Sphex abyssinicus
Creators: name: Dörfel, Thorleif H.
name: Ohl, Michael
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Vespidae
Sphex
Sphex abyssinicus

description: Sphex abyssinicus (Arnold, 1928)
Figs 17, 25–26, 92 (yellow)
Chlorion abyssinicum Arnold, 1928: 372, ♂.
Differential diagnosis
The male of this species can easily be identified through its uniquely rectangular-shaped eighth sternum (Fig. 25) and enlarged valviceps (Fig. 26). Females have been undescribed until now, but we were able to tentatively assign four female specimens to S. abyssinicus based on morphological considerations and geographical distribution. As is the case with many female members of the bohemanni group, they are hard to distinguish from closely related species, but the color of the luster of the appressed facial setae is a useful diagnostic. In this species, it is ferruginous, as well as golden laterally on the clypeus and the paraocular area (Fig. 17), which separates it from most others. Females of S. abbotti abbotti can look very similar (Fig. 15), but their facial setae lack a golden shimmer, whereas those of S. schoutedeni malawicus subsp. nov. possess it (Fig. 18), but are not known to occur north of Zambia.
Material examined
Holotype ETHIOPIA • ♂; 1911; R.E. Turner leg.; BMNH.
Paratype ETHIOPIA • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; BMNH.
Other material
ETHIOPIA • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; BMNH. – Harari Region • 1 ♂; Harrar; [9°18ʹ49ʺ N, 42°07ʹ05ʺ E]; 1912; R.E. Turner leg.; BMNH • 1 ♂; Mulata Mts; [9°27ʹ11ʺ N, 41°45ʹ25.4ʺ E]; 22 Oct. 1925; AMNH. – Oromia Region • 1 ♀; 23 km NW of Mena; 6°35ʹ N, 39°44ʹ E; 28 May 2015; J. Halada leg.; OÖLM. – Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region • 1 ♀; Nera Dorze; 6°10ʹ8.4ʺ N, 37°34ʹ7.9ʺ E; Apr. 2013; M. Ströhle leg.; OÖLM • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; THD-033-OOLM; GenBank LWR gene: MW582276; OÖLM.
Description
Female
SIZE. 24.5–30.2 mm.
COLOR. Black, except for ferruginous stripe in center of mandible. Wings uniformly fuscous, with turquoise luster.
VESTITURE. Appressed setae on clypeus, paraocular area, collar, scutum and propodeal enclosure black, on clypeus and paraocular area with ferruginous-golden luster. Erect setae on clypeus, paraocular area, collar, scutum and propodeal enclosure black. Erect propodeal setae oriented posteriorly. Lower center of clypeus glabrous. Scutellum densely and coarsely pubescent.
STRUCTURE. Free clypeal margin medially with two broad, indistinct processes, stepped above. Clypeus with indentation in lower center, without longitudinal carina. Scutellum convex. Metanotum not raised, not notably bituberculate. 2 nd recurrent vein joins markedly proximal from interstitium between submarginal cells II and III. Propodeal enclosure without any notable ridges. Foretarsomere I 2.8–2× length of antepenultimate spine. Petiole length 1.4–1.7× its medial width.
Male
SIZE. 30.9 mm.
COLOR. Black except for basal half of mandible, which is ferruginous. Wings slightly fuscous, with violet iridescence.
VESTITURE. Appressed setae on clypeus and paraocular area brassy, on collar, scutum and propodeal enclosure black. Erect setae on clypeus, paraocular area, collar, scutum and propodeal enclosure black. Erect propodeal setae oriented posteriorly. Lower center of clypeus glabrous. Scutellum densely and coarsely pubescent. Metasomal sterna II–VII with increasingly dense fringes of black setae.
STRUCTURE. Free clypeal margin medially with short, broad process emanating from inferior part. Scutellum convex. Metanotum slightly raised, not bituberculate. 2 nd recurrent vein joins markedly proximal from interstitium between submarginal cells II and III. Propodeal enclosure without any notable ridges. Posterior margin of metasomal tergum VII convex. Posterior margin of metasomal sternum VII simple, of metasomal sternum VIII concavely emarginate and broadly truncated apically. Penis valvae fused, inner margin flattened and dorsally markedly raised, outer margin bulging near apex. Petiole length 1.3–1.4 × its medial width. Flagellomeres IV–VI with broad placoids covering their entire length.
Variation
Unknown.
Distribution
Ethiopia.
description: Published as part of Dörfel, Thorleif H. & Ohl, Michael, 2022, The wasp genus Sphex in Sub-Saharan Africa (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae), pp. 1-170 in European Journal of Taxonomy 796 (1) on pages 106-108, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2022.796.1665, http://zenodo.org/record/6299440