Bembecinus gilvus R. Bohart, 1997

Gess, Friedrich W., Pulawski, Wojciech J. & Gess, Sarah K., 2015, A Revision of the rhopalocerus Species Group of Bembecinus Costa (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae: Bembicinae), Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 62 (7), pp. 207-256 : 221-222

Bembecinus gilvus R. Bohart

Figures 3c , 8a, b .

Bembecinus gilvus R. Bohart, 1997:168 , Fig. 3 , ♀. Holotype: ♀, Namibia: Gobabeb ( USNM), examined by W. Pulawski.— S. Gess and F. Gess, 2003:115 (floral records); Pulawski, 2014:12 (in catalog of world Sphecidae sensu lato).

RECOGNITION. — Bembecinus gilvus has the gaster mainly yellow with some black, but without ferruginous color. It also has a pair of admedian yellow stripes on the scutum and a yellow marking between the midocellus and each hindocellus (the two separated in the midline). It differs from similar species ( quadristrigatus, somalicus ) in lacking the erect setae along the hypostomal carina (at most a few such setae are present next to the occipital carina), the lower metapleuron closely, microscopically punctate, the body length of 6.0–10.0 mm (rather than 9.5.0–14.0), the female forebasitarsus barely broadened ( Fig. 8a ), and in the male the distance between the clypeus and the antennal scrobe equal to about 0.3 × least interocular distance rather than 0.6–0.7 ×.

MATERIAL EXAMINED.— NAMIBIA: Kunene Region: on road 3245 E Skeleton Coast Park (20°14′S 13°53′E), F.W. and S.K. Gess, visiting yellow flowers of Zygophyllum simplex Linnaeus , Zygophyllaceae (5 ♀, AMGS); 12 km E Springbok-waater at 20°15′S 13°44′E, F.W. and S.K. Gess, visiting flowers of Zygophyllum simplex L., Zygophyllaceae , 13.x.2000 (1 ♀, AMGS), 14.x.2000 (1 ♀, AMGS), 11.iv.2002 (3 ♀, 7 ♂, AMGS). Erongo Region: 20 km NE Hentiesbaaai at 21°58′S 14°22′E, 10.xii.1996, W.J. Pulawski (2 ♀, 2 ♂, CAS) ; 5 km E Swakopmund , 4.ii.1978, O. Lomholdt (1 ♀, ZMUC) ; 63 km E Swakopmund at 22°45′S 15°02′E, 15.ii.1996, W.J. Pulawski (1 ♀, 1 ♂, CAS); 11 km E Walvis Bay at 22°59′S 14°37′E, 6.xii.1996 (2 ♂, CAS) ; between Kuiseb and Gaub passes (23°27′S 15°46′E) 22.iii.1999, F.W. and S.K. Gess (1 ♀, AMGS); Gaub Pass (23°30′S 15°46′E) , 19.iii.1997, F.W. and S.K. Gess, on yellow flowers of Zygophyllum simplex Linnaeus , Zygophyllaceae (1 ♀, 1 ♂, AMGS); Kuiseb River bed at Rooibank (23°11′S 14°39′E) , 10.iv.1998, F.W. and S.K. Gess (2 ♀ and 1 ♂ visiting yellow flowers of Zygophyllum simplex Linnaeus , Zygophyllaceae , 2 ♀ visiting yellow flowers) (4 ♀, 2 ♂, AMGS); Rooibank Desert Park , 15.xii.1977, Empey (3 ♂, AMGS) ; 5 km N Gobabeb, Wharton , 31.xii,1978, on Zygophyllum simplex Linnaeus (1 ♀, PPRI) and 2.i.1979 (1 ♀, PPRI); Kuiseb-Naukluft Bridge in Namibpark , 15.v.1973, M.F. Johannsmeier (4 ♀, PPRI); Kuiseb Naukluft Bridge, Namib Park , 16.v.1973, M.F. Johannesmeier (2 ♂, AMGS); Gobabeb [Namib Desert Research Station] 6.i.1980, R. Wharton (1 ♀, UCDC, holotype of Bembecinus gilvus ) ; Namib Desert Research Station [Gobabeb] at 13°33′45″S 15°02′38″E, I. Kapofi and M.E. Irwin , 14–26.ii.1997 (1 ♀, CAS) , 8–15.ix.1997 (1 ♀, CAS) , 24.xi.1997 (10 ♀, CAS) , 1–8.xii.1997 (4 ♀, CAS) , 15–22.xii.1997 (3 ♀, CAS) , 22–29.xii.1997 (3 ♀, CAS) , 29.xii.1997 (3 ♀, CAS) , 5–12.i.1998 (1 ♀, CAS) , 17–24.ii.1998 (13 ♀, CAS) ; 8 km S Gobabeb , 12.ii.1978 (2 ♂, ZMUC); 88 mi. E [147 km] Walvis Bay, 2.x.1967, E.S. Ross and A.R. Stephen (1 ♀, CAS).! Karas Region : SW Gibeon 41 km on 1089 (25°20′S 17°29′E) 10.iii.1999, F.W. and S.K. Gess (8 ♀ and 10 ♂, AMGS), visiting white flowers of Limeum sp. , Molluginaceae (11 ♀, 15 ♂, AMGS); SW Gibeon 41 km on road 1089 (25°20′S 17°29′E) 24.iii.1999, F.W. and S.K. Gess (2 ♂, AMGS); 16 km S Rosh Pinah at 28°04′S 16°51′E, F.W. and S.K. Gess, 13.x.2000 (1 ♀, AMGS), visiting flowers of Tripteris , Asteraceae , 15.x.2000 (1 ♂, AMGS); Great Fish River, Aiais [Ai-Ais], Mus. Staff, xi.1939 (1 ♀, SAMC). SOUTH AFRICA: Northern Cape Province: Goodhouse, xi.1936, Museum Staff [ SAMC] (4 ♀, SAMC). Western Cape: 11 km W Clanvilliam on road to Graafwater, 1.xii. 1989, F.W. and S.K. Gess (1 ♂, AMGS).

