Sceliphron

Sceliphron spirifex, copyright Muhammad Mahdi Karim.

Belongs within: Sphecidae.

Sceliphron, the mud daubers, is a genus of mostly black-and-yellow wasps that build free-standing mud nests in sheltered locations (Bohart & Menke 1976).

Characters (from Bohart & Menke 1976): Inner orbits bowed out or lower three-fifths essentially straight, orbits converging above or parallel in female, variable in male, vertex not elevated above eyes, sometimes depressed below them; postocular area not elongate; head with much erect hair: flagellomere I usually longer than II; male flagellum without placoids; sockets separated from frontoclypeal suture by at least 0.5 times socket diameter; clypeus 0.5–0.75 times as long as wide, disk slightly to strongly convex, free margin in female sharp edged and with a pair of broad, flat lobes separated by a slit-like excision, lobes often delimited laterally by a similar excision; male clypeus with two sinuations or lobes, or rarely with a single median lobe; mandible simple except with inner subapical tooth in some females; mouthparts short, third maxillary palpal segment expanded on one side; hypostomal carina ending near mandible socket or evanescent about halfway to socket; occipital carina ending just short of hypostomal carina; collar short, disk usually indented mesally; propodeum moderately long, with U-shaped dorsal enclosure defined at least apically by a broad furrow; propodeal side without spiracular groove; epistemal sulcus extending to anteroventral margin pleuron, but often interrupted at level of pronotal lobe by an angular pleural bulge, scrobal sulcus present or absent; metapleural sulcus sometimes present between upper and lower metapleural pits, lower metapleural area otherwise often differentiated from propodeum by sculpture; marginal cell rounded or acuminate apically, submarginal cell II broader than long and receiving both recurrent veins; third anal vein of hindwing well separated from wing margin; midcoxae essentially contiguous, outer surface of hindcoxa sometimes with angular bulge; tibiae not spinose; female without foretarsal rake; apicoventral, terminal, blade-like setae of hindtarsomere V narrow, separated by four or more times a setal width; claw tooth rarely subbasal or subapical, claws exceptionally simple; petiole length 2.5–3.6 times hindcoxal length, and 1.5–2.2 times length of hindbasitarsus; male tergum VIII with cerci in subgenus Prosceliphron; female sterna without hairmats; male sterna without or with weakly formed bands of velvety micropubescence; male sternum VIII broadly triangular; head of digitus variable, penis valve head with teeth on ventral margin, apex of head sometimes with lateral acuminate process.

