The potter wasps of the Maltese Islands (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Eumeninae)
Author
Cassar, Thomas
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Malta, Msida MSD 2080, Malta
thomas.m.cassar.19@um.edu.mt
Author
Mifsud, David
Institute of Earth Systems, Division of Rural Sciences and Food Systems, University of Malta, Msida MSD 2080, Malta
Author
Selis, Marco
Via dei Tarquini, 22 - 01100 Viterbo, Italy
text
Journal of Hymenoptera Research
2022
2022-04-29
90
201
212
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/jhr.90.79373
journal article
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/jhr.90.79373
1314-2607-90-201
1170E62DD9D4422DAC60843EB114B10E
408DFE09202B5A5C9B7C10DE0470A29E
6508934
Eumenes dubius (de Saussure, 1852)
Material examined.
None.
Notes.
This species was recorded as
Eumenes dubius dubius
(de Saussure, 1852) from the Maltese Islands (
Schembri 1980
) on the basis of a single male and a single female collected in April 1977 and September 1975 respectively. This taxon, distributed throughout southern Europe, North Africa and Asia Minor to Central Asia, differs from the Middle Eastern subspecies
Eumenes dubius palaestinensis
Bluethgen
, 1938 by the colour of the flagellum (reddish in
E. d. palaestinensis
) and a lack of an indented lamella on the second tergite (
Gusenleitner 1999
). It is possible that the Maltese record of this species should refer to
E. sareptanus
Andre
, 1884, a species often confused with
E. dubius
and more common in Southern Europe. Since the specimens recorded by Schembri were not available for confirmation of their identity,
E. dubius
is momentarily maintained as present in the Maltese Islands.