Bembecinus pakhuisae R. Bohart, 1997

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 : 234-236

Bembecinus pakhuisae R. Bohart

Figures 4f , 17a-c. Bembecinus pakhuisae R. Bohart, 1997:168 , ♀ ♂. Holotype: ♂, SouthAfrica: Western Cape Province: Pakhuis

Pass ( UCDC), examined by W. Pulawski.— S. Gess and F. Gess, 2003:116 (floral records), 2014:210

(nest situation); Pulawski, 2014:26 (in catalog of world Sphecidae sensu lato).

RECOGNITION. — Bembecinus pakhuisae has the scutum all black mesally, an all black mesopleuron, and the gastral terga black with yellow apical fasciae, without ferruginous gastral terga (in some males, yellow tergal fasciae may occupy most of tergal length). The female can be recognized by its all or partly black clypeus except for a narrow yellow stripe basally (unlike that of hyperocrus in which the clypeus has no basal yellow stripe and, in addition, the terga are ferruginous). In the male, the apical flagellomere is curved and excavated (Fig. 17b), but markedly less so than in damarensis and mutabilis (see Figs 6c and 13b). For differences with zebratus , see the latter species.

MATERIAL EXAMINED.— SOUTH AFRICA: Northern Cape Province: Namaqualand: Richtersveld National Park, Koeroegabvlakte at 28°11′S 17°03′E, 3.x.1995, F.W., S.K. and R.W. Gess (5 ♀, 6 ♂, AMGS), same locality, 17– 21 and 24.ix.1995, F.W., S.K. and R.W. Gess (2 ♂ on deep pink

flowers of Hermbstaedtia glauca (Wendl.) Reichb.

ex Steudl., Amaranthaceae ) (7 ♀, 9 ♂, AMGS) ,

same locality, 6.ix.1996, F.W., S.K. and R.W. Gess

(1 ♀, 21 ♂, AMGS); Bloukrans Farm near Spring-

bok at 29°43′S 17°55′E, 7.x.1974, R.H. Watmough

(7 ♀, 2 ♂, PPRI); [Springbok], Hester Malan [now

Geogap] Nature Reserve at 29.17Db [Degree Refer-

ence System (Leistner and Morris 1976) =

29°30′–45′S 17°35′–49′E], M. Struck, 4.x.1987 (1

♀, PPRI) and 15–18.x.1987 (1 ♂, PPRI); Springbok ,

Hester Malan [now Goegap] Nature Reserve,

17.ix.1983, V. B. Whitehead (1 ♂, SAMC), same

locality, 4.ix.1986, M. Struck (2 ♂, AMGS), same

locality, 5.ix.1986, M. Struck (I ♀, AMGS), same

locality, 20.x.1986, M. Struck (one stylopized) (2 ♀,

AMGS), same locality, 17.xi.1986, M. Struck (1 ♀,

AMGS), same locality, 10.x.1987, M. Struck (1 ♀,

1 ♂, AMGS), same locality, 31.x.1987, M. Struck

(1 ♂, AMGS), same locality, 15–21.x.1987, F.W .

and S.K. Gess (1 ♀ stylopized, 1 ♀ from nest, prey

in gelatin capsule on separate pin, Issidae

(Homoptera), adults and nymphs) (9 ♀, 9 ♂,

AMGS), same locality, 10–12.x.1988, F.W. Gess

and S.K. Gess (1 ♀ stylopized) (7 ♀, 5 ♂, AMGS) ,

same locality and dates, D.W. Gess (3 ♀ stylopized)

(23 ♀, 16 ♂, AMGS), same locality, 10–11.x.1989 ,

F.W. Gess and S.K. Gess (2 ♀ stylopized) (8 ♀,

13 ♂, AMGS), same locality and dates, D.W. Gess

(I ♀ stylopized) (2 ♀, 12 ♂, AMGS); Anenous,

12.x.1989, F.W. and S.K. Gess (1♀, AMGS) ;

Nababeep, 12–13.x.1089, F.W. and S.K. Gess (1 ♂,

AMGS); W end of Wildeperdehoek Pass, 14.x.1989 ,

F.W.and S.K. Gess (1 ♂, AMGS); Mesklip ,

1.x.1985, F.W. and S.K. Gess (1 ♂, AMGS); FIGURE 17 . Bembecinus pakhuisae : a – female terbetween Kamieskroon and Springbok , x.1939, Mus. gum I showing color pattern, b – apical flgellomeres Staff (2 ♂, SAMC); Farm Arkoep 6 km N of male, c – male tergum VII .

