Sphecodopsis chrysea, Pöllein & Kuhlmann, 2025

Sphecodopsis chrysea sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:985230AE-3C14-44E9-8BCA-F4815159D3A8

Figs 101–102 View Fig View Fig

Diagnosis

The female of S. chrysea sp. nov. is unknown. The male can be separated from that of all other species by the combination of the following characters: metasoma at least partially red ( Fig. 101B View Fig ); fore legs usually black ( Fig. 101A View Fig ); head and mesosoma with short white hair ( Fig. 101C–D View Fig ); mesoscutum densely, coarsely and deeply punctate, matt or slightly shiny ( Fig. 101D View Fig ); propodeum smooth and shiny, except for the metapostnotum, covered only with white hair ( Fig. 101E View Fig ); genitalia elongated and narrow ( Fig. 102B–C View Fig ).

Etymology

The name refers to the shiny golden hair on the mesoscutum and scutellum.

Type material (2 specimens)

Holotype

SOUTH AFRICA • ♂; Nieuwoudtville , Farm Glen Lyon, Renosterveld; 31°24′03″ S, 19°08′34″ E; 700 m a.s.l.; 31 May 2004; MK leg.; SAMC. GoogleMaps

Paratype

SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♂; Gemsbokrivier-Pad , 4.5 km NE of Grootdrif, roadside ; 31°25′54″ S, 18°55′16″ E; 170 m a.s.l.; 28 May 2013; MK leg.; RCMK GoogleMaps .

Description

Female

Unknown.

Male

BODY LENGTH. 6.0 mm.

HEAD. Head wider than long. Vertex slightly rounded, ocelli highest point. Integument black, except part of mandibles red or reddish-brown. Face covered with long, black hair mixed with short, white hair, with patch of white hair above base of the antenna. Face with dense (i=0.25–0.5 d) and fine but deep punctation, supraclypeal area with fine and more dispersed (i=0.5–1 d) punctation ( Fig. 101C View Fig ), between punctures slightly shiny. Antenna black.

MESOSOMA. Integument black, tegula brown. Mesoscutum slightly shiny. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum densely (i=0.25–1 d) and finely but deeply punctate ( Fig. 101D View Fig ). Propodeum with sparse (i=0.5– 1.5 d), fine and shallow punctation, metapostnotum matt ( Fig. 101E View Fig ). Mesoscutum, mesoscutellum and mesepisternum covered with long, golden hair ( Fig. 101D View Fig ). Metanotum and propodeum covered with short, golden hair, metapostnotum glabrous ( Fig. 101D–E View Fig ).

WINGS. Yellowish; wing venation brown and stigma brown to dark brown ( Fig. 101A View Fig ).

LEGS. Integument black. Coxa, trochanter and femur sparsely covered with fairly long, black hair mixed with short, white hair. Tibia and tarsi covered with short, white hair mixed with short, black hair ( Fig. 101A View Fig ).

METASOMA. Integument of T1–T5 red, T6 apical quarter black, T7 black. T1 and T2 with few short, white hair mixed with short, black hair, from T3 increasingly more and longer hair ( Fig. 101B View Fig ). T7 covered with short, golden hair ( Fig. 101F View Fig ).

TERMINALIA. Genitalia ( Fig. 102B–C View Fig ) and terminal plate of S8 ( Fig. 102A View Fig ) as illustrated. Unfortunately, S7 of the specimen was lost during dissection.

Distribution

Only known from the wider Nieuwoudtville area.

Host bees

Unknown.

Seasonal activity

May.

Comment

This species possibly represents the unknown male of S. papilla as both were collected in autumn in the same area.