Sphex mimulus R. Turner, 1910

Doerfel, Thorleif H. & Ohl, Michael, 2015, A revision of the Australian digger wasps in the genus Sphex (Hymenoptera, Sphecidae), ZooKeys 521, pp. 1-104 : 35-37

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Sphecidae

Sphex mimulus R. Turner, 1910

Sphex mimulus R. Turner, 1910: 419, ♀. Holotype or syntypes: ♀, Australia: Queensland: Cairns (BMNH). Not examined.

Material examined.

AUSTRALIA:QLD: Cape York, 1♀, 1♂, 1904, Elgner (ANIC), 2♀, 1908, Elgner (ANIC); Claudie River, 4 miles W of Mount Lamond, 1♀, 31.12.1971 (AMS); Iron Range, Cape York Peninsula, 1♀, 01.-09.06.1971, S. R. Monteith (ANIC), 3♀, 26.-31.05.1971, S. R. Monteith (ANIC); Mid Claudie River, Iron Range, 1♀, 26.08.1974, G. Daniels (AMS), 1♀, 16.09.1974, G. Daniels (AMS); Mount Lamond, Iron Range, 1♀, 18.09.1974, G. Daniels (AMS); 1 mile NE of Mount Lamond, 1♂, 21.12.1971, D. K. McAlpine, G. A. Holloway, D. P. Sands (AMS); Mungumby Lodge near Helenvale, 1♀, 09.06.1991, N. W. Rodd (AMS).

The collecting localities are shown in Fig. 24E.

Diagnosis.

Females of Sphex mimulus are unique among the Australian members of the Sphex resplendens group in having black legs and the first three segments of the metasoma while the apical three segments are bright ferruginous. Sphex decoratus and some females of Sphex rugifer vary among similar colors, but as a member of the Sphex argentatus group, the former has a pair of distinct tubercles on the metanotum, whereas Sphex mimulus , as a member of the Sphex resplendens group, lacks the metanotal tubercles. Sphex rugifer lacks the yellow tinge in the cellular wing area that is present in Sphex mimulus . Until now, the male of Sphex mimulus is the only one in the Sphex resplendens group with a partially orange or yellowish metasoma.

Description.

Base of wing membrane darkened, apex slightly fuscous, cellular wing area with pale yellowish tinge. Clypeus with small indentation medioventrally. Appressed pubescence on clypeus and frons silvery, erect setae on clypeus and frons black. Pubescence on mesosoma silvery, on scutum longer and denser laterally. Pubescence on propodeal enclosure sparse and thin, leaving sculpture completely visible. Tomentum on metasomal tergum I moderately dense, on tergum II sparse.

Female: Body length 26.4-32.8 mm. Body black, but apical three metasomal terga and apical 3-4 metasomal sterna orange. Wing veins light to dark brown. Forebasitarsal rake with nine spines. Free clypeal margin with two lobes medially, bulging slightly above; distance between lobes less than 1/8 length of flagellomere II. Clypeus with medial, narrow, more or less glabrous stripe. Distance between hind- ocelli slightly greater than their shortest distance to compound eyes. Scutellum completely flat, without impressions. Petiole slightly shorter than flagellomere II.

Male: Body length 19.6-25.4 mm. Body black, but apical three metasomal terga pale yellowish-orange. Wing veins dark brown. Free clypeal margin truncate. Clypeus medially with mostly glabrous stripe. Distance between hind- ocelli 0.75 × their shortest distance to compound eyes. Scutum with faint longitudinal posteromedian impression. Scutellum convex, with medial impression. Length of petiole 1.3 × length of flagellomere II. Metasomal terga V and VI with few silvery bristles. Metasomal sterna II and III mostly glabrous, IV–VII with increasingly dense (but still rather sparse) fringes of brown setae laterally, sternum VIII with dense, silvery fringe near apical margin. Metasomal sternum VIII relatively long and tongue-shaped, entire, its lateral margin straight.

Notes on type material.

The type of Sphex mimulus was not examined, because the characters in the original description (metasoma black anteriorly, apical metasomal segments red) are sufficient to unambiguously identifiy this species.