The wasp genus Sphex in Sub-Saharan Africa (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae) Author Dörfel, Thorleif H. 11B5C093-23D5-417C-AB64-65764FC2AF05 Museum für Naturkunde, Invalidenstrasse 43, 10115 Berlin, Germany. thorleif.doerfel@mfn.berlin Author Ohl, Michael 878259F2-C3C6-4264-B04A-C397E01E5C8E Museum für Naturkunde, Invalidenstrasse 43, 10115 Berlin, Germany. michael.ohl@mfn.berlin text European Journal of Taxonomy 2022 2022-02-23 796 1 1 170 http://dx.doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2022.796.1665 journal article 55605 10.5852/ejt.2022.796.1665 9c3fa32d-4320-4170-83e3-a5c045a4ba68 2118-9773 6299440 76C5C9C4-C6C1-4EDC-8FF8-9828A6EF2040 Key G: Species of the Sphex umtalicus group 1. Male: appressed clypeal setae black ........................................................................ S. hades sp. nov. – Male: appressed clypeal setae silvery...............................................................................................2 2. Wings with distinct green iridescence; erect propodeal setae entirely black ( Fig. 63 ). 26–32 mm long .......................................................................................................... S. caeruleanus Drury, 1773 – Wings with violet or blue iridescence, or without any. If greenish, then erect propodeal setae at least partially silvery ( Figs 64–65 ). Smaller.......................................................................3 3. Female: erect setae at posterior propodeal margin silvery ( Fig. 64 ). Male: free clypeal margin ferruginous or black; erect propodeal setae largely silvery ( Fig. 65 ); broad placoids cover entire length of at least flagellomeres V and VI ............. S. mweruensis ( Arnold, 1947 ) – Female: erect propodeal setae uniformly black ( Figs 69 , 72–73 ). Male: free clypeal margin black; erect propodeal setae black, if silvery then placoids narrow...............................................4 Figs 25–32. 25–26 . Ventral and lateral view of sternum VIII and genitalia in male of Sphex abyssinicus ( Arnold, 1928 ) . 27–28 . Frontal view of free clypeal margin in males. 29–32 . Dorsal view of fore- and hindwing in males and females of the gaullei group. 27 . S. umtalicus Strand, 1916 . 28 . S. decipiens Kohl, 1895 . 29 . S. jansei Cameron, 1910 , ♀. 30 . S. jansei , ♂. 31 . S. gaullei Berland, 1927 , ♀. 32 . S. gaullei , ♂. 4. Female: clypeus black ( Fig. 33 ), at most lower half ferruginous; legs black, rarely ferruginous ( Fig. 72 ); appressed clypeal setae dark brown; appressed lateroclypeal and paraocular setae without ferruginous-golden luster ( Fig. 33 ); at most basal half of flagellomere I ferruginous. Male: legs black or dark ferruginous, or rarely all tibiae and most of mid- and hindtarsi ferruginous; basal half of mandible black or ferruginous; mesosomal vestiture uniformly black ................... ............................................................................................................. S. umtalicus Strand, 1916 – Female: clypeus and legs largely ferruginous, if clypeus predominantly black then appressed lateroclypeal and paraocular setae with ferruginous-golden luster ( Fig. 34 ); flagellomeres black or partially ferruginous. Male: basal half of mandible bright ferruginous; hindtibia bright ferruginous with the remainder of the legs black; mesosomal vestiture silvery or black..............................5 5. Female: appressed lateroclypeal and paraocular setae with ferruginous-golden luster ( Fig. 34 ). Male: cellular area of fore- and hindwing only slightly fuscous; erect setae at least on scutum partially silvery ( Fig. 70 ); narrow placoid on flagellomere V with at most small placoid structures on neighboring flagellomeres ...................................................... S. haemorrhoidalis Fabricius, 1781 – Female: appressed lateroclypeal and paraocular setae with silvery luster ( Fig. 35 ). Male: wings conspicuously fuscous; erect setae on thoracical dorsum black ( Fig. 74 ); broad placoids cover entire length of flagellomeres IV–VI ...................................................................... S. victoria sp. nov.