Sphex umtalicus, Strand, 1916

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 : 59-60

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5852/ejt.2022.796.1665

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:76C5C9C4-C6C1-4EDC-8FF8-9828A6EF2040

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6498175

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03C20928-FFAB-FF98-4272-171638CA0E7E

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Sphex umtalicus
status

 

Species of the umtalicus group

The umtalicus group contains the following six species: Sphex caeruleanus , S. hades sp. nov., S. haemorrhoidalis , S. mweruensis , S. umtalicus and S. victoria sp. nov.

The members of this group can be recognized mainly through a combination of the following two characters: The erect propodeal setae are oriented more or less perpendicularly or slightly curved toward anterior ( Fig. 3–4 View Figs 1–6. 1–3 ), and the scutellum (which is often markedly impressed) is always covered with coarse and dense appressed setae, in contrast to the fine setae that are characteristic for the meridionalis group, of which the members sport similarly oriented erect propodeal setae. Species of the malagassus group are somewhat similar in that their erect propodeal setae are perpendicular, but without curvature, and can be distinguished through their appressed silvery-golden setae on the scutum and metanotum. In addition, they only occur on Madagascar and the surrounding islands, respectively.

Males in the umtalicus group are additionally characterized by having a conspicuous process medially at the free clypeal margin. The only other species with a comparable structure are S. cinerascens and S. abyssinicus .

Species delimitation within the group is very difficult, since intraspecific variation is high and hybrid forms seem to be quite common, even though most of the taxa are apparently genetically distinct. Colorrelated characters are of greater diagnostic importance within this group, and the geographical origin of the specimen should always be taken into consideration to help with identification.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Vespidae

Genus

Sphex

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