<==Sceliphron Klug 1801 C85 (see below for synonymy)
    |  i. s.: S. brevior Cockerell 1921 BM76
    |         S. tertiarium Meunier 1915 BM76
    |--S. (Sceliphron) C85
    |    |--*S. (S.) spirifex (Linnaeus 1758) C85 (see below for synonymy)
    |    |--S. (S.) annulatum (Cresson 1865) BM76 (see below for synonymy)
    |    |    |--S. a. annulatum BM76
    |    |    `--S. a. lucae (Saussure 1867) [=Pelopeus lucae] BM76
    |    |--S. (S.) arabs (Lepeletier 1845) BM76 (see below for synonymy)
    |    |--S. (S.) argentifrons (Cresson 1865) [=Pelopoeus argentifrons] BM76
    |    |--S. (S.) asiaticum (Linnaeus 1758) BM76 (see below for synonymy)
    |    |    |--S. a. asiaticum BM76
    |    |    `--S. a. chilense (Spinola 1851) BM76 (see below for synonymy)
    |    |--S. (S.) assimile (Dahlbom 1843) BM76 (see below for synonymy)
    |    |--S. (S.) caementarium (Drury 1770) C85 (see below for synonymy)
    |    |--S. (S.) destillatorium (Illiger 1807) BM76 (see below for synonymy)
    |    |--S. (S.) fasciatum (Lepeletier 1845) BM76 [=Pelopoeus fasciatus K18]
    |    |--S. (S.) fistularium (Dahlbom 1843) (see below for synonymy) K18
    |    |--S. (S.) fossuliferum (Gribodo 1895) [=Pelopoeus fossuliferus; incl. S. decipiens Arnold 1952] BM76
    |    |    |--S. f. fossuliferum BM76
    |    |    |--S. f. complex Kohl 1918 BM76 [=S. (Pelopoeus) complex K18]
    |    |    `--S. f. voeltzkowii Kohl 1909 [=S. voeltzkovii Kohl 1918; incl. S. masaicum Turner 1919] BM76
    |    |--S. (S.) fuscum Klug 1801 BM76 (see below for synonymy)
    |    |--S. (S.) intrudens (Smith 1859) BM76 [=Pelopoeus intrudens K18]
    |    |--S. (S.) javanum (Lepeletier 1845) BM76 [=Pelopoeus javanus K18]
    |    |    |--S. j. javanum BM76
    |    |    |--S. j. aemulum Kohl 1918 BM76 [=S. (Pelopoeus) aemulum K18; incl. S. luzonense Rohwer 1922 BM76]
    |    |    |--S. j. benignum (Smith 1859) [=Pelopaeus benignus; incl. S. sintangense Strand 1915] BM76
    |    |    |--S. j. chinense van Breugel 1968 BM76
    |    |    |--S. j. laboriosum (Smith 1859) BM76 (see below for synonymy)
    |    |    |--S. j. nalandicum Strand 1915 BM76 (see below for synonymy)
    |    |    |--S. j. petiolare Kohl 1918 BM76 [=S. (Pelopoeus) petiolare K18]
    |    |    |--S. j. tenggarae van der Vecht 1957 BM76
    |    |    `--S. j. timorense van der Vecht 1957 BM76
    |    |--S. (S.) laetum (Smith 1856) [=Pelopoeus laetus] C85
    |    |    |--S. l. laetum [incl. S. laetum cygnorum Turner 1910] C85
    |    |    `--S. l. maindroni van der Vecht 1968 BM76
    |    |--S. (S.) leptogaster Cameron 1905 BM76
    |    |--S. (S.) madraspatanum (Fabricius 1781) BM76 (see below for synonymy)
    |    |    |--S. m. madraspatanum BM76
    |    |    |--S. m. andamanicum Kohl 1918 BM76 [=S. (Pelopoeus) madraspatanum var. andemanica K18]
    |    |    |--S. m. conspicillatum (Costa 1864) [=Pelopoeus conspicillatus] BM76
    |    |    |--S. m. formosanum van der Vecht 1968 BM76
    |    |    |--S. m. kohli Sickmann 1894 BM76 [=S. (Pelopoeus) kohli K18]
    |    |    |--S. m. pictum (Smith 1856) [=Pelopoeus pictus] BM76
    |    |    |--S. m. sutteri van der Vecht 1957 BM76
    |    |    `--S. m. tubifex (Latreille 1809) BM76 (see below for synonymy)
    |    |--S. (S.) papuanum Cameron 1906 [=S. (Pelopoeus) papuanum] K18
    |    |--S. (S.) pietschmanni Kohl 1918 BM76 [=S. (Pelopoeus) pietschmanni K18]
    |    `--S. (S.) quartinae (Gribodo 1884) [=Pelopoeus quartinae; incl. S. fulvohirtum Arnold 1928] BM76
    `--S. (Prosceliphron van der Vecht 1968) C85
         |--S. (*P.) coromandelicum (Lepeletier 1845) C85 [=Pelopoeus coromandelicus K18]
         |--S. (P.) bruinjnii (Maindron 1878) BM76 (see below for synonymy)
         |--S. (P.) curvatum (Smith 1870) [=Pelopoeus curvatus] BM76
         |--S. (P.) deforme (Smith 1856) [=Pelopoeus deformis] BM76
         |    |--S. d. deforme BM76
         |    |--S. d. atripes (Morawitz 1888) [=Pelopoeus atripes] BM76
         |    |--S. d. bicinctum van der Vecht 1957 BM76
         |    |--S. d. koreanum Uchida 1925 BM76
         |    |--S. d. nipponicum Tsuneki 1972 BM76
         |    |--S. d. rufopictum (Smith 1856) BM76 [=Pelopoeus rufopictus BM76; incl. P. flavofasciatus Smith 1859 K18]
         |    |--S. d. taiwanum Tsuneki 1971 BM76
         |    |--S. d. tibiale Cameron 1899 (see below for synonymy) BM76
         |    `--S. d. unifasciatum (Smith 1860) BM76 (see below for synonymy)
         |--S. (P.) fervens (Smith 1858) [=Pelopoeus fervens] BM76
         |    |--S. f. fervens BM76
         |    `--S. f. murarium (Smith 1864) BM76 (see below for synonymy)
         |--S. (P.) formosum (Smith 1856) [=Pelopoeus formosus] C85
         |--S. (P.) funestum Kohl 1918 BM76 [=S. (Pelopoeus) funestum K18]
         |--S. (P.) ocellare Kohl 1918 BM76 [=S. (Pelopoeus) ocellare K18]
         |--S. (P.) pulchellum Gussakovskij 1933 BM76
         |--S. (P.) rectum Kohl 1918 BM76 [=S. (Pelopoeus) rectum K18]
         `--S. (P.) shestakovi Gussakovskij 1928 BM76

