Sphex praedator F. SMITH 1858

Dollfuss, H., 2008, The Sphecini Wasps of the Genera Chilosphex BOHART & MENKE, Isodontia PATTON, Palmodes KOHL, Prionyx VANDER LINDEN and Sphex LINNAEUS of the " Biologiezentrum Linz " - Collection in Linz, Austria, (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Sphecidae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 40 (2), pp. 1399-1434 : 1429-1430

Sphex praedator F. SMITH 1858 11, 15

The following Asian specimens are running in the key of HENSEN 1991: 26 to S. praedator .

I n d i a:1, Tamil Nadu , 11 km SE Kotagirt Kunchapani, 1100m, 11°24’N 76°56’E, V.2003, leg. Pacholatko ; 1, Tamil Nadu , Nilgiris, 15 km SE Kotagiri Kunchappanai, 900m, 11°22’N 76°56’E, 7.-22.V.2000, leg. Rolcik.

I n d o n e s i a:2, W-Java, Bogor, Bot. Gard., 14.XII.1960, leg. Hamann; 1, W-Sumatra, Mt. Singgalang Annai Valley n.f., 500m, 14.X.2005, leg. Jakl.

M a l a y s i a:1, 1, Pahang Banjaran Bnom Mts., 20 km S Kampong Ulu Dong, 17.-23.IV.1997, leg. Cechovsky.

These African specimens are running in the key of ARNOLD 1928: 343 to S. luteipennis MOCSARY 1883 which is a synonym of S. praedator . Yet the male genitals and the black hairs on the sternites are quite different in African and Asian specimens. V.d. VECHT 1973: 348 " The specimens recorded as S. luteipennis from Africa by KOHL (1890), BERLAND (1927: 153), and ARNOLD (1928: 363) have been misidentified and belong to one more different species". Further examinations should be done to clear up this synonymy.

R S A 2, 6, Kwazulu Natal , 20 km S Bergville, 5.II.2001, leg. Snizek ; 2, 2, Mpumalanga Waterval Boven , 10.-11.II.2000, leg. J. Halada ; 1, Kw. Natal, Eshove env., 5.- 6.II.2000, leg. J. Halada ; 2, 1, Pretoria City , 12.II.2000, leg. J. Halada ; 1, Kw. Natal, S Port Shepstone 20 km W, 2.II.2000, leg. J. Halada ; 1, Pretoria , 5 km S Brits, 20.I.2000, leg. J. Halada ; 1, Kw. Natal E, 20 km NW Nongoma forest, 8.II.2000, leg. J. Halada.

Z a m b i a: 1, 60 km W Solwezi, 4.-8.I.2003, leg. J. Halada; 1, 50 km W Chingola, 1.-2.I.2003, leg. J. Halada.

Z i m b a b w e:1, Harare env., 20.I.1998, leg. Ma. Halada.