Sphex gilberti R. Turner, 1908

Doerfel, Thorleif H. & Ohl, Michael, 2015, A revision of the Australian digger wasps in the genus Sphex (Hymenoptera, Sphecidae), ZooKeys 521, pp. 1-104 : 30

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Sphecidae

Sphex gilberti R. Turner, 1908

Sphex gilberti R. Turner, 1908: 468, ♀. Holotype or syntypes: ♀, Australia: Queensland: Mackay (BMNH). Presumed holotype examined.

Material examined.

Holotype (presumed). ♀, AUSTRALIA:QLD: Mackay, Feb 1892 (BMNH).

Other material.

AUSTRALIA:NSW: Lansdowne, 1♀, 06.02.1981, G. & T. Williams (AMS); QLD: Capricorn Group, NW Islet, 2♀, Dec 25, A. Musgrave (AMS), 1♀, Nov-Dec 25, A. Musgrave (AMS); Clump Point, 1♀, 06.03.1964, I. F. B. Common & M. S. Upton (ANIC); Montville, 1♀, L. Smith (ANIC).

The collecting localities are shown in Fig. 24E.

Diagnosis.

This species (of which only the female is known) is characterized by a black metasoma with a dark blue lustre, extensively yellow wings, and dark pubescence on scutum and propodeal enclosure. Sphex resplendens , which is otherwise similar, has uniformly dark wings. The pubescence on the propodeal enclosure of Sphex modestus is at least partially silvery or yellowish, and its hindwing membrane is missing the yellow tinge. Sphex modestus is also distinguished by the presence of tubercles on its metanotum, even though sometimes they are only faintly recognizable, while in Sphex gilberti the metanotum is plain.

Description.

Female: Body length 22.4-26.8 mm. Body black, legs brown. Wing membrane yellow, with slightly fuscous band at apex. Wing veins orange to light brown. Forebasitarsal rake with eigtht long spines. Free clypeal margin medially with two lobes which are separated only by a small notch. Appressed pubescence on clypeus and frons silvery, erect setae black. Clypeus with conspicuous indentation medioventrally and vertical glabrous stripe dorsoventrally. Distance between hind- ocelli approximately 0.6 × their shortest distances to compound eyes. Pubescence on collar silvery. Scutum with sparse, erect, black setae and denser, silvery-white setae laterally. Scutellum slightly convex, without impressions. Propodeal enclosure with sparse, erect black pubescence, sculpture completely visible. Length of petiole almost equal to flagellomere II. Tomentum moderately dense on metasomal tergum I, sparse on tergum II.

Male: Unknown.