. stadelmanni rufus subsp. nov. (purple).

Figs 19–24. 19–20. Ventral view of the two apical sterna in males of the bohemanni group. 21, 23. Dorsal view of apical third of penis valvae in males of the bohemanni group. 22, 24. Lateral view of penis valvae. 19. Sphex bohemanni Dahlbom, 1845. 20. S. abbotti abbotti W. Fox, 1891. 21– 22. S. stadelmanni stadelmanni Kohl, 1895. 23–24. S. schoutedeni s. lat.