Sphex bilobatus 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 : 45-47

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Sphecidae

Sphex bilobatus Kohl, 1890

Sphex canescens F. Smith, 1856: 246, ♀, ♂, junior primary homonym of Sphex canescens Scopoli, 1786. Syntypes: Australia: no specific locality (BMNH). Not examined.

Sphex bilobatus Kohl, 1895: 59, ♀, ♂. Syntypes: Australia: South Australia: Adelaide (ZMB). Synonymized with Sphex canescens F. Smith, 1856, by Turner (1910a: 346). Syntypes examined.

Material examined.

Syntypes (of Sphex bilobatus ). ♀, ♂ AUSTRALIA:SA: Adelaide (ZMB).

Other material.

[COUNTRY UNKNOWN]:[state unknown]: [no specific locality], 1♀, 14.11.1944 (AMS). AUSTRALIA:ACT: Cotter Road, Weston Creek, 1♀, 10.01.1931, G. Jefferies (ANIC); NSW: 6 km N of Bilpin, Blue Mountains, 1♂, 27.11.1979, N. W. Rodd (AMS); 6 km NE of Bilpin, Blue Mountains, 1♂, 14.11.1980, N. W. Rodd (AMS), 1♀, 22.01.1988, N. W. Rodd (AMS); Blue Mountains, 1♀, 01.02.1915, A. Musgrave (AMS); 3 km S of Blue Mountains, 1♂, 19.01.1976, N. W. Rodd (AMS); Calumet, 26 km NE of Binnaway, 1♂, 29.12.1932, C. F. Garnsey (AMS); Clarence, Blue Mountains, 1♂, 23.09.1980, N. W. Rodd (AMS), 1♀, 21.01.1983, N. W. Rodd (AMS), 1♂, 07.01.1984, N. W. Rodd (AMS), 1♀, 10.01.1985, N. W. Rodd (AMS), 2♀, 27.01.1985, N. W. Rodd (AMS), 1♀, 27.01.1992, N. W. Rodd (AMS); 40 km W of Cobar, 1♂, 12.11.1985, N. W. Rodd (AMS); French’s Forest, Sydney, 1♀, 1♂, 09.11.1912, A. Musgrave (AMS); Goarra Ridge Trail, Royal National Park, 1♀, 29.01.1979, G. Daniels (AMS); 25 km SE Grafton, Yuraygir Crown Reserve, 25°53'S, 153°05'E, 1♀, 06.01.2009, D. Bray (AMS); Guyra, 1♀, 01.02.1992, E. N. McKie (AMS); Jinki Creek, Blue Mountains, 1♀, 10.01.1982, N. W. Rodd (AMS); Kuringgai Chase, 20 miles N of Sydney, 1♀, 04.-08.01.1970, H. E. Evans (ANIC); Lane Cove, 1♂, 12.12.1943 (AMS); Lightning Ridge, 1♀, 14.10.1989, I. D. Buddle (AMS); Loftus, 1♀, 11.12.1957, G. Dobcal (AMS); Mount Banks, Blue Mountains, 1♀, 27.11.1980, N. W. Rodd (AMS); Mount Tomah, Blue Mountains, 1♀, 20.12.1980, N. W. Rodd (AMS); Mount Towinhingy, near Kandos Weir, 1♀, 30.12.1977, G. Daniels (AMS); Mount Victoria, Blue Mountains, 1♀, 28.12.1981, N. W. Rodd (AMS); Mount Vincent, near Running Stream, 1♂, 29.12.1977, G. Daniels (AMS); Mount York, Blue Mountains, 1♂, 22.12.1980, G. & T. Williams (AMS), 1♀, 20.01.1982, N. W. Rodd (AMS); Pearl Beach, 1♀, 04.01.1979, John Alcock (ANIC); 11 km E of Three Ways, 32°47'S, 150°29'E, 1♂, 31.12.1977, G. Daniels (AMS); Warrumbungle National Park, 1♀, 13.-18.12.1977, G. A. Holloway (AMS); SA: Adelaide, ♂ (ZMB); VIC: Churchill National Park, Melbourne, 1♀, 1♂, 06.01.1976, M. S. & B. J. Moulds (AMS); Fernshaw, 1♀, 26.01.1955, A. N. Burns (ANIC); Healesville, 1♀, 1♂, Dec 1913, M. Arnold (BMNH); Janalli, 1♂, 04.12.1932, Stoyles (AMS); near Lake Hindmarsh, Big Desert National Park, 1♂, 29.-30.11.1992, Moulds, McAlpine, McEvey (AMS); WA: Yallalong Homestead, 1♂, 29.11.1999, M. S. Moulds & M. Humphrey (AMS).

The collecting localities are shown in Fig. 34B.

Diagnosis.

Females of Sphex bilobatus differ from the other Australian Sphex by the following character combination: metanotum without tubercles, metasoma black, wing veins light to dark brown, appressed pubescence and erect setae on clypeus silvery-white, and scutellum convex medially. Males of Sphex bilobatus are also characterized by their metasomal sternum VIII, which consists of two large separate lobes (Fig. 28B). This character is only shared with males of two other Australian species. One of them, Sphex basilicus , has a single lobe emerging from below the center of the free clypeal margin, is much larger in size and has orange pubescence on the propodeal enclosure, whereas Sphex bilobatus does not have lobes on the free clypeal margin, and its propodeal pubescence is silvery. In the other one, Sphex latilobus , the free clypeal margin is bright orange, while that of Sphex bilobatus is black.

Description.

Body length 19.0-22.6 mm. Body black. Wing membrane hyaline, forewing with slightly fuscous band at apex. Wing veins light to dark brown. Free clypeal margin medially with broad, insignificant lobe that emerges slightly posteriorly of clypeal surface. Appressed pubescence and erect setae on clypeus and frons silvery-white. Clypeus with medial glabrous stripe. Pubescence on collar and scutum silvery-white, on scutum not significantly denser laterally than medially. Scutellum convex, with medial impression. Propodeal enclosure with sparse, silvery-white pubescence, sculpture well visible. Length of petiole 1.4 × length of flagellomere II. Tomentum rather sparse on metasomal tergum I, moderately dense on tergum II.

Female: Hindwing entirely hyaline. Forebasitarsal rake with 11 long spines. Free clypeal margin slightly scoop-shaped. Distance between hind- ocelli slightly smaller than their shortest distance to compound eyes.

Male: Hindwing with slight fuscous band at apex. Distance between hind- ocelli equal to their shortest distance to compound eyes. Metasomal terga V and VI with few bristles. Metasomal sterna II–VII with few, erect silvery setae posterolaterally. Visible part of metasomal sternum VIII forming two separated lobes.

Notes on type material.

The types of Sphex canescens F. Smith, 1856 (the original, invalid name of the species) were not examined, but we did study the types of Sphex bilobatus Kohl, 1890, which was synonymized with Sphex canescens by R. Turner (1910).