Sphecodopsis tenera, Pöllein & Kuhlmann, 2025

Sphecodopsis tenera sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:4D5C9251-C8BB-4120-98B1-050B9E902415

Figs 75–78 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig

Diagnosis

The female of S. tenera sp. nov. can be separated from that of all other species by the combination of the following characters: S6 bifid posteriorly, apical notch four times as long as its apical width, more or less spatulate, shape as shown in Fig. 76C View Fig ; body length 3.5–5.8 mm; metasoma partially red ( Fig. 75B View Fig ); fore tibia and tarsi usually black, sometimes with small reddish spots ( Fig. 75A View Fig ); T6 covered with golden hair ( Fig. 76B View Fig ); head and mesosoma with light hair ( Fig. 75C–D View Fig ); propodeum densely covered with short white or yellowish-white hair ( Fig. 76A View Fig ); T5 apically densely covered with short white hair ( Fig. 76B View Fig ); T6 rounded apically, covered with short golden hair forming a fringe ( Fig. 76B View Fig ). The male can be separated from that of all other species of the genus by the combination of the following characters: metasoma at least partially red ( Fig. 77B View Fig ); fore legs usually black, sometimes with small reddish spots ( Fig. 77A View Fig ); propodeum covered with white hair ( Fig. 77E View Fig ); head and mesosoma with white hair ( Fig. 77C–D View Fig ); T7 very sparsely covered with short golden hair ( Fig. 77F View Fig ); gonostylus inclined inward, penis valves narrower, slightly shorter than gonostylus ( Fig. 78C View Fig ); S8 broadly rounded apically ( Fig. 78B View Fig ).

Etymology

The name refers to the small and delicate appearance of the species.

Type material (29 specimens)

Holotype

SOUTH AFRICA • ♀; 12 km NW of Nieuwoudtville, Farm Avontuur , Fynbos; 31°16′18″ S, 19°02′55″ E; 770 m a.s.l.; 30 Aug. 2018; MK leg.; SAMC. GoogleMaps

Paratypes

SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♀; 8 km WNW of Leliefontein, Fynbos , roadside ; 30°15′58″ S, 18°03′17″ E; 1190 m a.s.l.; 14 Sep. 2017; MK leg.; RCMK GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; Kamiesberg Mts , 5 km SE of Leliefontein, roadside ; 30°20′09″ S, 18°06′24″ E; 1400 m a.s.l.; 10 Sep. 2017; MK leg.; RCMK GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; N Cape, 15 km NW of Nieuwoudtville, Farm Engelsepunt, Fynbos ; 31°14′31″ S, 18°59′08″ E; 830 m a.s.l.; 6 Oct. 2003; KT leg.; RCMK GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 7 Oct. 2003; RCMK GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; 12 km NW of Nieuwoudtville, Farm Avontuur, Fynbos ; 31°16′18″ S, 19°02′55″ E; 770 m a.s.l.; 25 Aug. 2010; MK leg.; RCMK GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 3 Sep. 2016 GoogleMaps • 1 ♀, 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; 30 Aug. 2018; RCMK GoogleMaps • 4 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding; 9 Sep. 2018; RCMK GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 21 Sep. 2022; RCMK GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; Nieuwoudtville, Wild Flower Reserve , dolerite hills ; 31°22′10″ S, 19°08′50″ E; 770 m a.s.l.; 17 Aug. 2007; KT leg.; RCMK GoogleMaps • 2 ♀♀, 1 ♂; 20 km S of Nieuwoudtville, Farm Papkuilsfontein, Fynbos ; 31°33′16″ S, 19°08′31″ E; 680 m a.s.l.; 7 Sep. 2007; MK leg.; RCMK GoogleMaps • 2 ♀♀, 3 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding; 27 Aug. 2012; RCMK GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; Ouberg Pass, 27 km SE of Vanrhynsdorp, Fynbos ; 31°48′07″ S, 18°55′00″ E; 380 m a.s.l.; 9 Aug. 2011; MK leg.; RCMK GoogleMaps • 2 ♀♀, 3 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding; 23 Aug. 2012; RCMK GoogleMaps .

Description

Female

BODY LENGTH. 3.9–4.0 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 short, white and golden hair. Face with dense (i=0.25–0.5 d), coarse and deep punctation ( Fig. 75C View Fig ). Surface between punctures slightly shiny. Antenna black.

MESOSOMA. Integument black, tegula red. Mesoscutum slightly shiny. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum densely (i=0.25–0.5 d), coarsely and deeply punctate ( Fig. 75D View Fig ). Propodeum with dense (i=0.5–1 d), fine and shallow punctation, metapostnotum matt ( Fig. 76A View Fig ). Mesoscutum covered with short, golden hair. Mesoscutellum covered with long, golden hair ( Fig. 75D View Fig ). Metanotum and propodeum covered with short white hair, metapostnotum glabrous ( Figs 75D View Fig , 76A View Fig ). Mesepisternum covered with slightly long, white hair.

