Bembix diversipennis F. Smith, 1873

Gess, Friedrich W. & Gess, Sarah K., 2014, Geographical distributions of Bembix (Hymenoptera, Crabronidae, Bembicinae) in southern Africa, with notes on biology, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 36, pp. 53-130 : 73-77

Bembix diversipennis F. Smith Fig. 8a

Bembex diversipennis F. Smith, 1873b: 297, ♂, ♀ (Syntypes, Angola, in BMNH); Radoszkowski 1881: 2007 (Angola); Handlirsch 1893: 786 (in revision of world Bembicinae ); Dalla Torre 1897: 504 (in catalogue of world Hymenoptera ); Magretti 1899: 605 (Somalia: Lugh at 3°48'N, 42°33'E); Bingham 1902 (South Africa: Pretoria); R. Turner 1912: 373 (Angola, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia); Arnold 1929: 346 (in revision of southern African Sphecidae ); Schouteden 1930: 96 (Zaire); Scott in Arnold 1933: 371 (Ethiopia: Harar District).

Bembix diversipennis F. Smith, J. Parker 1929: 139 (in revision of Stizini and Bembicini , Togo); Lohrmann 1948: 446 (member of diversipennis species group of Bembix ); R. Bohart and Menke 1976: 546 (in checklist of world Sphecidae ); Pulawski 2013: 23 (in catalogue of world Sphecidae sensu lato).

Bembix tenebrosa J. Parker, 1929: 90, ♂, ♀ (Holotype, ♂, German East Africa [Tanzania]); Arnold 1931: 214, synonymised with Bembex johnstoni ; J. Parker 1942: 205 (valid species); Arnold 1960: 465, synonymised with Bembix diversipennis .

Note.

Turner (1912b: 373) wrote "the localities for this species in the National Collection [Natural History Museum, London] are from Angola to Nyasaland, Mashonaland [Zimbabwe] and Harar, Abyssinia [Ethiopia]".

Turner (1917a: 437) wrote: "In a considerable series of that species [i.e. diversipennis] from E. Africa the thorax is always without yellow markings in both sexes, except one female from Harar. The yellow markings on the abdomen vary much, but do not form continuous fasciae as in most West-African specimens. The wings are hyaline in the male, more or less fuscous at the base in the female in all specimens which I have seen."

Material examined.

