Sphex funerarius

Schmid-Egger, Christian, 2019, A review oI the Sphex flavipennis species group (Hymenoptera, Sphecidae) in northwest AIrica with description oI two new species and a discussion oI a species Irom Sardinia, Linzer biologische Beiträge 51 (1), pp. 459-471 : 463

Sphex funerarius GUSSAKOVSKIJ, 1934, figs 3 (4, 10-13)

Sphex funerarius GUSSAKOVSKIJ, 1934: 3, male, female. Lectotype: male, China: Gansu: Bei-lungshui (NRS).

M a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: 5females 8 males from Tunisia, 7 females 15 males from Sardinia, around 100 specimens from remaining Europe and palearctic Asia (all coll. CSE).

R e m a r k: The species occurs in the western palearctic region in three morpho- and colour types (for additional variation in central and eastern Palearctic region see MENKE & PULAWSKI 2000).

Females from Europe and western Asia (except Sardinia) have hindfemur black, red spots on femora are small, and red body colour is not orange but dark red. The females therefore resemble S. maroccanus . Males from this origin have apex of S8 with acute angle (figs. 10, 12, ca. 70 degree), the apex is somewhat pointed. Most specimens have AS 5-10 with placoids, other have also a placoid on AS 4. Number of placoids vary, see MENKE & PULAWSKI (2000) for details.

Females from Sardinia differ from the European mainland specimens as follows: apex of femora, tibiae and tarsi all red; red body colour is more orange red than dark red. These specimens are similar to the females from Tunisia. The apex of S8 of Sardinian males is larger than in other European males, and nearly right angled (fig. 11, 80-85 degree). Apical angle of S8 stands between S. funerarius males from European mainland and males of S. maroccanus . Males have placoids on AS 5-9 (9 specimens) or on AS 5-10 (2 specimens). Specimens from Corsica were not examined but probably also refer to this form, see MENKE & PULAWSKI (2000).

Females from Tunisia are similar in colour pattern to females from Sardinia (legs red apart most part of femora). S8 of these males looks similar to males from European mainland and palearctic Asian (fig. 13). Males have placoids on AS 5-8 (5 specimens) or on AS 5-9 (2 specimens).

Specimens from Sardinia and from European Mainland differ distinctly genetically by appr. 4.5% (fig. 1). This genetic gap in combination with the different form of male S8 gives a hint to a beginning species diversification of the Sardinian population. Because of this large genetic distance is a treatment as valid species of the Sardinian population also possible. However, the subject needs further examination in a larger geographic area, and especially the population from Tunisia has to be examined genetically, because they also may represent a different clade. The form from Cyprus is also distinctive and was described as Sphex maxillosus mavromoustakisi de BEAUMONT, 1947. See MENKE & PULAWSKI (2000) for details.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: S. funerarius s.lat is widespread in the whole western and central Palearctic region and reaches Sweden in the North. Recently the species is expansive in Germany, the northernmost location was Berlin in 2017 (pers. observation). Its distribution in North Africa is not clear. I could only examine S. funerarius from Tunisia, whereas all specimens from southern Morocco, formerly identified as S. funerarius , belong to S. maroccanus . It can be expected that S. funerarius is more widespread in northern Africa.