Sceliphron Klug 1801 C85 [=Pelopaeus Latreille 1804 BM76, Pelopoeus Latreille 1802-1803 BM76, Sceliphrum Schulz 1906 BM76]

Sceliphron (Prosceliphron) bruinjnii (Maindron 1878) BM76 [=Pelopoeus bruinjnii K18, S. bruynii Cameron 1906 BM76; incl. S. (Pelopoeus) fallax Kohl 1918 K18, BM76]

Sceliphron (Prosceliphron) deforme tibiale Cameron 1899 non Sphex tibialis Fabricius 1781 (not preoc. if in dif. gen.) [incl. S. lineatipes Cameron 1900] BM76

Sceliphron (Prosceliphron) deforme unifasciatum (Smith 1860) BM76 [=Pelopoeus unifasciatus BM76; incl. P. affinis Maindron 1878 non Sphex affinis Fabricius 1793 K18, BM76, Sceliphron (Pelopoeus) affine non Trigonopsis affinis Smith 1851 K18]

Sceliphron (Prosceliphron) fervens murarium (Smith 1864) BM76 [=Pelopoeus murarius BM76; incl. S. mocsaryi Dalla Torre 1897 BM76, P. rufipes Mocsáry 1883 BM76, S. (Pelopoeus) rufipes K18]

Sceliphron (Sceliphron) annulatum (Cresson 1865) BM76 [=Pelopoeus annulatus BM76, P. vindex var. annulatus K18; incl. Sphex jamaicensis Fabricius 1775 non Vespa jamaicensis Drury 1773 BM76, P. jamaicensis K18, Sceliphron (Pelopoeus) jamaicense K18]

Sceliphron (Sceliphron) arabs (Lepeletier 1845) BM76 [=Pelopoeus arabs K18; incl. Pelopoeus caucasicus André 1888 BM76, Sceliphon (Pelopoeus) caucasicum K18]

Sceliphron (Sceliphron) asiaticum (Linnaeus 1758) BM76 [=Sphex asiatica BM76; incl. Pelopoeus figulus Dahlbom 1843 BM76, Sceliphron (Pelopoeus) figulus K18, Sc. rufescens Strand 1910 BM76, Pelopoeus vindex Lepeletier 1845 K18]

Sceliphron (Sceliphron) asiaticum chilense (Spinola 1851) BM76 [=Pelopoeus chilensis K18, P. vindex var. chilensis K18, Sceliphron (Pelopoeus) figulus var. chilense K18]

Sceliphron (Sceliphron) assimile (Dahlbom 1843) BM76 [=Pelopoeus assimilis BM76; incl. S. (Pelopoeus) caementarium var. nicaraguanum Kohl 1918 K18, BM76]

