Sphex cinerascens Dahlbom, 1843

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 : 28-30

Sphex cinerascens Dahlbom, 1843

Figs 38 , 47 (red)

Sphex cinerascens Dahlbom, 1843: 25 , ♂.

Differential diagnosis

This species has anteriorly-oriented erect propodeal setae as in members of the gaullei group, though genetic analyses show that it is more distantly related to the gaullei group than members of that group’s presumed sister taxon, the s atanas group. Thus, S. cinerascens is treated separately here.

Females can be distinguished from all other African Sphex by having a conspicuous process medially at the clypeal margin. Males possess a comparable structure, though those of the umtalicus group are also recognizable by having a tooth at the free clypeal margin. However, their erect propodeal setae are oriented perpendicularly, and their erect facial setae are black, whereas they are silvery in S. cinerascens . Both sexes are also characterized through the relative length of their petiole, which measures significantly more than 3.5× its width. In almost all other species, the ratio between petiole length and width is usually less than 3.2, except for S. pruinosus where this value can be up to 4, but that species is distinguished through its absence of a process at the free clypeal margin and having more or less distinct transversal ridges on the propodeum.

Material examined

Presumed syntypes (photographs of MZLU specimen examined) GUINEA • 1 ♂; Westermann leg.; MZLU • 1 ♂; Westermann leg.; ZMB .

Other material

AFRICA • 1 ♀; W Nile lowlands; Sep. 1929; G.D.H. Carpenter leg.; BMNH .

BENIN – Atlantique Department • 1 ♂; Godomey ; [6°22ʹ N, 2°21ʹ E]; 24 Jun. 1968; J. Hamon leg.; MNHN • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding but 29 Jun. 1968; MNHN . – Littoral Department • 1 ♂; Cotonou ; [6°22ʹ N, 2°26ʹ E]; 5 Dec. 1988; G.G.M. Schulten leg.; RMNH . – Zou Department • 1 ♂; Zangnanado , Ouémé River ; [7°12ʹ59.2ʺ N, 2°28ʹ20.3ʺ E]; 15 Apr. 2000; J. Halada leg.; THD-031- OOLM; GenBank CO1 gene: MW538554 ; OÖLM • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; OÖLM .

BURKINA FASO – Cascades Region • 1 ♀; Tingréla, Banfora ; [10°38ʹ31.7ʺ N, 4°49ʹ50.9ʺ W]; 20 Dec. 1967; J. Hamon leg.; MNHN . – Hauts-Bassins Region • 1 ♂; Koro ; [11°09ʹ N, 4°12ʹ W]; 10 Dec. 1967; J. Hamon leg.; MNHN • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding but 18 May 1968; MNHN. – Sahel Region • 2 ♂♂; 15 km SE of Gorom Gorom; 14°21.4ʹ N, 0°7.9ʹ W; 28 Jul. 2004; Sidiki Konaté and W.J. Pulawski leg.; CAS • 1 ♂; 30 km SE of Dori; 13°50.3ʹ N, 0°08ʹ W; 30 Jul. 2004; Sidiki Konaté and W.J. Pulawski leg.; CAS .

CHAD – N’Djamena Region • 1 ♂; N’Djamena ; [12°06ʹ47ʺ N, 15°02ʹ57ʺ E]; 22 Jun.–6 Jul. 1978; G.G.M. Schulten leg.; RMNH .

GAMBIA – Banjul • 2 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀; Banjul ; [13°27ʹ09ʺ N, 16°34ʹ40ʺ W]; 10–23 Nov. 1983; K.M. Guichard leg.; BMNH • 1 ♀; Fajara S.L. ; [13°28ʹ12ʺ N, 16°41ʹ47ʺ W]; 10–23 Nov. 1983; K.M. Guichard leg.; BMNH .

GHANA – Greater Accra Region • 1 ♀; Accra ; [5°33ʹ21ʺ N, 0°11ʹ48ʺ W]; 1941; K.M. Guichard leg.; BMNH • 3 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀; Labadi ; [5°34ʹ12ʺ N, 0°09ʹ21ʺ W]; 27 Apr. 1941; K.M. Guichard leg.; BMNH .

MALI – Mopti Region • 3 ♂♂, 1 ♀; 10 km S of Mopti ; [14°22ʹ11.4ʺ N, 4°08ʹ56.3ʺ W]; 7 Aug. 1991; M. Schwarz leg.; OÖLM • 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding but 8 Aug. 1991; OÖLM • 4 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding but 10 Aug. 1991; OÖLM • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding but 20 Aug. 1991; OÖLM . – Ségou Region • 1 ♀; 60 km SW of Ségou; [13°00ʹ44ʺ N, 6°41ʹ18.3ʺ W]; 1 Aug. 1991; M. Schwarz leg.; OÖLM • 1 ♀; 70 km SE of Ségou; [12°59ʹ29.6ʺ N, 5°45ʹ45.2ʺ W]; 2 Aug. 1991; M. Schwarz leg.; OÖLM • 1 ♀; Markala, Niger River ; [13°40ʹ26ʺ N, 6°04ʹ30ʺ W]; 11 Jul. 1968; J. Hamon leg.; MNHN .

NIGER – Dosso Region • 1 ♂; 100 mi. SE of Niamey; [12°32ʹ N, 3°15ʹ38.5ʺ E]; 25 Oct. 1975; G. Popov leg.; BMNH .

