Sphecodopsis directa, Pöllein & Kuhlmann, 2025

Sphecodopsis directa sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:4ADDC4FF-2ABC-4B9B-A3A6-3B661F722B36

Figs 103–104 View Fig View Fig

Diagnosis

The female of S. directa sp. nov. can be separated from that of all other species of the genus by the combination of the following characters: S6 bifid posteriorly, apical notch about three times as long as its apical width, shape as shown in Fig. 104C View Fig ; metasoma partially red ( Fig. 103B View Fig ); front legs with red dots on femur and tibia ( Fig. 103A View Fig ); T6 densely covered with golden hair ( Fig. 104B View Fig ). The male is unknown.

Etymology

The name refers to the long straight tips of the female S6.

Type material (2 specimens)

Holotype

SOUTH AFRICA • ♀; Leliefontein , plain; 31°14′ S, 18°09′ E; 31 Aug. 2003; CM leg.; SANC. GoogleMaps

Paratype

SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♀; Leliefontein , plain; 31°14′ S, 18°09′ E; 21 Sep. 2004; CM leg.; RCMK GoogleMaps .

Description

Female

BODY LENGTH. 5.6 mm.

HEAD. Head wider than long. Vertex rounded, ocelli highest point. Integument black, except part of mandibles red or reddish-brown. Face covered with short, white hair mixed with short black hair. Face with dense (i=0.5–1 d) and fairly fine but deep punctation ( Fig. 103C View Fig ), between punctures slightly matt. Antenna black.

MESOSOMA. Integument black, except red under the pronotal lobe, tegulae red. Mesoscutum slightly matt. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum densely (i= 0.25–0.5 d) and fairly finely but deeply punctate ( Fig. 103D View Fig ). Propodeum with dense (i=1–1.5 d), fairly fine but shallow punctation, metapostnotum matt ( Fig. 104A View Fig ). Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum with short, white hair mixed with very short, golden hair ( Fig. 103D View Fig ). Metanotum, propodeum and mesepisternum sparsely covered with short, white hair, metapostnotum glabrous ( Figs 103D View Fig , 104A View Fig ).

WINGS. Yellowish-brown; wing venation brown and stigma brown to dark brown ( Fig. 103A View Fig ).

LEGS. Integument mostly black with few red patches. Coxa, trochanter and femur sparsely covered with fairly long, white hair mixed with short, white hair. Tibia and tarsi covered with short, white hair ( Fig. 103A View Fig ).

METASOMA. Integument of T1–T3 red, T4 basal quarter red, the rest, T5 and T6 black. T1 and T2 with few short, white hair, from T3 increasingly more and longer hair ( Fig. 103B View Fig ). T6 broad and rounded apically, covered with long, white hair ( Fig. 104B View Fig ). Shape of S6 ( Fig. 104C View Fig ) as illustrated.

Male

Unknown.

Distribution

Only known from the type locality in the Kamiesberg Mts.

Host bees

Unknown.

Seasonal activity

August–September.