Sphex ermineus Kohl, 1890

Doerfel, Thorleif H. & Ohl, Michael, 2015, A revision of the Australian digger wasps in the genus Sphex (Hymenoptera, Sphecidae), ZooKeys 521, pp. 1-104 : 54-55

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Sphecidae

Sphex ermineus Kohl, 1890

Sphex ermineus Kohl, 1890: 412, ♀. Syntypes: Australia: Western Australia: Swan River (NHMW). Not examined.

Material examined.

AUSTRALIA:[state unknown]: [no specific locality], 1♀ (ZMB);"North Australia", 1♀ (BMNH); NSW: Bourke, 1♀, 03.01.1954, C. M. Moore (AMS); 25 miles SE of Coonabarabran, 1♀, 01.01.1973, A. Smith (AMS); Round Hill Nature Reserve, 1♀, 26.12.1976, G. Daniels (AMS); NT: Groote Eylandt, 1♀, 28.01.1925, G. H. Wilkins (BMNH); 27.5 km SE of Katherine, 14°34'0"S, 132°28'5"E, 1♂, 08.04.2008, G. Williams & W. Pulawski (AMS); Port Darwin, 1 ♀, 2♂ (BMNH); Stuart Point Road 14.5 km N Arnhem Highway, 12°43.6'S, 131°50.0'E, 1♀, 27.04.2008, W. J. Pulawski & G. A. Williams (CAS); QLD: "North Queensland", 1♂ (BMNH); Bluff Range, Biggenden, 25°36'S, 152°03'E, 1♂, 21.12.1970, H. Frauca (ANIC); Cape York, 1♀, 01.08.1986, N. W. Rodd (AMS); Duaringa, 4♀, 26.12.1946, C. W. Smith (AMS); Goldsborough Road, Mulgrave River, 1♂, 19.01.1962, E. B. Britton & J. G. Brooks (BMNH); Heathlands, 11°45'S, 142°35'E, 1♀, 15.-26.01.1992, I. Naumann & T. Weir (ANIC); WA: Bunbury, 1♂, 01.01.1961, A. Snell (AMS); Marloo Station, 1♀, 02.03.1935, A. Goerling (ZMB).

The collecting localities are shown in Fig. 42D.

Diagnosis.

Sphex ermineus differs from all other Australian Sphex in the combination of a petiole distinctly shorter than flagellomere II, and the dense, long, silvery-white pubescence on the propodeal enclosure that conceals the sculpture. Sphex corporosus has a similar appearance, but its propodeal pubescence is less dense, leaving parts of the sculpture still visible.

Description.

Body length 28.8-30.8 mm. Body black. Wing membrane hyaline, forewing with dark fuscous spot beyond marginal cell. Wing veins black. Distance between hind- ocelli approximately 1.2 × their shortest distance to compound eyes. Pubescence on collar and scutum silvery-white, denser laterally and posteriorly. Propodeal enclosure densely covered with silvery-white pubescence, sculpture completely concealed. Length of petiole approximately 0.9 × length of flagellomere II. Tomentum on metasomal tergum II mostly absent.

Female: Forewing with fuscous band at apex. Forebasitarsal rake with 12 long spines. Free clypeal margin simple, bulging above center. Appressed pubescence on clypeus and frons silvery-white, erect setae on frons silvery-white, most erect setae on clypeus silvery-white, a few light or dark brown. Clypeus medioventrally with glabrous spot. Central area of scutum and scutellum glabrous. Scutellum and metanotum conspicuously flat, without impressions (Fig. 33C). Tomentum on metasomal tergum I moderately dense.

Male: Forewing almost hyaline at apex except for fuscous spot beyond marginal cell. Free clypeal margin concave medially. Appressed pubescence and erect setae on clypeus and frons golden. Clypeus with narrow medial glabrous stripe. Central area of scutum and scutellum pubescent. Tomentum on metasomal tergum I dense. Metasomal sternum I medially densely covered with long, silvery setae. Sterna II–VIII with increasingly dense fringes of silvery setae laterally, sterna VII and VIII completely covered. Metasomal sternum VIII anteriorly with large hole, conspicuously notched apically, its lateral margin concave (Fig. 33B).

Notes on type material.

The type of Sphex ermineus was not examined, because the character combination in the original description (dense silvery-white propodeal pubescence, flat scutellum, flat metanotum) is sufficient to unambiguously identify this species.