Sericophorus

Sericophorus sp., copyright Jean and Fred Hort.

Belongs within: Crabronidae.

Sericophorus, policemen flies, is an Australian genus of bee-like, ground-nesting wasps that stock their nests with muscoid flies (Bohart & Menke 1976). Historically, the genus has been divided between the subgenera Sericophorus and Zoyphidium based on whether the marginal cell of the fore wing is narrowly truncate or acuminate, respectively, but Lomholdt & Pulawski (2010) did not regard this distinction as significant.

Characters (from Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010): Occipital carina usually reaching hypostomal carina; hind ocelli round, non-modified; propodeal spiracle usually elongate, extending nearly to propodeal foremargin; posterior propodeal surface bearing well defined median carina on approximately ventral third; fore wing usually with three submarginal cells (occasionally two), second submarginal cell usually markedly narrowing anteriorly (except when secondarily fused with third submarginal cell); hind femur simply attenuate; female with setose pygidial plate; male with only ten flagellomeres, volsella absent.

<==Sericophorus Smith 1851 (see below for synonymy) LP10
    |  i. s.: S. centralis Pulawski in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
    |         S. halli Lomholdt in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
    |         S. kurandae Pulawski in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
    |         S. mandibularis Lomholdt in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
    |         S. minutus Rayment 1955 LO10
    |         S. minys Pulawski in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
    |         S. punctum Lomholdt in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
    |--S. asperithorax (Rayment 1955) LP10 [=Anacrucis asperithorax LP10, S. (Zoyphidium) asperithorax C85]
    |--S. aurifrons Lomholdt in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
    |--S. chrysophorus Pulawski in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
    |--S. doddi (Turner 1912) LP10 [=Zoyphium doddi LP10, S. (Zoyphidium) doddi C85]
    |--S. erythrosoma (Turner 1908) LP10 [=Zoyphium erythrosoma LP10, S. (Zoyphidium) erythrosoma C85]
    |--S. laticeps Lomholdt in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
    |--S. ornatus (Hacker & Cockerell 1922) LP10 [=Zoyphium ornatum LP10, S. (Zoyphidium) ornatus C85]
    |--S. papuanus Pulawski in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
    |--S. trichocephalus Pulawski in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
    |--+--S. ambonensis Pulawski in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
    |  `--S. laevigatus (Rayment 1955) LP10 [=*Anacrucis laevigata LP10, S. (Zoyphidium) laevigatus C85]
    |--+--S. crassicornis (Cockerell 1914) LP10 [=Zoyphium crassicorne LP10, S. (Zoyphidium) crassicornis C85]
    |  `--S. pusillus (Hacker & Cockerell 1922) LP10 [=Zoyphium pusillum LP10, S. (Zoyphidium) pusillus C85]
    |--+--S. iridipennis (Turner 1914) LP10 (see below for synonymy)
    |  `--S. vicarius Lomholdt in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
    |--+--S. kohlii (Turner 1908) LP10 [=Zoyphium kohlii LP10, S. (Zoyphidium) kohlii C85]
    |  `--S. riparius Pulawski in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
    |--+--S. froggatti Rayment 1955 LP10 (see below for synonymy)
    |  `--S. funebris Turner 1907 LP10 (see below for synonymy)
    |--+--S. striatulus (Rayment 1955) LP10 [=Anacrucis striatula LP10, S. (Zoyphidium) striatulus C85]
    |  `--S. subalaris Lomholdt in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
    |--+--S. albitarsis Lomholdt in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
    |  |--S. argyreus (Hacker & Cockerell 1922) LP10 [=Zoyphium argyreum LP10, S. (Zoyphidium) argyreus C85]
    |  `--S. tibialis Pulawski in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
    |--+--S. emarginatus (Hacker & Cockerell 1922) LP10 [=Zoyphium emarginatum LP10, S. (Zoyphidium) emarginatus C85]
    |  |--S. lissonotus Lomholdt in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
    |  `--S. niger (Hacker & Cockerell 1922) LP10 [=Zoyphium nigrum LP10, S. (Zoyphidium) niger C85]
    |--+--S. affinis (Hacker & Cockerell 1922) LP10 [=Zoyphium affine LP10, S. (Zoyphidium) affinis C85]
    |  |--S. bicellularis Pulawski in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
    |  |--S. confusus Lomholdt in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
    |  `--S. glossatus Lomholdt in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
    |--+--S. mimus Pulawski in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
    |  |--S. rufoniger (Turner 1908) LP10 (see below for synonymy)
    |  `--+--S. flavorufoniger Pulawski in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
    |     `--S. frontalis (Turner 1908) LP10 [=Zoyphium frontale LP10, S. (Zoyphidium) frontalis C85]
    |--+--S. nigror Rayment 1955 LP10
    |  `--+--S. clypeatus (Rayment 1955) LP10 [=Anacrucis clypeata LP10, S. (Zoyphidium) clypeatus C85]