REPUBLIC OF CÔTE D’IVOIRE – Lagunes District • 2 ♀♀; 40 km S of Toumodi; [6°10ʹ37ʺ N, 4°56ʹ21ʺ W]; 21 Jan. 1991; W.J. Pulawski leg.; CAS .

SENEGAL – Fatick Region • 1 ♀; G. de Bandiala ; [13°39ʹ40ʺ N, 16°34ʹ26ʺ W]; 8–12 Dec. 1997; K.M. Guichard leg.; BMNH . – Kaolack Region • 1 ♂; Nioro du Rip ; [13°45ʹ N, 15°48ʹ W]; Aug. 1984; BMNH • 1 ♂; Saboya, Nioro ; 18 Sep. 1969; J. Hamon leg.; MNHN . – Saint-Louis Region • 1 ♀; Richard Toll ; [16°28ʹ N, 15°41ʹ W]; Nov. 1967; A. Descarpentries, T. Leye and A. Villiers leg.; MNHN .

TOGO – Maritime Region • 1 ♀; Agbodrafo ; [6°12ʹ05ʺ N, 1°28ʹ44ʺ E]; 10 Nov. 1990; G.G.M. Schulten leg.; RMNH • 1 ♀; Lomé , dunes ; [6°07ʹ55ʺ N, 1°13ʹ22ʺ E]; 3 Apr. 1976; G.G.M. Schulten leg.; RMNH .

Description

Female

SIZE. 16.4–20.1 mm.

COLOR. Black except for the following, which are ferruginous: basal half of mandible, femora and mid- and hindlegs from tibia onward. Cellular wing area hyaline, basal wing half with yellow tinge, apical margin of forewing fuscous.

VESTITURE. Appressed and erect setae on clypeus, paraocular area, collar, scutum and propodeal enclosure silvery-golden. Erect propodeal setae oriented anteriorly. Clypeus without glabrous spot. Scutellum densely and finely pubescent.

STRUCTURE. Free clypeal margin medially with broad, gently notched tooth, not stepped above. Clypeus without indentation or carina. Scutellum convex. Metanotum slightly raised, not bituberculate. 2 nd

recurrent vein joins markedly proximal from interstitium between submarginal cells II and III. Propodeal enclosure without any notable ridges. Foretarsomere I 2.6–2.8× length of antepenultimate spine. Petiole length 3.8–4.1× its medial width.

Male

SIZE. 15.5–18.4 mm.

COLOR. Black except for the following, which are ferruginous: stripe in center of mandible and mid- and hindlegs from tibia onward. Cellular wing area hyaline, basal half with yellow tinge. Apical margin of forewing fuscous.

VESTITURE. Appressed and erect setae on clypeus, paraocular area, collar and scutum silvery, on propodeal enclosure silvery-golden. Erect propodeal setae oriented anteriorly. Clypeus without glabrous spot. Scutellum densely and finely pubescent.

STRUCTURE. Free clypeal margin with single tooth. Scutellum convex. Metanotum slightly raised, not bituberculate. 2 nd recurrent vein joins markedly proximal from interstitium between submarginal cells II and III. Propodeal enclosure without any notable 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 3.8–5.6× its medial width. Flagellomeres IV– VI with narrow placoids, comprising two disconnected parts on IV and being entire on V and VI.

Variation

Unknown.

Distribution

Western Africa.

Remarks

This species is very similar to the Oriental S. obscurus (Fabricus, 1804) , with which it had previously been synonymized ( van der Vecht 1961). However, locality records and a few characters specific to males suggest that they are actually two different species.

The syntypes of S. cinerascens in the collection of the ZMB and MZLU, both males and collected in Guinea by Westermann, along with specimens collected more recently at other Western African localities, differ from Oriental material of S. obscurus in two aspects. Firstly, the African form has a notable tooth medially on the free clypeal margin, which the Oriental species lacks. Secondly, while its placoid pattern seems to be variable, the African species has placoids that cover the entire length of flagellomeres V and VI, as well as a partial or entire placoid on flagellomere IV or sometimes one on flagellomere III that can be narrowed medially. In contrast, the placoid configuration in two examined Oriental specimens and several individuals from the Arabian Peninsula matches the description in van der Vecht (1961) of the lectotype of S. obscurus , with about the basal 30% of flagellomeres V and VI being covered.

Figures

Figs 33–40. 33–37. Frontal view of faces in females of the umtalicus and meridionalis group. 33. Sphex umtalicus Strand, 1916. 34. S. haemorrhoidalis Fabricius, 1781. 35. S. victoria sp. nov. 36. S. meridionalis (Arnold, 1947).37. S. nefrens sp. nov.38. S. cinerascens Dahlbom, 1843 habitus of ♂. 39–40. S. paulinierii Guérin-Méneville, 1843, ♂. 39. Habitus. 40. Mesosomal side (anterior = left).

Figs 41–48. 41–42, 45. Sphex erythrinus (Guiglia, 1939). 43–44, 46. Sphex feijeni nom. nov. 41, 43. Habitus of ♀. 42, 44. Habitus of ♂. 45–46. Male genitalia. 47. Geographic distribution of S. cinerascens Dahlbom, 1843 (red), S. paulinierii Guérin-Méneville, 1843 (blue),S. erythrinus (yellow) and S. feijeni nom. nov. (purple). 48. Geographic distribution of S. fumicatus Christ, 1791.