Sphex schoutedeni schoutedeni Kohl, 1913

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 : 114-115

Sphex schoutedeni schoutedeni Kohl, 1913

Figs 94, 99 (red)

Sphex schoutedeni Kohl, 1913: 205 , ♂.

Differential eiagnosis

Males of this species are easiest to recognize based on the structure of their posterior sterna. Lacking an incision on the posterior margin of sternum VII and having sternum VIII semicircular and simple, they resemble S. stadelmanni stadelmanni ( Fig. 95 ). While that species has uniformly black erect setae at least on the propodeal enclosure, these setae are mostly silvery in S. schoutedeni schoutedeni ( Fig. 94 ). Close examination of the valvicepes also reveals notable structural differences between these species ( Figs 21–24 ). The subspecies S. schoutedeni malawicus subsp. nov. is very similar to the nominotypical form, but has the erect propodeal setae black, as in S. stadelmanni stadelmanni .

Females are much more difficult to identify. Due to the absence of visible sternal or genitalia characters, the color of their erect and appressed propodeal setae is one of the only useful diagnostics. Sphex abbotti nivarius subsp. nov. ( Fig. 89 ) has silvery erect propodeal setae as well, and members of that somewhat variable subspecies which possess black appressed propodeal setae are almost indistinguishable. However, their petiole is around twice as long as it is wide, whereas that of female S. schoutedeni schoutedeni is at most 1.7 × as long as wide.

Material examined

Holotype ZAMBIA – Muchinga Province • ♂; Mpika; Jan. 1908; S.A. Neave leg.; MRAC.

Other material

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO – Haut-Katanga • 1 ♂; Elisabethville [now Lubumbashi] ; [11°40ʹ S, 27°29ʹ E]; Jun. 1932; de Loose leg.; MRAC • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding but 1933; MRAC • 2 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding but Feb. 1933; MRAC • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding but Apr. 1933; MRAC • 1 ♂; same locality as for preceding; 2 Jan. 1937; H.-J. Brédo leg.; IRSN • 1 ♂; Lubumbashi ; 11°45ʹ S, 27°40ʹ E; 12 Mar. 1921; M. Bequaert leg.; MRAC • 1 ♂; Kasepa , river; 1920; M. Bequaert leg.; MRAC .

ZAMBIA – Muchinga Province • 1 ♀; “L. Chambezi V. , Mpika distr. ”; alt. 3900 ft; 19 May 1908; S.A. Neave leg.; OUMNH . – Northern Province • 1 ♀; Abercorn [now Mbala] ; [8°50ʹ S, 31°28ʹ E]; Nov. 1943; IRSN • 1 ♂; same locality as for preceding; 14 Feb. 1951; F.O. Albrecht leg.; BMNH .

Description

Female

SIZE. 23.4–28.9 mm.

COLOR. Black, except for basal half of mandible and free clypeal margin which are ferruginous. Wings uniformly fuscous, with purple-bluish iridescence.

VESTITURE. Appressed setae on clypeus black, at lateral clypeal margin and on paraocular area brassy. Appressed setae on collar, scutum, propodeal enclosure and posterior propodeal margin black. Erect setae on clypeus, paraocular area, collar and scutum black, on propodeal enclosure and posterior propodeal margin silvery. 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 slight indentation in lower center, without carina. Scutellum convex. Metanotum not raised, not bituberculate. 2 nd recurrent vein joins markedly proximal from interstitium between submarginal cells II and III. Propodeal enclosure without any notable ridges. Foretarsomere I 2.6–2.9 × length of antepenultimate spine. Petiole length 1.5–1.7× its medial width.

Male

SIZE. 25.4–25.8 mm.

COLOR. Black except for the following, which are ferruginous: basal half of mandible and free clypeal margin partially. Wings slightly infuscate, with violet iridescence.

VESTITURE. Appressed setae on clypeus and paraocular area brassy, on collar, scutum and propodeal enclosure black. Erect setae on clypeus, paraocular area, collar and scutum black, on propodeal enclosure brassy intermixed with black, on posterior margin of propodeum silvery. Erect propodeal setae oriented posteriorly. Clypeus with glabrous spot medially at free margin. Scutellum densely and coarsely pubescent. Metasomal sterna II–VII with increasingly dense fringes of black setae.

STRUCTURE. Free clypeal margin simple. Scutellum convex. Metanotum not raised, not bituberculate. 2 nd recurrent vein joins markedly proximal from interstitium between submarginal cells II and III. Propodeal enclosure without any notable ridges. Posterior margin of metasomal tergum VII convex. Posterior margin of metasomal sternum VII simple, of metasomal sternum VIII semicircular. Fused penis valvae laterally not widened, with notch, valviceps oriented perpendicularly. Petiole length 1.4–1.6× its medial width. Flagellomeres IV–VI with broad placoids covering their entire length.

Variation

In a male specimen from Angola, the appressed propodeal setae are silvery instead of black. Females often have the erect silvery setae on the propodeal enclosure interspersed with some black ones.

Disribution

Central 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.

Figs 85–92. 85–86. Habitus of ♀. 87–90. habitus of ♂. 85. Sphex incomptus Gerstaecker, 1871. 86– 87. S. pulawskii sp. nov. 88. S. abbotti abbotti W. Fox, 1891. 89. S. abbotti nivarius subsp. nov. 90. S. bohemanni Dahlbom, 1845. 91. Geographic distribution of S. incomptus (red) and S. pulawskii sp. nov. (blue). 92. Geographic distribution of S. a. abbotti (red), S. a. nivarius subsp. nov. (blue), S. abyssinicus (Arnold, 1928) (yellow) and S. bohemanni (purple).