Sphex nefrens, Dörfel & Ohl, 2022

Dörfel, Thorleif H. & Ohl, Michael, 2022, The wasp genus Sphex in Sub-Saharan Africa (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 796 (1), pp. 1-170 : 155-157

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5852/ejt.2022.796.1665

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:76C5C9C4-C6C1-4EDC-8FF8-9828A6EF2040

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6535936

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/9CE718A7-DF94-4037-8413-4147FC20B705

taxon LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:act:9CE718A7-DF94-4037-8413-4147FC20B705

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Sphex nefrens
status

sp. nov.

Sphex nefrens sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:9CE718A7-DF94-4037-8413-4147FC20B705

Figs 37 View Figs 33–40. 33–37 , 123 View Figs 119–123. 119–120 (purple), 125–126

Differential diagnosis

This species ( Figs 125–126 View Figs 124–128. 124–125, 127 ) is very similar to S. meridionalis ( Fig. 124 View Figs 124–128. 124–125, 127 ), as both are characterized by having perpendicularly-oriented and anteriorly-curved erect propodeal setae (compare Fig. 4 View Figs 1–6. 1–3 ) combined with a finely pubescent scutellum ( Fig. 8 View Figs 7–12. 7–8 ). Members of the umtalicus group have the erect propodeal setae oriented the same way, but are distinguished by their more coarsely-pubescent scutellum ( Figs 3–4 View Figs 1–6. 1–3 ).

Female members of S. meridionalis have rich golden appressed setae on the paraocular area, and their clypeal setae are partially golden as well, but mostly dark ( Fig. 36 View Figs 33–40. 33–37 ). On the other hand, females of S. nefrens sp. nov. possess uniformly brassy appressed setae on the paraocular region and clypeus ( Fig. 37 View Figs 33–40. 33–37 ). Female S. decipiens somewhat resemble them in their scutellar vestiture and propodeal sculpture, but have the erect propodeal setae oriented anteriorly and the clypeus almost entirely black, occasionally with a ferruginous margin ( Fig. 101 View Figs 100–105. 100–101 ), as opposed to a completely ferruginous clypeus in S. meridionalis and in the final member of the meridionalis group, S. occidentalis sp. nov. Sphex occidentalis sp. nov. is distinguished from the other taxa by its ferruginous collar, scutellum and metanotum ( Fig. 127 View Figs 124–128. 124–125, 127 ).

Male specimens of this species ( Fig. 126 View Figs 124–128. 124–125, 127 ) and S. meridionalis cannot yet be reliably distinguished based on morphology. They resemble S. decipiens ( Fig. 100 View Figs 100–105. 100–101 ) more than their female counterparts do and are most easily differentiated from that species by the presence of a shorter, wider petiole, appressed golden facial setae and a different placoid pattern. Males of S. occidentalis sp. nov. are recognizable through having part of their flagellum, legs and thoracical dorsum ferruginous ( Fig. 128 View Figs 124–128. 124–125, 127 ).

Etymology

‘ Nefrens ’ is a Latin adjective that translates to ‘toothless’ and refers to the absence of a tooth-like process on the free clypeal margin in the male of this species, whereas in contrast the process is present in the somewhat similar males of the umtalicus group.

Material examined

Holotype KENYA – Taita-Taveta County • ♀; Voi; 3°24ʹ S, 38°33.2ʹ E; 21–22 May 2000; V.F. Lee and W.J. Pulawski leg.; CAS. GoogleMaps

