Sphex dorsalis Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau, 1845

Buys, Sandor Christiano, 2020, Morphological studies on the last instar larvae of three South American species of Sphecidae (Hymenoptera: Apoidea), Zootaxa 4885 (2), pp. 259-265 : 263-264

Sphex dorsalis Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau, 1845

Last instar larva

( Fig. 13 )

Head: Height 770 mm, width 650 mm. Coronal suture short. Parietal bands light brown; about 490 mm long and 25 mm wide. Antennal orbits not pigmented; approximately circular; 55 mm in diameter. Frontal concavities developed; antennal concavities reduced, not pigmented; clypeal concavities indistinct. Genal area with 25/27 punctures; without setae. Frontal area with about 10 punctures; without setae. Clypeal area with about 30 punctures and nine setae (6–8 mm long). Anterior tentorial arms not pigmented, pleurostoma and hypostoma lightly pigmented.

Mouthparts: Labrum bilobed; 220 mm in height and 560 mm in width; with about 50 punctures; setae absent. Epipharynx with spines on lateral, basal and median portions, spines up to 18 mm long; spines on median portion facing to base of labrum; marginal pigmented band about 25 mm in maximum width, with 20 sensilla; sensorial areas not pigmented, with 5 sensilla (5–8 mm in diameter). Mandibles 600 mm long; basal portion with four punctures; similar in shape to Sphex opacus . Maxillae without pigmented portions; with few inconspicuous setae (up to 13 mm long) on lateral and ventral portions; basal area with spines and short flattened papillae, each with two marginal spines (spines 2–5 mm long); maxillary palpi 63 mm wide and 40 mm long; galeae 63 mm wide and 75 mm long; lacinial area with spines (up to 8 mm long). Labium 550 mm wide; brown in lateral portions; dorsal portion slightly papillose; ventral portion with about 15 setae (8–15 mm long); labial palpi 45 mm wide, 50 mm long; labial projection of spinnerets unpigmented.

Body: Greyish white. Dorsiventrally flattened; curved. Length about 13 mm; maximum width 4.5 mm (segment AVI). Similar in shape to Sphex opacus , but spiracular depression indistinct. It was not possible to measure the diameter of the spiracles.

Figures

FIGURES 13. Last instar larva of Sphex dorsalis, lateral view.