Sphex afer, Schmid-Egger, 2019

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 : 462

Sphex afer LEPELETIER de SAINT FARGEAU, 1845, stat.rest. (figs 5, 15, 20)

Sphex afer LEPELETIER DE SAINT FARGEAU, 1845: 350, ♀ (as afra, incorrect original termination). Lectotype: female, Algeria: Oran (MNHN). Restored from synonymy of Sphex leuconotus BRULLÉ, 1833.

M a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: S. afer : Morocco 1 male, 1 female 3.vi.2013. S Ait Mzizoui 34,47N 13,35W (leg. et coll. T. Ljubomirov). S. leuconotus was examined from Greece, Kazsachstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkey (2 females, 4 males, in coll CSE).

R e m a r k: MENKE & PULAWSKI (2000) synonymised S. afer with S. leuconotus BRULLÉ, 1833, described from Greece. However, the present investigation revealed distinct morphological differences in a male from Morocco compared with males from Greece and Central Asia. Apex of S8 is clearly different in these males. For that reason, I consider the male from Morocco as belonging to a different species. Sphex afer is the next available name for it, and the taxon has to be restored from synonymy of S. leuconotus .

The results are also seen against the background that form of S8 is an important character for species recognition in the S. flavipennis species group, clearly different in all species. Another important hint for valuation of the taxonomic rank of these taxa is the large genetic gap between specimens from Europe and from Africa in many Crabronidae and Sphecidae species which makes a state as valid species of the African populations in most of these taxa probable (see discussion under SCHMID- EGGER et. al. 2018).

R e c o g n i t i o n: The male of S. afer has S8 with an obtuse apical angle (fig. 15), whereas the apical angle is acute in S. leuconotus (fig. 14, 4 males examined). Wings are dark in S. afer , and are somewhat yellowish in the S. leuconotus males. The female of S. afer is larger (body length 30 mm) than both examined S. leuconotus females (24-25 mm) from Central Asia, wings are dark and only slightly yellow in colour, whereas they are distinctly yellow in S. leuconotus . Propodeal setae are clearly white and gaster all black in S. leuconotus , and greyish in S. afer with a red gaster base in S. afer . These characters has to be verified with a larger sample, and especially the tergal colour is variable in both species (MENKE & PULAWSKI 2000).

G e o g r a f i c d i s t r i b u t i o n: The general distribution of S. afer is unclear, because I could only examine a single male and female from Morocco. However, information from literature suggests that S. afer occurs in whole North Africa apart from Egypt (MENKE & PULAWSKI 2000), and the European and Asian populations belong to S. leuconotus . The distribution area of the latter reaches Spain in the West, Israel in the South and Kazsachstan in the East.