Paratypes

KENYA – Kitui County • 1 ♂; E of Mwingi; [0°56ʹ S, 38°03ʹ E]; 14 May 2007; M. Halada leg.; THD- 015-OOLM ; GenBank CO1 gene: MW538565 View Materials ; GenBank EF-1α gene: MW558241 View Materials ; GenBank LWR gene: MW582280 View Materials ; OÖLM GoogleMaps 2 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding; OÖLM GoogleMaps 1 ♂; Mwingi, Kangonde vadi ; [0°56ʹ S, 38°03ʹ E]; 18 Apr. 2007; M. Halada leg.; OÖLM GoogleMaps . – Migori County • 1 ♂; E shore of Victoria Nyanza, near Karungu; [0°50ʹ35ʺ S, 34°09ʹ23ʺ E]; 28–29 Apr. 1911; S.A. Neave leg.; BMNH GoogleMaps . – Taita-Taveta County • 1 ♂; Taita Hill Discovery Centre ; 3°42.3ʹ S, 38°46.6ʹ E; 13–14 Dec. 2002; W.J. Pulawski leg.; CAS GoogleMaps 1 ♂; E of Taveta; [3°24ʹ S, 37°41ʹ E]; 7 Apr. 2007; M. Halada leg.; OÖLM GoogleMaps 4 ♂♂; same collection data as for holotype; CAS GoogleMaps 1 ♂; Voi River; [3°23ʹ26ʺ S, 38°34ʹ37ʺ E]; 14 Apr. 2007; M. Halada leg.; OÖLM GoogleMaps .

SOUTH AFRICA – Eastern Cape • 1 ♀; Queenstown; [31°53ʹ51ʺ S, 26°52ʹ31ʺ E]; 16 Jan.–10 Feb. 1923; R.E. Turner leg.; BMNH GoogleMaps .

TANZANIA • 1 ♀; Serengeti ; [2°20ʹ S, 34°34ʹ E]; 5 May 2008; A.R.E. Sinclair leg.; ZMB. – Manyara Region GoogleMaps 1 ♂; “ Massai-Nyika ; Mgera-Burunge ”; Sep. 1893; O. Neumann leg.; ZMB. – Mbeya Region 1 ♂; near Majombe; 8°50ʹ13ʺ S, 33°57ʹ27ʺ E; 29 Feb. 2008; J. Oehlke leg.; coll. Jacobs. GoogleMaps

Description

Female

SIZE. 21.5–22.7 mm.

COLOR. Black except for the following, which are ferruginous: basal half of mandible, scape, pedicel, flagellomeres I–IV and basal half of V, clypeus and legs from apical half of femora onward. Wings fuscous, forewing with violet iridescence.

VESTITURE. Appressed setae on clypeus and paraocular area brassy, on collar, scutum and propodeal enclosure black. Erect setae on clypeus and paraocular region ferruginous to black, on collar, scutum and propodeal enclosure black. Erect propodeal setae oriented perpendicularly, slightly curved towards anterior. Center of clypeus glabrous. Scutellum densely and finely pubescent.

STRUCTURE. Free clypeal margin medially with broad, notched tooth, stepped above. Clypeus with indentation in lower center, without carina. Scutellum convex. Metanotum raised, not notably bituberculate. 2 nd recurrent vein joins markedly proximal from interstitium between submarginal cells II and III. Propodeal enclosure with numerous very fine transversal ridges. Foretarsomere I 3.0–3.2× length of antepenultimate spine. Petiole length 0.9–1.2 × its medial width.

Male

SIZE. 20.0– 21.3 mm.

COLOR. Black except for the following, which are ferruginous: basal half of mandible, free clypeal margin medially and apical segment of metasoma. Wings fuscous, with violet iridescence.

VESTITURE. Appressed setae on clypeus and paraocular region silvery, on collar, scutum and propodeal enclosure black. Erect setae on clypeus, paraocular region, collar, scutum and propodeal enclosure black. Erect propodeal setae oriented perpendicularly, slightly curved towards anterior. Lower center of clypeus glabrous. Scutellum densely and finely pubescent.

STRUCTURE. Free clypeal margin medially concave. Scutellum convex. Metanotum raised, not notably bituberculate. 2 nd recurrent vein joins markedly proximal from interstitium between submarginal cells II and III. Propodeal enclosure with numerous very fine transversal ridges. Posterior margin of metasomal tergum VII convex. Posterior margin of metasomal sternum VII simple, of metasomal sternum VIII triangular. Penis valvae without conspicuous modifications. Petiole length 1.6× its medial width. Flagellomere V with narrow placoid covering almost its entire length.

Variation

Unknown.

Distribution

Eastern and southern Africa.

BMNH

United Kingdom, London, The Natural History Museum [formerly British Museum (Natural History)]

CAS

California Academy of Sciences

ZMB

Museum für Naturkunde Berlin (Zoological Collections)

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Vespidae

Genus

Sphex

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