    |     `--+--S. fissus Lomholdt in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
    |        `--S. nasutus Pulawski in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
    |--+--S. relucens Smith 1856 (see below for synonymy) LP10
    |  `--+--S. collaris (Hacker & Cockerell 1922) LP10 [=Zoyphium collare LP10, S. (Zoyphidium) collaris C85]
    |     |--S. maculatus Pulawski in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
    |     `--+--S. dipteroides Turner 1907 LP10 (see below for synonymy)
    |        `--S. rufithorax Lomholdt in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
    |--+--S. flavipes Pulawski in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
    |  |--S. xanthomelas Pulawski in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
    |  `--+--S. deserticola Pulawski in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
    |     `--+--S. genalis Pulawski in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
    |        `--+--S. karrathensis Pulawski in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
    |           `--+--S. arrernte Pulawski in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
    |              `--S. axillaris Lomholdt in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
    |--+--S. splendidus (Hacker & Cockerell 1922) LP10 (see below for synonymy)
    |  |--+--S. cardaleae Lomholdt in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
    |  |  `--S. multipictus Pulawski in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
    |  `--+--S. cornutus Lomholdt in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
    |     |--S. flavofasciatus (Turner 1916) LP10 [=Zoyphium flavofasciatum LP10, S. (Zoyphidium) flavofasciatum C85]
    |     |--S. nasicornis Lomholdt in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
    |     |--S. sericeus (Kohl 1893) LP10 [=*Zoyphium sericeum LP10, S. (*Zoyphidium) sericeus C85]
    |     |--S. tuberculatus (Turner 1936) LP10 [=Zoyphium tuberculatum C85, S. (Zoyphidium) tuberculatus C85]
    |     `--+--S. rhamphigaster Menke 1989 LP10
    |        `--+--S. pulawskii Ohl 2009 LP10
    |           `--S. rhinoceros Pulawski 1989 LP10
    `--+--S. evansi Lomholdt in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
       |--+--S. nigrescens Lomholdt in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
       |  `--S. protrudens Lomholdt in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
       `--+--S. argentifacies Lomholdt in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
          |--+--S. littoralis Rayment 1955 LP10
          |  `--S. niveifrons Rayment 1955 LP10
          |--+--S. nigripes Lomholdt in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
          |  |--S. wheeleri Lomholdt in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
          |  `--+--*S. chalybeus Smith 1851 (see below for synonymy) LP10
          |     |--S. cliffordi Rayment 1955 (see below for synonymy) LP10
          |     `--S. glaucus Pulawski in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
          `--+--S. viridis (de Saussure 1854) (see below for synonymy) LP10
             `--+--+--+--S. aliceae Turner 1936 LP10
                |  |  `--S. viridescens Lomholdt in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
                |  |--+--S. bicolor Smith 1873 (see below for synonymy) LP10
                |  |  `--S. scintillans Pulawski in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
                |  `--+--S. metallescens Rayment 1955 [incl. S. patongensis Rayment 1955, S. rugosus Rayment 1955] LP10
                |     `--S. sabulosus Lomholdt in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
                `--+--S. setulosus Lomholdt in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
                   |--+--S. houstoni Lomholdt in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
                   |  `--+--S. barakula Pulawski in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
                   |     `--S. rufus Pulawski in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
                   |--+--S. mesopleuralis Pulawski in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
                   |  |--S. ruficollis Lomholdt in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
                   |  `--S. sanguineus Lomholdt in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
                   `--+--S. triangularis Lomholdt in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
                      `--+--S. xanthogaster Lomholdt in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
                         `--+--S. glyptus Pulawski in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
                            `--+--S. sparsus Pulawski in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
                               `--+--S. nitidus Pulawski in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
                                  `--+--S. pectinatus Lomholdt in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10
                                     `--S. politus Lomholdt in Lomholdt & Pulawski 2010 LP10

