Ropalidia antennata ( DE SAUSSURE 1890 )

Ropalidia antennata ( DE SAUSSURE 1890) View in CoL

Icaria antennata DE SAUSSURE 1890

Icaria ambigua GRIBODO 1894 View in CoL

Type material. The original species description is partial, as a footnote in the description of Icaria (= Ropalidia ) bicincta (H. de Saussure, 1890). The description suggests the coast of Mozambique as a location and describes a reddish species with three black spots on the mesonotum. He also described a male, with more yellow markings and strongly developed male tyloids with an elongated terminal flagellomere. Notably, his description of R. capensis did not mention males, suggesting that he did not examine a male of R. capensis at the time of description of the male of R. antennata (H. de Saussure, 1862) . Furthermore, the description does not mention the exact number of specimens or a depository, prompting Kojima to assign the lectotype status of R. antennata (DE SAUSSURE) to a specimen at MHNG (J. Kojima, 2001). The specimen has a Mosamb label, which is common in MFNB, suggesting a likely German (speaking) collector. Unfortunately, no other type specimens were identified in either the MFNB or the CENAK collection.

Ropalidia ambigua (GRIBODO) . Gribodo described this species, and photos of the type were seen (the specimen is deposited in Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali, Bologna, Italy), suggesting that this taxon is conspecific with R. antennata (DE SAUSSURE) . Previous authors suggested that it might be another synonym of R. capensis (DE SAUSSURE) ; one specimen from the ETH collection bears a determination label by Schulthess as “ I. antennata = I. ambigua det. Schulthess 928” (Supplementary Figure 17 View FIGURE 17 ), supporting a similar proposal by Bequaert ( Bequaret, 1918).

Comments. The main features of females include the more or less curved clypeal upes, horizontal or downward directing setae in the mid-section of propodeal excavation and parallel-sided mandibles. Some problems are likely in separation from R. capensis (DE SAUSSURE) ; although the general pattern may resemble the two species, the colour of propodeum was reliable in the separation of these two species. The propodeum of R. antennata (DE SAUSSURE) is very variable, ranging from entirely light brown to a combination of black and brown, but no examined specimen had completely black propodeum. In contrast, all examined R. capensis (DE SAUSSURE) had completely black propodeum. In addition, the general colour pattern is more unified in R. antennata (DE SAUSSURE) , with mostly similarly coloured mesonotum and pronotum ( Figure 80a View FIGURE 80 ) and more contrasting in R. capensis (DE SAUSSURE) , with dissimilar mesonotum and pronotum ( Figure 80b View FIGURE 80 ). This feature is helpful in the entire distribution range, but becomes less reliable in the sympatric area, eastern parts of the South Africa, where some specimens might require genetic analysis for confirmation.

Nest. Several nests were examined, with confirmed males and females collected with them. The general pattern is bicellular and elongated, sometimes expanded to multiple cells with up to five cells in width in larger nests (Supplementary material). Cells are of equal length, without shorter accessory cells at the outer nest rim (which is present in R. valentula sp. nov.). Cell wall colour is mainly grey, with occasional brownish or whitish streaks. Confirmed nests were mainly observed on twigs, while a few nests from iNat were seen on leaves and other plant material (iNat:35606319, 40227561, 24785286).

Distribution. Widely distributed across almost entire Sub-Saharan Africa, ranging from Senegal to Kenya, as far as South Africa.

Genetics. Three separate COI lineages were recorded for this species, with sufficient support for a BIN assignment. Darker specimens, which resemble R. capensis (DE SAUSSURE) were recorded in Mozambique (BOLD: ADR5502). Specimens from the remaining two clusters were widely distributed, and seemed to express a substantial degree of overlap, occurring in the South Africa and Botswana (BOLD:ADR4815) or South Africa, Zambia and Mozambique (BOLD:ADN9354). All examined specimens from Western Africa were older, so no genotyping was attempted.