Kamieskroon at 30°19′S 17°56′E, 1–2.x.1990, C.D. Eardley (6 ♀, 1 ♂, PPRI) ; Farm Dassiefontein near Kamieskroon at 30°09’ S 17°59′E, 1.x.1990, C.D. Eardley (2 ♂, PPRI) ; Bowesdorp , ix.1941, Museum Staff [ SAMC] (9 ♂, SAMC) ; Kamieskroon , ix.1930, Museum Staff [ SAMC] (5 ♀, 7 ♂, SAMC) ; Garies , 27.ix.1970, H. and M. Townes (2 ♂, AEI) , same locality, 30.ix.1970, H. and M. Townes (1 ♂, AEI) ; 15 km N the on road to Loriesfontein , 3–8.x.1989, D.W. Gess (1 ♂, AMGS) ; Augustfontein ( Calvinia ), ix.1947, Museum Exedition [ SAMC] (1 ♀, 1 ♂, SAMC) ; Niewoudville Flower Reserve at 31°22′18.4″S 19°08′58.2″E, 26.ix.2006, K. Timmermann (1 ♀, BMNH) . Western Cape Province: Pakhuis Pass , 7.x.1975, R.M. Bohart (23 ♀, 40 ♂, UCDC, holotype and paratypes of Bembecinus pakhuisae ); E Pakhuis Pass, ix.1947, Museum Expedition [ SAMC] (1 ♂, SAMC) ; 5 km W Clanwilliam on road to Graafwater , 12.x.1987, F.W. and S.K. Gess (2 ♂, AMGS) ; Clanwilliam Dam, 3–7.x.1988, D.W. Gess (3 ♂, AMGS) ; Clanwilliam Dam ,

Caleta Cove, 19–20.x.1989, F.W. and S.K. Gess (on flowers of Athanasia trifurcata (Linnaeus) Linnaeus , Asteraceae ) (1 ♀, AMGS); Moordenaars Karoo, Lammerfontein, x.1952, Museum Expedition [ SAMC] (1 ♂, SAMC) .

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION.— Known from the winter rainfall Succulent Karoo from the Richtersveld, Namaqualand south through Namaqualand and the Olifant’s River Valley, east into the Cederberg and west into the sandveld, and from the Moordenaars Karoo ( Fig. 25f ).

FLORAL ASSOCIATIONS.— Visiting flowers of two families: Asteraceae ( Athanasia trifurcata (Linnaeus) Linnaeus ) (label data, see Material Examined; S. Gess and F. Gess 2003) and Amaranthaceae ( Hermbstaedtia glauca (Wendl.) Reichb. ex Steudl. ) (label data, see Material Examined).

NESTING.— Nesting in friable soil in the sides of runoff channels in Goegap Reserve, near Springbok. Six nests were investigated (S. Gess). Burrows sloping, with single sub-horizontal cell, angle of slope varied between nests, cell leaves shaft at an angle. Diameter of shaft 5.0–5. 5 mm, diameter of cell 8 mm, length of cell 25 mm, cell depths 35–55 mm. Tumulus of excavated sand 20 mm from entrance, 45 mm long, 25 mm across. On entering and leaving the nest female opens and closes burrow. Cell of nest 87/88/20 provisioned. In cell of completed nest 87/88/23 cocoon, shaft filled with sand. (F. Gess and S. Gess, field notes 87/88/20–25, AMGS).

PREY.— Issidae (Homoptera) , nymphs and adults (17 specimens in gelatin capsule, pinned with same data as nest builder 87/88/20, AMGS).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Bembecinus spp.: a – karasanus, female, male, b – mutabilis, female, male; c – namaquensis, male; d – namibius, female, male; e – omaruru, female, male; f – pakhuisae, female, male.(approximate lengths of females: a. 11 mm, b. 10.5 mm, c. male 11.8 mm, d. 9.7 mm, e. 11.3 mm, f. 15 mm).

FIGURE 6. Bembecinus damarensis: a – female forefemur, b – female tergum I showing color pattern, c – apical flagellomere of male, d – male tergum VII.

FIGURE 25. Collecting records of Bembecinus spp.: a – karasanus, b – mutabilis, c – namaquensis, d – namibius, e – omaruru, f – pakhuisae.