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Species Sphex habenus

To compare/w Sphex flavovestitus - Sphex habenus - male Sphex habenus - male Sphex habenus - female Wasp - Sphex habenus - female Sphex habenus - female Golden-reined Wasp - Sphex habenus - male
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
No Taxon (Aculeata - Bees, Ants, and Stinging Wasps)
No Taxon (Apoid Wasps (Apoidea)- traditional Sphecidae)
Family Sphecidae (Thread-waisted Wasps)
Subfamily Sphecinae
Tribe Sphecini
Genus Sphex
Species habenus (Sphex habenus)
Other Common Names
"Golden-reined Wasp" might be an appopriate common name, based on the meaning of the species name.
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Sphex habenus Say, 1832. Synonyms:
Sphex habena (spelling/gender)
Explanation of Names
Habenus (or habena) is Latin for "thong", or "rein" (1). This likely refers to the markings highlighting the thorax.
Size
male: 29 mm average length, female: 25 mm average length (Bohart and Menke, 1963, quoted by DiscoverLife)
Identification
A dark Sphex, resembling Sphex ichneumoneus, but appears smaller. Abdomen is dark in females, mostly reddish in males, apparently. Golden highlights on face and around thorax.
Sphex flavovestita is a related (and similar?) species with an, apparently, similar range. In comments here, it is stated that Sphex flavovestitus has yellow on legs like Sphex nudus. (Sphex habenus has dark legs.)
Range
Southeastern United States--North Carolina south to Florida, west to Arkansa, Texas (DiscoverLife).
Habitat
Found on flowers in fields.
Season
Mid-summer to fall. July-October (North Carolina).
Food
Adults take nectar.
Life Cycle
Nest is a burrow, presumably. Provisions with long-horned orthoptera.
See Also
Sphex flavovestita is, perhaps, a similar species.
Print References
Bohart, R. M. and A. S. Menke. 1963. A reclassification of the Sphecinae with a revision of the Nearctic species of the tribes Sceliphronini and Sphecini (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae). University of California Publications: Entomology 30:91–192. (quoted by DiscoverLife)
Borror, entry for habena (1)
Brimley, p. 444 (2) lists Chlorion habenum (= Sphex habenus?) from the eastern part of North Carolina, July-October. That reference also mentions mentions Chlorion opacum flavitarsis (=Sphex flavovestita?), July-September from the eastern part of North Carolina, and also from the mountains.
Internet References
DiscoverLife--Sphex habenus
This document from Univ. Florida mentions both S. flavovestitus and S. habenus as "fossorial; prey long-horned Orthoptera."
North Carolina State University Entomology lists Sphex habenus from that state with 38 specimens, Sphex flavovestitus with 5 specimens.
Works Cited
1.Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms
By Donald J. Borror
2.Insects of North Carolina
By C.S. Brimley