Sphex fumipennis F. Smith, 1856

Doerfel, Thorleif H. & Ohl, Michael, 2015, A revision of the Australian digger wasps in the genus Sphex (Hymenoptera, Sphecidae), ZooKeys 521, pp. 1-104 : 27-29

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Sphecidae

Sphex fumipennis F. Smith, 1856

Sphex fumipennis F. Smith, 1856: 249, ♀, ♂. Syntypes: Australia: South Australia: Adelaide (BMNH). One syntype examined.

Material examined.

Syntype. ♀, AUSTRALIA:SA: Adelaide (BMNH).

Other material.

[COUNTRY UNKNOWN]:[state unknown]: [no specific locality], ♀, 21.06.1959 (AMS). AUSTRALIA:[state unknown]: [no specific locality], 3♀, 2♂ (BMNH); NSW: Avoca Beach, 1♀, 11.12.1987, S. Hunter (AMS); Bathurst, 1♀, 02.02.1965, C. H. Smithers (AMS); 6 km NE of Bilpin, Blue Mountains, 3♂, 11.01.1980, N. W. Rodd (AMS); 7 km N of Bilpin, Blue Mountains, 1♀, 23.02.1979, N. W. Rodd (AMS), 1♀, 06.03.1979, N. W. Rodd (AMS); 7 km NE of Bilpin, Blue Mountains, 1♂, 28.12.1981, N. W. Rodd (AMS); 10 km N of Broken Hill, 2♀, 1♂, 11.03.2001, M. Ohl (ZMB); Cabramatta, 1♂, 10.03.1963, E. C. Corbet (BMNH); Cheltenham, 1♀, 25.03.1950 (AMS); 25 km SW of Dubbo, 1♀, 08.11.1981, N. W. Rodd (AMS); 30 km N of Euston, 1♂, 28.11.1988, N. W. Rodd (AMS); Kurnell, 3♂, 16.12.1978, D. A. Doolan (AMS); Lane Cove, 1♂, 07.01.1944 (AMS), 1♀, 24.02.1945 (AMS); Lord Howe Island, 1♂, 22.12.1921, A. Musgrave (AMS); Maire Road, Lord Howe Island, 1♂, 22.12.1921, A. Musgrave (AMS); 35 km N of Menindee, 1♂, 26.11.1988, N. W. Rodd (AMS); Middle Beach Road, Lord Howe Island, 1♀, 26.03.1979, T. Kingston (AMS), 1♀, 14.04.1979, T. Kingston (AMS); Mount Annan, Botanic Garden, 1♂, 12.12.2007, L. von Richter (AMS); Mount Kaputar National Park, 1♀, 25.03.1978, G. Daniels (AMS); Mount Keira, 1♀, 22.12.1986, G. A. & A. Holloway (AMS); Mount Tomah, Blue Mountains, 1♀, 01.01.1981, N. W. Rodd (AMS); Murray Beach, Jervis Bay, 1♀, 18.02.1987, N. W. Rodd (AMS); 50 km N of Pooncarie, 2♂, 26.11.1988, N. W. Rodd (AMS); Pooncarie, 3♂, 26.11.1991, N. W. Rodd (AMS), 1♀, 28.11.1992, N. W. Rodd (AMS); Round Hill Nature Reserve, 2♀, 25.10.1977, G. Daniels (AMS); South Durras, 35.40S, 150.17E, 1♀, 18.03.2001, M. Ohl (ZMB); Sydney, 1♀, 01.02.1913, A. Musgrave (AMS); Vincentia, Jervis Bay, 2♂, 17.02.1987, N. W. Rodd (AMS); 112 km N of Wentworth, 2♀, 28.11.1991, N. W. Rodd (AMS); Winston Hills, 1♂, 25.02.1985, C. A. P. Urquhart (AMS); Woronora, 1♀, 03.01.1982, M. L. Bason (AMS), 1♀, 27.03.1982, M. L. Bason (AMS), 1♀, 04.05.1982, M. L. Bason (AMS); NT: 20 km W of Barkly Homestead, 1♀, 18.11.1989, N. W. Rodd (AMS); 41 miles Bore Barkly Hwy, 1♂, 10.07.1989, N. W. Rodd (AMS); Port Darwin, 2♀, 8♂ (BMNH) QLD: "Mid Queensland", 1♀, 2♂ (BMNH); "North Queensland", 2♀, 2♂ (BMNH); Archer Point, 10 km S of Cooktown, 1♀, 3♂, 05.09.1983, N. W. Rodd (AMS); Bramston Beach, 1♀, 26.08.1987, N. W. Rodd (AMS); Cape York, 1♀, 05.06.1985, N. W. Rodd (AMS); Capricorn Group, NW Islet, 1♀, Dec 25, A. Musgrave (AMS); Claudie River near Mount Lamond, 1♀, 12.10.1974, G. Daniels (AMS); Cooktown, 1♀, 18.07.1982, N. W. Rodd (AMS); Grantleigh, 1♀, 20.11.1978, R. Eastwood (AMS); Hammond Island, 1♀, 10.10.1964, R. J. Docherty (BMNH); Herberton, 1♀, 18.08.1984, N. W. Rodd (AMS); Mission Beach, 1♀, 16.08.1975, G. O’Reilly (AMS); Poison Creek Road, Cooktown, 1♂, 16.06.1985, N. W. Rodd (AMS); 64 km SW of Ravenshoe, 1♂, 08.01.1976, D. K. McAlpine (AMS); 10 km W of Torrens Creek township, E of Hughenden, 1♀, 07.01.1987, M. S. & B. J. Moulds (AMS); Yeppoon, 1♂, 17.11.1978, R. Eastwood (AMS); SA: Adelaide, 1♂ (ZMB); Anajatra, Mann Ranges, 1♀, 10.-11.05.1983, G. A. Holloway (AMS); Lake Gilles Conservation Park, 3♂, 01.02.1995, L. Packer, M. Schwarz, P. Hurst, Y. Pamula (ZMB), 1♂, Mar 1995, L. Packer, Y. Pamula (ZMB); Middleback Ranges, 1♂, Mar 1995, M. Schwarz, B. Kranz (ZMB); Wilpena Pound Resort, 1♀, 18.01.1976, M. S. & B. J. Moulds (AMS); WA: Bunbury, 1♂, 01.01.1961, A. Snell (AMS); 15 km S Kalbarri, 27°50.4'S, 114°09.0'E, 1♂, 04.11.2008, V. Ahrens & W. J. Pulawski (CAS); 26 km NE of Laverton, 28°28'43"S, 122°29'09 ’’, 1♀, 28.09.2005, L. Packer (ZMB); Marloo Station, 1♀, 1♂, 01.01.1935, Gebr. Goerling (ZMB), 1♀, 01.04.1935, A. Goerling (ZMB); 50 km E of Mullewa, 1♀, 03.09.1981, G. A. Holloway (AMS); Shire of Waroona, Yalgorup National Park, 32°52'51"S, 115°40'35"E, 1♂, 25.01.2010, L. Breitkreuz (ZMB); Shire of Waroona, Yalgorup National Park, 32.839339°S, 115.639100°E, 1♀, 26.01.2010, S. Krause (ZMB); Swan River, 1♂, Dämel (ZMB); Urawa Nature Reserve ca 5 km N Mullewa, 28°29.6'S, 115°29.5'E, 1♂, 11.11.2008, V. Ahrens & W. J. Pulawski (CAS); Waroona, 1♂, 28.02.1909, G. F. Berthoud (BMNH); Wilga, 1♀, 1♂, 19.01.1980, K. Carnaby (AMS), 2♂, 14.01.1983, K. & E. Carnaby (AMS); Yallalong Homestead, 1♂, 29.11.1999, M. S. Moulds & M. Humphrey (AMS).

