Bembecinus inexspectatus Pulawski, 2015

Gess, Friedrich W., Pulawski, Wojciech J. & Gess, Sarah K., 2015, A Revision of the rhopalocerus Species Group of Bembecinus Costa (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae: Bembicinae), Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 62 (7), pp. 207-256 : 225-226

Bembecinus inexspectatus Pulawski , sp. nov.

Figures 3f , 11a, b.

NAME DERIVATION. — Inexspectatus is a Latin adjective meaning unexpected; with reference to the fact that the specimens became unexpectedly available to WJP at the very end of this study.

RECOGNITION.— Like hyperocrus and omaruru , inexspectatus has erect setae on tergum I (although these setae are well defined only on the tergum’s side), and subsidiary recognition features are: scape with erect setae along its entire length (except basally), gastral terga predominantly ferruginous, female hindtarsal arolium about 0.25 × length of inner claw. Both sexes differ from hyperocrus in having a yellow apical fascia on terga (which is lacking in hyperocrus ), the male also by an all yellow clypeus (rather than all or partly black) and the absence of setae on most of tergum I and on tergum II dorsally (erect setae present in hyperocrus ), although this may be a secondary loss due to abrasion. Unlike omaruru , the female of inexspectatus has the clypeus black basally (rather than all yellow), whereas the reverse is true for the males: the clypeus is all yellow in inexspectatus , and nearly all black in omaruru . Also, the minimum interocular distance of the female equals 3.2 × that between antennal scrobe and base of clypeus in inexspectatus , while 2.2 × in omaruru , the female clypeus of inexspectatus is roundly angulate near the base in profile (practically not angulate in omaruru ), and male tergum VII is markedly more rounded in inexspectatus than it is in omaruru (compare Figs. 11b and 16 ).

DESCRIPTION.— Head black, with the following yellow: mandible except apex, labrum, clypeus (with black, basal spot in female), face below antenna, narrow strip along eye orbit up to level of midocellus, gena narrowly along orbit, scape, pedicel, and flagellomere I (all three black dorsally), remaining flagellum yellowish brown, brown dorsally; palpi brown. Thorax black with the following yellow: pronotal collar, pronotal lobe, narrow adlateral streak on scutum, tegula, triangular lateral spot on scutellum, posterior half of metanotum, and spot on mesopleuron (large in female, in male dorsoventrally elongate, its height equal 1.5 × of midocellar width). Propodeum black, with posterolateral margin yellow mesally. Gaster ferruginous, with pale yellow apical bands on terga; anterior declivity of tergum I black, expanded posteromesally in male. Legs yellow, posterior surface of forefemur black in male (except dorsally, ventrally, and apically). Wings hyaline, vein Sc+R dark brown, other veins light brown.

Scape covered with erect setae along its entire length (except basally). Setae of tergum II erect laterally (as in Fig. 10b ).

♀.— Length about 9.1–9. 3 mm. Ocular index 2.4–2.7. Minimum interocular distance equal to 3.2 × that between antennal scrobe and base of clypeus. Distance between posterior ocelli 1.1–1.2 × distance between posterior ocellus and eye margin. Clypeus roundly angulate near base in profile, its width at insertion of mandibles 1.8 × its midline. Labrum roundly triangular, its greatest width about 1.0 × midlength. Hindtarsal arolium as long as one quarter of inner claw.

♂.— Length about 11.2 mm. Ocular index 2.5. Minimum interocular distance equal to 2.3 × that between antennal scrobe and base of clypeus. Distance between posterior ocelli 1.6 × distance between posterior ocellus and eye margin. Width of clypeus at insertion of mandibles 1.6 × its midline. Labrum roundly triangular, its greatest width 1.1 × midlength. Apical flagellomere simple. Tergum VII obtusely rounded ( Fig. 11b ).

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — HOLOTYPE: ♀, SOUTH AFRICA: Northern Cape Province: Putsonderwater , October 1939, Mus. Staff [ SAMC] ( SAMC) . PARATYPES: same data as holotype (1 ♂, SAMC; 1 ♀, CAS) .

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION.— Known from one locality in the Nama-Karoo of the Northern Cape Province of South Africa ( Fig. 24f ).

FLORAL ASSOCIATIONS.— Unknown.

NESTING.— Unknown.

PREY.— Unknown.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Bembecinus spp.: a – damarensis, female, male, b – gariepensis, female, male, c – gilvus, female, male, d – helicicola, female; e – hyperocrus, female, male, f – inexpectatus, female, male. (approximate lengths of females: a. 12 mm, b. 11.5 mm, 9 mm, d. 10 mm, e. 10 mm, f. 9.2 mm).

FIGURE 11. Bembecinus inexspectatus: a – female clypeus in profile, b – male tergum VII.

FIGURE 16. Bembecinus omaruru: tergum VII of male.

FIGURE 10. Bembecinus hyperocrus: a – female clypeus in profile (arrow indicates the roundly angular portion), b – left side of female terga I and II, c – dorsal parts of male terga I and II in profile, d – male tergum VII.

FIGURE 24. Collecting records of Bembecinus spp.: a – damarensis, b – gariepensis, c – gilvus, d – helicicola, e – hyperocrus, f – inexpectatus.