Sphex argentatus Fabricius, 1787

Kumar, P. Girish & Rajmohana, K., 2018, Taxonomic studies on Wasps of Kottooli and Thalassery-Dharmadam Mangroves of Kerala (Insecta: Hymenoptera), Records of the Zoological Survey of India 118 (4), pp. 337-349 : 343-344

19. Sphex argentatus Fabricius, 1787

(Fig. 19)

Sphex argentatus Fabricius, 1787: 274 , sex not indicated (as argentata , incorrect original termination). Lectotype: ♀, India: Coromandel (= southeastern coast): no specific locality (UZMC), designated by van der Vecht 1961: 28.

Material examined: INDIA: Kerala, Kozhikode district, Kottooli Wetland , 1 ♀, 7.v.2016, Coll. P. Girish Kumar, ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/ WGRC /I.R-INV.8964 .

Diagnosis: Tubercles on metanotum distinct; fore basitarsal rake with 10 long spines; free clypeal margin with two inconspicuous lobes medially, distance between them less than1/8length of flagellomere II;distance between hind ocelli

0.8× their shortest distance to compound eyes; scutellum flat, with shallow medial impression near posterior margin; length of petiole 1.4× length of flagellomere II; tomentum sparse on metasomal tergum I, absent on tergum II.

Distribution: India: Assam, Kerala, TamilNadu, Uttarakhand, West Bengal. Elsewhere: Widely distributed ( Pulawski,2018).