Sceliphron (Sceliphron) caementarium (Drury 1770) C85 [=Sphex caementarius C85, Pelopoeus caementarius K18, P. cementarius K18, Sceliphron (Pelopoeus) caementarium K18; incl. Sp. affinis Fabricius 1793 BM76, Pelopoeus affinis K18, P. caementarius var. architectus Saussure 1867 K18, P. canadensis Smith 1856 K18, P. caementarius var. canadensis K18, Sphex economicus Curtiss 1938 BM76, Sp. flavipes Fabricius 1781 BM76, P. caementarius var. flavipes K18, Sp. flavipunctata Christ 1791 K18, P. caementarius var. flavipunctatus K18, Sp. flavomaculata Degeer 1773 K18, Sp. lunata Fabricius 1775 K18, P. caementarius var. lunatus K18, Sceliphron lunatum K18, P. nigriventris Costa 1864 BM76, P. servillei Lepeletier 1845 K18, P. solieri Lepeletier 1845 K18, P. caementarius var. solieri K18, P. tahitensis Saussure 1867 K18]

Sceliphron (Sceliphron) destillatorium (Illiger 1807) BM76 [=Sphex destillatoria K18, Pelopoeus distillatorius K18, Sceliphron (Pelopoeus) destillatorium K18; incl. Sphex flavipes Christ 1791 non Fabricius 1781 BM76, Sp. pensilis Illiger 1807 BM76, Pelopoeus pensilis K18, Sceliphron (Pelopoeus) destillatorium pensile K18, Pelopaeus sardonius Lepeletier 1845 BM76, Pelopoeus sardous Carrucio 1872 BM76, Pelopoeus pensilis var. trinacriensis Destefani 1889 K18]

Sceliphron (Sceliphron) fistularium (Dahlbom 1843) [=Pelopoeus fistularius, P. fistularis (l. c.), Sceliphron fistulare; incl. P. bimaculatus Lepeletier 1845, P. histrio var. bimaculatus, P. histrio Lepeletier 1845] K18

Sceliphron (Sceliphron) fuscum Klug 1801 BM76 [incl. Sphex hemiptera Fabricius 1798 non Scopoli 1772 K18, Pelopoeus hemipterus K18, Sceliphron (Pelopoeus) hemipterum K18, Sc. quodi Vachal 1907 BM76, Sc. (P.) quodi K18]

Sceliphron (Sceliphron) javanum laboriosum (Smith 1859) BM76 [=Pelopoeus laboriosus BM76; incl. S. lorentzi Cameron 1911 BM76, S. (Pelopoeus) lorentzi K18]

Sceliphron (Sceliphron) javanum nalandicum Strand 1915 BM76 [=S. javanum var. nalandica K18, S. (Pelopoeus) javanum var. nalandicum K18]

Sceliphron (Sceliphron) madraspatanum (Fabricius 1781) BM76 [=Sphex maderospatanum K18, Pelopoeus madraspatanus K18; incl. Pelopoeus bilineatus Smith 1852 K18, P. interruptus Palisot-Beauvais 1805 K18, Sceliphron interruptum K18, Sphex lugubris Christ 1791 non Villers 1789 BM76, Pelopoeus separatus Smith 1852 BM76]

Sceliphron (Sceliphron) madraspatanum tubifex (Latreille 1809) BM76 [=Pelopoeus tubifex K18; incl. P. pectoralis Dahlbom 1845 BM76, P. transcaspicus Radoszkovsky 1886 K18]

*Sceliphron (Sceliphron) spirifex (Linnaeus 1758) C85 [=Sphex spirifex C85, *Pelopoeus spirifex BM76, Sceliphron spinifer (l. c.) BM76; incl. Sc. aegyptiacum Klug 1801 BM76, Sphex aegyptia Linnaeus 1758 K18, Sp. spirifex atra Scopoli 1786 K18]

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[BM76] Bohart, R. M., & A. S. Menke. 1976. Sphecid Wasps of the World. University of California Press: Berkeley.

[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.

[K18] Kohl, F. F. 1918. Die Hautflügergruppe "Sphecinae". IV. Teil. Die natürliche Gattung Sceliphron Klug (Pelopoeus Latr.). Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museum in Wien 32: 1–171.