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION.— Known from Namibia, from the Desert/Nama-Karoo fringe in the north, penetrating the Namib Desert along the courses of the Swakop and Kuiseb rivers, to the Nama-Karoo in the south and across the Orange River into South Africa, with a single record from 11 km west of Clanwilliam in arid sandy Fynbos ( Fig. 24c ). This record so far south is surprising, however, it is of interest that the specimen was collected in the dry summer month of December, an unusual collecting time for this winter rainfall area which is most commonly visited by insect collectors in the spring, when flowering is at its height. It is clear that summer collecting in the winter rainfall area north to the Orange River is required to establish the complete distribution of this species.

FLORAL ASSOCIATIONS.— Visiting flowers of four plant families: Zygophyllaceae ( Zygophyllum simplex Linnaeus ), Molluginaceae ( Limeum sp. ), Asteraceae ( Tripteris sp. ) and Vahliaceae (label data, see Material Examined; S. Gess and F. Gess 2003).

NESTING.— Unknown.

PREY.— Unknown.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Bembecinus spp.: a – damarensis, female, male, b – gariepensis, female, male, c – gilvus, female, male, d – helicicola, female; e – hyperocrus, female, male, f – inexpectatus, female, male. (approximate lengths of females: a. 12 mm, b. 11.5 mm, 9 mm, d. 10 mm, e. 10 mm, f. 9.2 mm).

FIGURE 8. Bembecinus gilvus: a – female foreba- sitarsus, b – male clypeus.

FIGURE 24. Collecting records of Bembecinus spp.: a – damarensis, b – gariepensis, c – gilvus, d – helicicola, e – hyperocrus, f – inexpectatus.