ZAMBIA: Buleya Mweru [18.0S, 35.0E], 25.i.1944 (Nat. Museum S. Rhodesia), 2 ♀♀ [1 ♀ SAMC; 1 ♀ SAMC ex NMBZ]; ??, 10.xii.1955 (C.B. Cottrell), 2 ♀♀, 1 ♂ [AMGS]; ZIMBABWE: Nantwich [18.36S, 26.01E], 20.xii.1949 (Nat. Museum S. Rhodesia], 1 ♂ [SAMC]; Penkridge [19.31S, 32.44E], 6.xi.1927 (R.H.R. Stevenson), 2 ♂♂ [1 ♂ SAMC; 1 ♂ SAMC ex NMBZ]; Rhodesdale [18.20S, 31.25E], 8/10.xi.1923 (R. Stevenson), 1 ♀ [AMGS]; same locality, 8/16.xi.1923 (R. Stevenson), 1 ♀ [AMGS], 1 ♂ [SAMC], 1 ♂ [SAMC ex NMBZ]; same locality, 10/16.xi.1923 (R. Stevenson), 1 ♂ [SAMC ex NMBZ]; T[relawney] R[esearch] S[tation, Harare] [17.32S, 30.28E], 14.xii.1953 [(N.J. Myers)], 1 ♀ [AMGS]; Umtali District [circa 18.57S, 34.40E], 24.x.1931 (P.A. Sheppard), 2 ♂♂ [1 ♂ SAMC; 1 ♂ SAMC ex NMBZ]; same locality, 2.xi.1931 (P.A. Sheppard, 1 ♂ [SAMC ex NMBZ]; same locality, 19.xi.1931 (P.A. Sheppard), 1 ♂ [AMGS]; Turk Mine [19.44S, 28.45E], 6.xii.1956 (Nat.Museum S. Rhodesia), 2 ♀♀ [SAMC ex NMBZ]; same locality, 1.xii.1957 (Nat.Museum S. Rhodesia), 2 ♂♂ [1 ♂ SAMC, 1 ♂ SAMC ex NMBZ]; same locality, 2.xi.1958 (Nat. Museum S. Rhodesia), 1 ♂ [SAMC ex NMBZ]; same locality, 1.xi.1959 (Nat. Museum S. R.), 1 ♂ [AMGS]; Matopos [now Matobo] [20.35S, 28.30E], 18.xi.1923 (G. Arnold), 2 ♀♀ [1 ♀ SAMC; 1 ♀SAMC ex NMBZ]; same locality, 18.xi.1923 ((Rhodesia Museum), 1 ♂ [SAMC ex NMBZ]. MOZAMBIQUE: Dondo, PEA [19.41S, 34.45E], 4.ii.1924 (R.H.R. Stevenson), 2 ♀♀ [1 ♀ SAMC; 1♀ SAMC ex NMBZ]. SOUTH AFRICA: LIMPOPO: Ellisras [now Lephalale] [23.40S, 27.46E], 22.xi.1978 (D.J. Brothers), 1 ♀ [AMGS]; Hope, Ellisras] [23.40S, 27.45E], 11.xi.1967 (F.J. Herbst), 1 ♂ [AMGS]; Hope, Ellisras [now Lephalale], 12.xi.1967 (Empey), 1 ♀, 2 ♂♂ [AMGS]; Swadini, Blyde River, E. Transvaal [24.34S, 30.48E], 1.xii.1982 (F.J. Herbst), 1 ♀, 1 ♂ [AMGS]; Sabie [25.06S, 30.47E], 22.xii.1966 (H. Empey), 1 ♂ [AMGS]; Sabie Bungalow [circa 25.10S, 30.48E], 30.xii.1962 (H.N. Empey), 1 ♂ [AMGS]; Skukusa, K[ruger] Nat[ional] Park [24.59S, 31.38E], 17.xi.1979 (F.J. Herbst), 2 ♀♀, 1 ♂ [AMGS]; Vaalwater [24.15S, 28.08E], 24.xi.1968 (F.J. Herbst), 1 ♂ [AMGS]; Rust de Winter [25.13S, 28.29], 8.ii.1975 (Empey), 1 ♀ [AMGS]; Letaba Reserve, North East Transvaal [23.39S, 31.04E], 1.x.1966 (H. Empey), 1 ♂ [AMGS]; Buffelspoort Dam, Western Transvaal [25.47S, 27.29E], 27.xii.1970 (Empey), 2 ♀♀, 2 ♂♂ [AMGS]; Buffelspoort Dam, 7.xii.1968 (F.J. Herbst), 1 ♂ [AMGS]; Buffelspoort Dam, 31.12.1978 (F.J. Herbst), 3 ♀♀, 2 ♂♂ [AMGS]; Matlabas, N.W. Tvl [24.16S, 27.27E], 18.i.1981 (F.J. Herbst), 1 ♀ [AMGS]; GAUTENG: Pretoria [25.44S, 28.12E], 20.i.1919 (Brauns), 2 ♀♀ [1 ♀ SAMC; 1 ♀ SAMC ex NMBZ]; Vaal Dam [27.00S, 28.14E], 5.iii.1967 (Herbst), 1 ♀ [AMGS]. FREE STATE: Bothaville [now Kgotsong], 30.xii.1964 (D.J. Brothers), 1 ♀ [AMGS]. KWAZULU-NATAL: Sordwana [now Sodwana Bay] [27.32S, 32.41E], 16.iv.1965 (H.N. Empey), 1 ♀ [AMGS]; Sordwana Bay [now Sodwana Bay], 28.iii.1980 (F.J. Herbst), 1 ♂ [AMGS]; Mkuze Game Reserve (27.37S, 32.14E), 8-12.iii.1987(A.J. Weaving), 2 ♀♀ [AMGS]; False Bay, [Lake St Lucia] (27.58S, 32.23E), 24.ii.-4.iii.1990 (A. Weaving), 1 ♂ [AMGS]; False Bay, Lake St.Lucia, 2-21.ii.1991 (A. Weaving), 1 ♀ [AMGS]; Fanies Island, [Lake] St Lucia (28.06S, 32.26E), 4-5.iii.1987 (A.J. Weaving), 1 ♂ [AMGS].

Geographical distribution.

From the records available this species appears to have a predominantly northern distribution ( Fig. 9a ), extending from the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal northwards to Ethiopia.

Flower associations.

Unknown.

Nesting.

Unknown.

Prey.

Unknown.

Figures

Figure 8. a Bembix spp.: Bembix diversipennis, female, male b Bembix flavicincta, female c Bembix fraudulenta, female, male d Bembix fuscipennis, southern melanistic form, female, male e Bembix fuscipennis, northern yellow form, female f Bembix harenarum, female, male. (approximate lengths of females: a 27 mm; b 22.5 mm; c 12.5 mm; d 18.5 mm; e 18 mm; f 15.5 mm)

Figure 9. Distributions of collection records of Bembix spp.: a Bembix diversipennis b Bembix flavicincta c Bembix fraudulenta d Bembix fuscipennis e Bembix gracilens f Bembix harenarum.