Sphecodopsis papilla Eardley, 2007

Sphecodopsis papilla Eardley, 2007 View in CoL

Figs 71–72 View Fig View Fig

Sphecodopsis papilla Eardley, 2007: 194–195 View in CoL , holotype ♀ (type locality: Nieuwoudtville, Flower Reserve East, South Africa) (SANC), examined.

Diagnosis

The female of S. papilla can be separated from that of all other species by the combination of the following characters: S6 bifid posteriorly, apical notch three times as long as its apical width, more or less spatulate, shape as shown in Fig. 72C View Fig ; body length 3.5–5.8 mm; metasoma partially red ( Fig. 71B View Fig ); fore tibia and tarsi usually black ( Fig. 71A View Fig ); T6 covered with black hair ( Fig. 72B View Fig ); head and mesoscutum with black hair, partially mixed with white hair ( Fig. 71C View Fig ). The male is unknown.

Additional material examined (3 specimens)

SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♀; N Cape, Fynbos, 15 km NW of Nieuwoudtville, Farm Engelsepunt ; 31°14′31″ S, 18°59′08″ E; 830 m a.s.l.; 23–26 Jul. 2003; KT leg.; RCMK GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; 12 km NW of Nieuwoudtville, Farm Avontuur, Renosterveld along Pad ; 31°15′27″ S, 19°03′38″ E; 770 m a.s.l.; 11 Jun. 2013; MK leg.; RCMK GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; Nieuwoudtville, Hantam Botanical Garden, Renosterveld ; 31°24′03″ S, 19°08′34″ E; 700 m a.s.l.; 23 May 2013; MK leg.; RCMK GoogleMaps .

Description

Female

BODY LENGTH. 5.4–5.8 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 fairly long, black hair mixed with short, white hair, with patches of white hair above 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. 71C View Fig ). Surface between punctures slightly shiny. Antenna black.

MESOSOMA. Integument black, tegula orange, partially translucent. Mesoscutum slightly shiny. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum densely (i =0.5–1 d), finely and shallowly punctate ( Fig. 71D View Fig ). Propodeum with dense (i=0.25–0.5 d), fine and shallow punctation, metapostnotum finely carinate ( Fig. 72A View Fig ). Mesoscutum, mesoscutellum, metanotum, propodeum and mesepisternum sparsely covered with long, black hair mixed with short, white hair, metapostnotum glabrous ( Figs 71D View Fig , 72A View Fig ).

WINGS. Yellowish; wing venation brown and stigma brown to dark brown ( Fig. 71A 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. 71A View Fig ).

METASOMA. Integument of T1–T4 red, T4 to a variable extent red, from only basal quarter red to only marginal zone black; T6 black. T1 and T2 with few short, white hairs mixed with short, black hair, from T3 increasingly more and longer hair ( Fig. 71B View Fig ). T6 broad and rounded apically, densely covered with short, black hair and shorter, white hair underneath ( Fig. 72B View Fig ). Shape of S6 ( Fig. 72C View Fig ) as illustrated.

Male

Unknown.

Distribution

Only known from the vicinity of Nieuwoudtville.

Host bees

Unknown.

Seasonal activity

May–July, September ( Eardley 2007).

Comment

Potentially, S. chrysea sp. nov. is the unknown male of S. papilla as both were collected in autumn in the same area.