Sphecodopsis fumipennis ( Bischoff, 1923 )

Sphecodopsis fumipennis ( Bischoff, 1923) View in CoL

Figs 9–10 View Fig View Fig

Pseudodichroa fumipennis Bischoff, 1923: 596 , holotype ♀ (type locality: ‘Java’; the specimen was obviously mislabelled; see discussion in Bischoff 1923, Rozen 1968 and Eardley & Brothers 1997) (ZMHB), examined.

Diagnosis

The female of S. fumipennis can be separated from that of all other species of the genus by the combination of the following characters: S6 pointed posteriorly ( Fig. 10D View Fig ); T6 narrow and almost truncate apically ( Fig. 10B View Fig ). The male is unknown.

Additional material examined (17 specimens)

SOUTH AFRICA • 2 ♀♀; 12 km NW of Nieuwoudtville, Farm Avontuur , dolerite hill; 31°16′02″ S, 19°04′05″ E; 830 a.s.l.; 27 Aug. 2008; HE leg.; RCMK GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 6 Sep. 2008; MK leg.; RCMK GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 9 Sep. 2022; HE leg.; RCMK GoogleMaps • 2 ♀♀; N Cape, Nieuwoudtville, Flower Reserve East; 31°21′56″ S, 19°08′52″ E; 735 m a.s.l.; 6 Sep. 2002; MK leg.; RCMK GoogleMaps • 2 ♀♀; same collection data as for preceding; 11 Sep. 2002; RCMK GoogleMaps • 2 ♀♀; same collection data as for preceding; 11 Sep. 2003; RCMK GoogleMaps • 2 ♀♀; same collection data as for preceding; 13 Aug. 2004; RCMK GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; Nieuwoudtville, Wild Flower Reserve , dolerite hills; 31°22′10″ S, 19°08′50″ E; 770 m a.s.l.; 21 Aug. 2007; KT leg.; RCMK GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; N Cape, Nieuwoudtville, Flower Reserve, Rondell , Car Park East ; 31°22′18″ S, 19°08′58″ E; 730 m a.s.l.; 30 Sep. 2006; MK leg.; RCMK GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; Nieuwoudtville, Wild Flower Reserve, Car Park East ; 31°22′18″ S, 19°08′58″ E; 730 a.s.l.; 14 Aug. 2010; MK leg.; RCMK GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; Nieuwoudtville, Wild Flower Reserve ; 31°22′25″ S, 19°08′46″ E; 770 m a.s.l.; 10 Sep. 2007; KT leg.; RCMK GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; Bredasdorp, Div. Pearly Beach ; [34°40′ S, 19°30′ E]; 1 Sep. 1959; SAM leg.; SANC GoogleMaps .

Description

Female

BODY LENGTH. 7.4–8.9 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. Face and clypeus with dense (i =0.25–0.5 d), coarse and deep punctation, supraclypeal almost without punctation ( Fig. 9C View Fig ). Surface between punctures slightly shiny. Antenna black.

MESOSOMA. Integument black, tegula reddish-brown. Mesoscutum slightly shiny. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum densely (i =0.25–0.5 d) and finely but deeply punctate ( Fig. 9D View Fig ). Propodeum densely (i =0.25–0.5 d), finely and shallowly punctate, metapostnotum matt ( Fig. 10A View Fig ). Mesoscutum sparsely covered with long, black hair mixed with shorter, yellowish-white hair ( Fig. 9D View Fig ). Mesoscutellum, metanotum, mesepisternum and propodeum sparsely covered with long, black, erect hair mixed with shorter, dark brown hair, metapostnotum glabrous ( Figs 9D View Fig , 10A View Fig ).

WINGS. Yellowish-brown; wing venation dark brown and stigma dark brown to black ( Fig. 9A View Fig ).

LEGS. Integument black. Coxa and trochanter sparsely covered with long, black hair and shorter, white hair. Femur with few long, black hairs. Tibia and tarsi covered with long, black hair and densely covered with shorter, white hair. Patches with very dense white pubescence apically on the tibia, particularly conspicuous on middle and hind tibia, anterior leg generally less hairy ( Fig. 9A View Fig ).

METASOMA. Integument of T1 dark basally. Rest of T1 and T2 red, T3 variable color expansion of red, from completely red to completely black and T4–T6 black. T1–T4 sparsely covered with short, white and black hair ( Fig. 9B View Fig ). T5 marginal zone with bright white hair, disc covered with long, black hair. T6 with dense long, black hair, narrow and almost straight apically ( Fig. 10B View Fig ). Shape of S6 ( Fig. 10D View Fig ) as illustrated.

Male

Unknown.

Distribution

Found from southern Namaqualand to the Cape Peninsula ( Eardley & Brothers 1997).

Host bees

Confirmed host bee is Scrapter erubescens ( Friese, 1925) (= S. crassula Cockerell, 1932 ) ( Rozen & Michener 1968).

Seasonal activity

August–November ( Eardley & Brothers 1997).