Sphex ahasverus 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 : 41

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Sphecidae

Sphex ahasverus Kohl, 1890

Sphex ahasverus Kohl, 1890: 397, ♀. Holotype or syntypes: Australia: southern Australia: no specific locality (NHMW). Presumed holotype examined.

Material examined.

Holotype (presumed). ♀, AUSTRALIA:SA: [no specific locality], 1804, Fichtel (NHMW).

Diagnosis.

This species (of which only the female is known) is unique among the members of the Sphex subtruncatus group in the distance between hind- ocelli being less than 60 % of their shortest distance to the compound eyes. Also, the combination of dense, erect, short black setae on the scutum and the dense golden pubescence on the propodeum makes it easy to identify.

Description.

Female: Body length 29.4 mm. Body black. Wing membrane with brown tinge, forewing also with slightly darker band at apex. Wing veins brown. Forebasitarsal rake with eight long spines; it is, however, likely that at least one additional spine was present, but has broken off. Free clypeal margin with two inconspicuous lobes medially, distance between them less than 1/8 length of flagellomere II. Appressed pubescence on clypeus and frons golden, long erect setae black. Clypeus with narrow medial glabrous stripe. Distance between hind- ocelli less than 0.6 × their shortest distance to compound eyes. Pubescence on collar silvery. Scutum with short black pubescence which is denser laterally than medially. Scutellum convex, with shallow medial impression. Propodeum with dense, appressed pubescence and longer, more sparse, erect golden setae. Propodeal sculpture completely concealed by pubescence. Length of petiole 1.5 × length of flagellomere II. Tomentum moderately dense on metasomal tergum I and II.

Male: Unknown.

Geographic distribution.

Sphex ahasverus is known solely from the type locality, which is listed only as South Australia.