Sphecodopsis regina, Pöllein & Kuhlmann, 2025

Pöllein, Daniela & Kuhlmann, Michael, 2025, Taxonomic revision of the southern African bee genus Sphecodopsis Bischoff, 1923 (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Nomadinae), European Journal of Taxonomy 980, pp. 1-157 : 141-146

publication ID

https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2025.980.2805

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E57E9F17-9C55-4745-BFB5-36840CA8848C

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03F8216B-FF7A-FF10-FD99-FA93FE18FDAC

treatment provided by

Plazi (2025-03-06 13:03:35, last updated 2025-03-06 13:20:37)

scientific name

Sphecodopsis regina
status

sp. nov.

Sphecodopsis regina sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:217A8B44-1ADC-40E3-ADA5-15F62C11CA25

Figs 109–112 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig

Diagnosis

The female of S. regina sp. nov. can be separated from that of all other species by the combination of the following characters: S6 bifid posteriorly, apical notch about as long as its apical width ( Fig. 110C View Fig ); metasoma partially red ( Fig. 109B View Fig ); fore tibia and tarsi completely or largely red ( Fig. 109A View Fig ); head wider than long, vertex flat ( Fig. 109C View Fig ); T5 apically without hair fringe ( Fig. 110B View Fig ); head and mesoscutum with short golden hair ( Fig. 109C–D View Fig ); propodeum sparsely covered with golden hair ( Fig. 110A View Fig ). The male can be separated from that of all other species by the combination of the following characters: body length 4.9 mm; metasoma at least partially red ( Fig. 111B View Fig ); fore tibia and tarsi completely red ( Fig. 111A View Fig ); metapostnotum glabrous and shiny ( Fig. 111E View Fig ); Head and mesosoma with relatively short golden and white hair ( Fig. 111C–D View Fig ); wings slightly yellowish, almost clear ( Fig. 111A View Fig ).

Etymology

The species looks like a queen (Latin: ‘ regina ’) because of the golden ‘crown’ hairs on the female vertex. Noun in apposition.

Type material (9 specimens)

Holotype

SOUTH AFRICA • ♀; Gemsbokrivier-Pad , 4.5 km NE of Grootdrif, roadside; 31°25′54″ S, 18°55′16″ E; 170 m a.s.l.; 17 Aug. 2010; MK leg.; SAMC. GoogleMaps

Paratypes

SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♀; Leliefontein , plain; 30°14′ S, 18°09′ E; 23 Sep. 2003; CM leg.; RCMK GoogleMaps 1 ♂; Remhoogte , slope; 30°14′ S, 18°10′ E; 14 Sep. 2003; CM leg.; RCMK GoogleMaps 1 ♀, 1 ♂; Hantam Mts, river bank, 32 km N of Calvinia, S of Klipwerf Farm ; 31°12′09″ S, 19°50′04″ E; 870 m a.s.l.; 30 Aug. 2010; MK leg.; RCMK GoogleMaps 2 ♀♀, 1 ♂; W Cape, Knersvlakte, Sukkulent Karoo , 30 km N of Vanrhynsdorp; 31°22′23″ S, 18°42′37″ E; 146 m a.s.l.; 5–6 Sep. 2003; KT leg.; RCMK GoogleMaps 1 ♀; W Cape, Knersvlakte, Farm Kaapse Drif ; 31°26′01″ S, 18°47′34″ E; 22 Sep. 1999; MK leg.; RCMK GoogleMaps .

Description

Female

BODY LENGTH. 4.0– 5.2 mm.

HEAD. Head wider than long. Vertex rounded, ocelli highest point. Integument black, except part of mandibles red or reddish-brown. Face covered with short, white hair, mixed with short, gold hair. Face with dense (i=0.25–0.5 d), fairly fine and shallow punctation, supraclypeal area with more dispersed

(i =0.5–1 d) punctation ( Fig. 109C View Fig ). Surface between punctures slightly shiny. Antenna reddish-brown to brown.