WINGS. Yellowish; wing venation brown and stigma brown ( Fig. 75A View Fig ).

LEGS. Integument black, except femur and tibia apically light red. Coxa, trochanter, femur, tibia and tarsi covered with short, white hair ( Fig. 75A View Fig ).

METASOMA. Integument of T1–T2 red, T3–6 to a variable extent red, from T3–T4 completely black or entirely red, T5 and T6 black. T1 and T2 with few short, white and golden hairs, from T3 increasingly more and longer hair ( Fig. 75B View Fig ). T5 marginal zone densely covered with short, white hairs. T6 slightly rounded apically with a hair fringe, densely covered with short, golden hair, ( Fig. 76B View Fig ). Shape of S6 ( Fig. 76C View Fig ) as illustrated.

Male

BODY LENGTH. 3.7–4.9 mm.

HEAD. Head wider than long. Vertex slightly rounded, ocelli highest point. Integument black, except part of mandibles red. Face covered with short, white hair. Face with dense (i =0.5–1 d), coarse and deep punctation ( Fig. 77C View Fig ). Surface between punctures matt. Antenna brown.

MESOSOMA. Integument black, tegula orange. Mesoscutum slightly shiny.Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum densely (i =0.5–1 d) and finely but deeply punctate ( Fig. 77D View Fig ). Propodeum with dense (i=0.5–1 d), fine and shallow punctation, metapostnotum matt ( Fig. 77E View Fig ). Mesoscutum, metanotum, propodeum and mesepisternum sparsely covered with short, white hair, metapostnotum glabrous ( Fig. 77D–E View Fig ). Mesoscutellum covered with slightly long, white hair.

WINGS. Yellowish; wing venation brown and stigma brown ( Fig. 77A View Fig ).

LEGS. Integument black. Coxa, trochanter, femur, tibia and tarsi sparsely covered with short, white hair ( Fig. 77A View Fig ).

METASOMA. Integument of T1 and T2 red, except base of T1 black. T3 variable, from completely black to entirely red. T1 and T2 with few short, white and golden hair, from T3 increasingly more and longer hair ( Fig. 77B View Fig ). T7 covered with short, golden hair ( Fig. 77F View Fig ).

TERMINALIA. Genitalia ( Fig. 78C–D View Fig ), S7 ( Fig. 78A View Fig ) and terminal plate of S8 ( Fig. 78B View Fig ) as illustrated.

Distribution

Recorded from the wider Nieuwoudtville area and the Kamiesberg Mts.

Host bees

Unknown.

Seasonal activity

August–October.

Comment

Five specimens display slight morphological differences: in S. cf. 1 tenera sp. nov. the marginal zone of T5 is covered less densely with fewer short, white hairs; T6 is broader, sparsely covered with short, golden hair and more truncate apically without a hair fringe. In S. cf. 2 tenera the marginal zone of T5 is much more densely covered with short, white hair and T6 densely covered with short, golden hair, slightly more truncate apically with a smaller, sparse hair fringe. In S. cf. 3 tenera T6 is narrower and more truncate apically.

At present, the taxonomic status of these specimens is unclear so we do not assign them to S. tenera sp. nov. but make their collection data available to enable further investigation:

Sphecodopsis cf. 1 tenera : SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♀; 7 km NE of Steinkopf   GoogleMaps , roadside N7; 29°12′40″ S, 17°47′11″ E; 970 m a.s.l.; 13 Sep. 2017; MK leg.; RCMK.

Sphecodopsis cf. 2 tenera : • 1 ♀; 8 km NW of Leliefontein, Fynbos   GoogleMaps , roadside; 30°15′58″ S, 18°03′17″ E; 1190 m a.s.l.; 14 Sep. 2017; MK leg.; RCMK.

Sphecodopsis cf. 3 tenera : • 1 ♀; 15 km NW of Nieuwoudtville, Farm Zoetfontein   GoogleMaps E, Fynbos; 31°14′05″ S, 19°02′50″ E; 775 m a.s.l.; 7 Oct. 2022; MK leg.; RCMK • 1 ♀; Knersvlakte   GoogleMaps , roadside, 23 km SE of Vanrhynsdorp; 31°44′06″ S, 18°55′32″ E; 200 m a.s.l.; 17 Aug. 2010; MK leg.; RCMK • 1 ♀; Ouberg Pass   GoogleMaps , roadside, 27 km SE of Vanrhynsdorp, Fynbos; 31°48′07″ S, 18°55′00″ E; 380 m a.s.l.; 8 Aug. 2012; MK leg.; RCMK.