Podalonia sheffieldi (TURNER)

Dollfuss, H., 2010, A Key to Wasps of the Genus Podalonia FERNALD 1927 (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Sphecidae) of the Old World, Linzer biologische Beiträge 42 (2), pp. 1241-1291 : 1266-1267

Podalonia sheffieldi (TURNER)

Sphex sheffieldi R. TURNER 1918: 89 ,. Syntypes: Malawi: Mlanje (BMNH).

R e c o g n i t i o n:Thefemaleof Podalonia sheffieldi has a propodeal enclosure with erect setae, a basally red gaster, distinct arolia and the clypeus and frons are covered with appressed silver setae. In addition, the mesopleuron has sparse appressed silver setae, the erect setae on the head and thorax are long, dense and nearly all black, the coarse punctation on the scutum is close, the punctures being almost contiguous. It is further characterized by the distinctly produced median lobe of the clypeus and lateral angles distinctly rectangular. The wings are deeply tinged with yellow. The female has a petiole as long as hindtarsomere I and OOL: POL = 2: 1, terga I, II and basally III are reddish.

Apart from its larger size this species differs from P. canescens as follows: wings more deeply tinged with yellowish, erect setae on head and thorax dense and black, the sides of the thorax and propodeum have whitish setae intermixed with the black ones. The punctation of the head is distinctly coarser and closer than in P. canescens , especially on vertex and gena.

Male unknown:

G e o g r a p h i c d i s t r i b u t i o n Malawi, Tanzania.

S p e c i m e n s e x a m i n e d 1 syntype (BMNH).