Sericophorus Smith 1851 [incl. Anacrucis Rayment 1955, Tachyrrhostus de Saussure 1854, Zoyphidium Pate 1937, Zoyphium Kohl 1893 non Agassiz 1847] LP10

Sericophorus bicolor Smith 1873 [=Tachyrrhostus bicolor; incl. S. brisbanensis Rayment 1955, S. castaneus Rayment 1955, S. cockerelli Menke in Bohart & Menke 1976, S. hackeri Rayment 1955 non Zoyphium hackeri Cockerell 1932] LP10

*Sericophorus chalybeus Smith 1851 [=S. chalybaeus (l. c.), Tachyrhostus chalybeus; incl. *Tachyrrhostus cyaneus de Saussure 1854, S. inornatus Rayment 1955, S. lilacinus Rayment 1955, S. raymenti Menke in Bohart & Menke 1976, S. rufipes Rayment 1955 non Zoyphium rufipes Rohwer 1911, S. sculpturatus Rayment 1955, S. subviridis Rayment 1955, S. sydneyi Rayment 1955, S. victoriensis Rayment 1955] LP10

Sericophorus cliffordi Rayment 1955 [incl. S. cyanophilus Rayment 1955, S. chalybaeus fulleri Rayment 1955, S. gracilis Rayment 1955, S. rufotibialis Rayment 1955] LP10

Sericophorus dipteroides Turner 1907 LP10 [=S. (Zoyphidium) dipteroides C85, Zoyphium dipteroides LP10; incl. Z. hackeri Cockerell 1932 LP10, S. (Zoyphidium) hackeri C85]

Sericophorus froggatti Rayment 1955 LP10 [incl. S. pescotti Rayment 1955 LP10, Anacrucis punctuosa Rayment 1955 LP10, S. (Zoyphidium) punctuosus C85]

Sericophorus funebris Turner 1907 LP10 [=Zoyphium funebre LP10; incl. Z. humile Cockerell 1932 LP10, S. (Zoyphidium) humilis C85]

Sericophorus iridipennis (Turner 1914) LP10 [=Zoyphium iridipenne LP10, S. (Zoyphidium) iridipennis C85; incl. Zoyphium fuscipenne Hacker & Cockerell 1922 LP10, S. (Z.) fuscipennis C85]

Sericophorus relucens Smith 1856 [incl. S. carinatus Rayment 1955, S. relucens nigricornis Rayment 1955, S. relucens ruficornis Rayment 1955, Zoyphidium rufipes Rohwer 1911, S. rufobasalis Rayment 1955] LP10

Sericophorus rufoniger (Turner 1908) LP10 [=Zoyphium rufonigrum LP10, S. (Zoyphidium) rufoniger C85, S. rufonigrus (l. c.) LP10]

Sericophorus splendidus (Hacker & Cockerell 1922) LP10 [=Zoyphium splendidum LP10, S. (Zoyphidium) splendidus C85; incl. Anacrucis cingulata Rayment 1955 LP10, S. (Z.) cingulatus C85, A. ferruginea Rayment 1955 LP10, S. (Z.) ferrugineus C85]

Sericophorus viridis (de Saussure 1854) [=Tachyrrhostus viridis; incl. S. claviger burnsiellus Rayment 1955, Tachyrhostus (l. c.) claviger Kohl 1892, Sericophorus claviger, S. elegantior Rayment 1955, S. occidentalis Rayment 1955, S. teliferopodus okiellus Rayment 1955, S. viridis roddi Rayment 1955, S. spryi Rayment 1955, S. tallongensis Rayment 1955, S. teliferopodus Rayment 1955, S. violaceus Rayment 1955] LP10

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[C85] Cardale, J. C. 1985. Vespoidea and Sphecoidea. In: Walton, D. W. (ed.) Zoological Catalogue of Australia vol. 2. Hymenoptera: Formicoidea, Vespoidea and Sphecoidea pp. 150–303. Australian Government Publishing Service: Canberra.

[LP10] Lomholdt, O., & W. J. Pulawski. 2010. A revision of the wasp genus Sericophorus F. Smith, 1851 (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Crabronidae). Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, series 4, 61 (1): 1–234.

Last updated: 27 August 2020.