Sphecodopsis albomaculata, Pöllein & Kuhlmann, 2025

Sphecodopsis albomaculata sp. nov.

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Figs 1–2 View Fig View Fig

Diagnosis

The female of S. albomaculata sp. nov. is unknown. The male can be separated from that of all other species of this genus by the combination of the following characters: metasomal terga T1–T3 red ( Fig. 1B View Fig ); fore legs usually black ( Fig. 1A View Fig ); head and mesosoma with black hair, mixed with lighter hair ( Fig. 1C View Fig ); mesoscutum densely, coarsely and deeply punctate, matt or slightly shiny ( Fig. 1D View Fig ); metapostnotum twice as high as wide ( Fig. 1E View Fig ); propodeum covered with white plumose hair mixed with at least a few black hairs ( Fig. 1E View Fig ); gonostylus approximately the same length as gonocoxa ( Fig. 2C–D View Fig ) and with a bump dorsally ( Fig. 2D View Fig ).

Etymology

The name refers to the white hair patches on the legs.

Type material (1 specimen)

Holotype

SOUTH AFRICA • ♂; C.P., Piketberg , Banghook, 32180A; [32°50′ S, 18°40′ E]; 20 Sep. 1991; VBW leg.; SANC. GoogleMaps

Description

Female

Unknown.

Male

BODY LENGTH. 8.5 mm.

HEAD. Head distinctly wider than long. Vertex almost straight and flat, except for the ocelli. Integument black, except part of mandibles reddish-brown. Face covered with long, black hair mixed with shorter, yellowish-white hair around antenna. Face and clypeus with fairly dense (i=0–0.25 d), coarse and deep punctation, except supraclypeal area with more dispersed (i= 0.5–1 d) punctation ( Fig. 1C View Fig ). Surface between punctures slightly matt. Antenna black.

MESOSOMA. Integument black, tegula dark brown to black. Mesoscutum slightly shiny. Mesoscutum, mesoscutellum and propodeum densely (i= 0.25–0.5 d), coarsely and deeply punctate, metapostnotum matt ( Fig. 1D–E View Fig ). Mesoscutum, mesoscutellum, metanotum and mesepisternum sparsely covered with long, black, erect hair mixed with shorter, white hair ( Fig. 1D View Fig ). Propodeum covered with short, white hair and few long, black hairs, metapostnotum without hair ( Fig. 1E View Fig ).

WINGS. Fuscous; wing venation dark brown and stigma dark brown to black ( Fig. 1A View Fig ).

LEGS. Integument black. Coxa and trochanter sparsely covered with long, black hair and shorter white hair. Femur with few long, black hair. Tibia and tarsi covered with short black and white hair. Patches of very dense white pubescence apically on the tibia, on middle and hind tibia, anterior leg generally less hairy ( Fig. 1A View Fig ).

METASOMA. Integument of T1 dark basally. Rest of T1–T3 red, T4–T7 black. T1–T3 sparsely covered with short white and black hair, from T4 increasingly more and longer hair ( Fig. 1B View Fig ). T4–T6 marginal zone with white hair, disc with long, black hair. T7 covered with short, white and gold hair, only few longer, black hairs ( Fig. 1F View Fig ).

TERMINALIA. Genitalia ( Fig. 2C–D View Fig ), S7 ( Fig. 2A View Fig ) and terminal plate of S8 ( Fig. 2B View Fig ) as illustrated.

Distribution

Only known from the type locality.

Host bees

Unknown.

Seasonal activity

September.