Sphex diabolicus SMITH 1858

Overview & Synopsis

Sphex diabolicus SMITH, 1858 Sphex diabolicus SMITH, 1858: 100,, " Malaysia: Sarawak, no specific locality" (lectotype:, OXUM). Sphex fulvohirtus BINGHAM, 1890: 242,, " Sri Lanka: Pundaluoya" (holotype:, BMNH). Sphex flammitrichus STRAND, 1913: 83,,, " Taiwan: Kankau" (lectotype:, DEI). Sphex umbrosus var. aureopilosus BERLAND, 1928: 330,,, " Vietnam: Ba-Cha in former Tonkin " (lectotype:, MNHN). D i s t r i b u t i o n: Malaysia, Indonesia, New Guinea, Philippines, India, Laos, China: Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Vietnam: Ba–Cha in former Tonkin (= maybe part of Sa Pa District, Lao Cai Province currently) (BERLAND 1928); Hanoi; Thuan Ho Prov., Phan Rang (DOLLFUSS 2008). BERLAND (1928) recorded this species under Sphex umbrosus var. aureopilosus at Ba-Cha in former Tonkin, but S. umbrosus var. aureopilosus was synonymized with S. diabolicus flammitrichus by MENKE in R. BOHART & MENKE 1976. HENSEN (1991) designated S. diabolicus flammitrichus as an independent species S. flammitrichus and also synonymized it with S. diabolicus. van der VECHT (1973) stated that " Sphex fulvohirtus, described from Ceylon, is very similar in general appearance, but differs in having the bristles on the clypeus black. Its status deserves further study. But when examined on Vietnamese specimens DOLLFUSS (2008) showed that "these specimens are characterized by black hairs on frons, clypeus and propodeum" So, there is variation among specimens collected from different localities, and he suggests that further examinations should be done.