Bembix massaica Cameron, 1908

Gess, Friedrich W. & Gess, Sarah K., 2014, Geographical distributions of Bembix (Hymenoptera, Crabronidae, Bembicinae) in southern Africa, with notes on biology, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 36, pp. 53-130 : 83

Bembix massaica Cameron Fig. 10

Bembex massaica Cameron, 1908: 290, ♂, ♀ (Syntypes, Tanzania, Mt Meru lowlands, Ngare na nyuki, and Tanganyika [Tanzania], Usambara Mts, Mombo, in NMBZ); Turner 1917a: 439 (as synonym of Bembex forcipata ); Arnold 1929: 365 (in revision of southern African Sphecidae ); Arnold 1930: 21 (in checklist of Afrotropical Sphecidae ); Arnold 1933: 359 (Ethiopia).

Bembix massaica Cameron & Guiglia, 1943: 75 (Ethiopia, Gamo Gofa, Caschei); R. Bohart and Menke 1976: 546 (in checklist of world Sphecidae , as synonym of Bembex forcipata ); Pulawski 2013: 44 (in catalogue of world Sphecidae sensu lato, as valid species).

Note.

Described by Cameron (1908) from Tanganyika [Tanzania]. Arnold (1929) recorded the species from East Africa and Rhodesia [Zimbabwe] and (1951) from Ethiopia.

Material examined.

KENYA: Luvia Island, Lake Victoria, 14.iv.1952 (Nat. Museum S. Rhodesia) 2 ♀♀. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO (DRC): Lake Mweru [9.10N, 28.30E], Lunchinda River, 15.ii.1953 (H.D. Brown) 1 ♀ [AMGS]. ZIMBABWE: Balla-Balla [Mbalabala] [20.45S, 29.05E], 1.iv.1945 (Nat. Museum S. Rhodesia) 1 ♀; Bembesi 20.00S, 28.56E], 4.i.1913 (G. Arnold) 2 ♀♀; Bulawayo [20.07S, 28.32E], 20.vi.1923 (R. Stevenson) 1 ♀, 28.x.1923 (R. Stevenson) 1 ♀, 27.xii.R.H.R. Stevenson) 1 ♀, 28.xii.1924 (R.H.R. Stevenson) 1 ♀ [all SAMC ex NMBZ]; Redbank [20.1S, 27.46E], 3.xii.1917 (G. Arnold) 1 ♂; Salisbury [now Harare] [17.48S, 31.03E], ii.1932 (Dept. Agric.) 1 ♂; Sawmills [19.35S, 28.02E], 11.iv.1941 (Rhodesia Museum) 1 ♂; Selukwe [19.41S, 29.59E], xii.1940 (??) 1 ♂, 2.i.1941 (??) 1 ♂; Turk Mine [19.44S, 28.48E], xi.1958 (Nat. Museum S. Rhodesia) 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, 24.xi.1958 (Nat. Museum S. Rhodesia) 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀; Umguza R. [20.1S, 30.51E], 24.v.1923 (Swinburne and Stevenson) 2 ♂♂; Umtali [Mutare] [18.57S, 32.40E], ii.1917 (Rhodesia Museum) 1 ♂ [all SAMC ex NMBZ].

Geogrphical distribution.

Known from Ethiopia and the DRC in the north to Zimbabwe. Not recorded south, east or west of Zimbabwe.

Flower associations.

Unknown.

Nesting.

Unknown.

Prey.

Unknown.

Figures

Figure 10. Bembix massaica, female, male. (approximate length of female: 15.5 mm)