Diagnosis.

Sphex fumipennis is distinguished from almost all other Australian Sphex in having largely dark wings, a black metasoma and silvery-white pubescence on the propodeal enclosure. There is only one other species with similar features, Sphex rugifer , and while most females of this species have a red metasoma, the males as well as some females have a black metasoma like Sphex fumipennis . A reliable characteristic of Sphex fumipennis is that the hindwing becomes almost completely hyaline towards the apical margin (Fig. 16B), while that of Sphex rugifer is, at least in the distal half, uniformly dark (Fig. 24 A–C). Males of Sphex fumipennis also have a conspicuous fringe of silvery setae near the apex of metasomal sternum VIII (Fig. 16C), whereas males of Sphex rugifer lack this pubescence (Fig. 24D).

Description.

Body black, legs black or maroon. Wing membrane dark, with violet lustre near base, apical margin of forewing membrane and distal part beyond cellular area of hindwing membrane hyaline. Wing veins dark brown to black. Appressed pubescence on clypeus and frons silvery, erect setae on clypeus and frons black. Pubescence on top of collar silvery, long lateral setae black. Pubescence on scutum silvery, interspersed with few black setae near anterior margin. Silvery pubescence on scutum denser laterally. Propodeal enclosure sparsely covered with silvery-white pubescence, leaving sculpture completely visible. Posterior end of propodeum with black setae.

Female: 22.2-28.4 mm. Forebasitarsal rake with eight long spines. Free clypeal margin slightly scoop-shaped, with two distinct lobes medially and small bulge slightly above them; distance between lobes less than 1/8 length of flagellomere II. Clypeus except for bulge entirely pubescent. Distance between hind- ocelli nearly equal to their shortest distance to compound eyes. Scutellum flat, without impressions. Length of petiole almost equal to flagellomere II. Tomentum sparse on metasomal tergum I, absent on tergum II.

Male: Body length 15.2-21.2 mm. Free clypeal margin truncate, concave towards center. Medioventral part of clypeus glabrous. Distance between hind- ocelli 1.25 × their shortest distance to compound eyes. Scutellum convex, with (sometimes shallow) medial impression. Length of petiole 1.25 × length of flagellomere II. Tomentum moderately dense on metasomal terga I and II. Metasomal terga V and VI with a few black bristles. Metasomal sterna II–VI with few appressed silvery setae, sterna VII with several erect black setae, sternum VIII with a dense fringe of silvery setae in center. Metasomal sternum VIII entire, raised from side to center, its margin straight.