MESOSOMA. Integument black, tegula yellow. Mesoscutum slightly shiny. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum densely (i =0.25–0.5 d), finely and shallowly punctate ( Fig. 109D View Fig ). Propodeum with sparse (i=1–2 d), fine and shallow punctation, metapostnotum shiny ( Fig. 110A View Fig ). Mesoscutum, mesoscutellum and mesepisternum sparsely covered with short, white hair mixed with short, gold hair( Fig.109D View Fig ).Metanotum and propodeum sparsely covered short, white hair mixed with short, gold hair, metapostnotum glabrous ( Figs 109D View Fig , 110A View Fig ).

WINGS. Yellowish; wing venation brown and stigma brown ( Fig. 109A View Fig ).

LEGS. Integument of coxa and trochanter dark reddish-brown to black, femur tibia and tarsus of variable color. Femur basal half black and femur apical half, tibia and tarsi light red, red or dark reddish-brown. Coxa, trochanter and femur sparsely covered with short, white hair. Tibia and tarsi covered with short, white hair ( Fig. 109A View Fig ).

METASOMA. Integument of T1–T3 red, T4–T6 to a variable extent red, from completely red to completely black. T1 and T2 with few short, white hairs, from T3 increasingly more and longer hair ( Fig. 109B View Fig ). T6 covered with short, white hair, narrow and rounded apically ( Fig. 110B View Fig ). Shape of S6 ( Fig. 110C View Fig ) as illustrated.

Male

BODY LENGTH. 4.9 mm.

HEAD. Head wider than long. Vertex rounded, ocelli highest point. Integument black, except part of mandibles red or reddish-brown. Face covered with short, white hair, mixed with short, gold hair. Face with dense (i=0.25–0.5 d), fairly fine and shallow punctation, supraclypeal area with more dispersed

(i =0.5–1 d) punctation ( Fig. 111C View Fig ). Surface between punctures slightly shiny. Antenna reddish-brown to brown.

MESOSOMA. Integument black, tegula yellow. Mesoscutum slightly shiny. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum densely (i =0.25–0.5 d), finely and shallowly punctate ( Fig. 111D View Fig ). Propodeum with sparse (i=1–2 d), fine and shallow punctation, metapostnotum shiny ( Fig. 111E View Fig ). Mesoscutum, mesoscutellum and mesepisternum sparsely covered with short, white hair mixed with short, gold hair ( Fig. 111D View Fig ). Metanotum and propodeum sparsely covered with short, white hair mixed with short, gold hair, metapostnotum glabrous ( Fig. 111D–E View Fig ).

WINGS. Yellowish; wing venation brown and stigma brown ( Fig. 111A View Fig ).

LEGS. Integument of coxa and trochanter dark reddish-brown to black, femur tibia and tarsus of variable color. Femur basal half black and femur apical half, tibia and tarsi light red, red or dark reddish-brown. Coxa, trochanter and femur sparsely covered with short, white hair. Tibia and tarsi covered with short, white hair ( Fig. 111A View Fig ).

METASOMA. Integument of T1–T3 red, T4–T7 to a variable extent red, from completely red to completely black. T1 and T2 with few short, white hair, from T3 increasingly more and longer hair ( Fig. 111B View Fig ). T7 narrow and rounded apically, covered with short, white hair ( Fig. 111F View Fig ).

TERMINALIA. Genitalia ( Fig. 112C View Fig ), S7 ( Fig. 112A View Fig ) and terminal plate of S8 ( Fig. 112B View Fig ) as illustrated.

Distribution

Found in different parts of Namaqualand.

Host bees

Unknown.

Seasonal activity

August–September.

Gallery Image

Fig. 109. Sphecodopsis regina sp. nov., paratype, ♀ (RCMK). A. Habitus (lateral view). B. Metasoma (dorsal view). C. Head. D. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum (dorsal view).

Gallery Image

Fig. 110. Sphecodopsis regina sp. nov., paratype, ♀ (RCMK). A. Propodeum. B. T5 and T6. C. S6.

Gallery Image

Fig. 111. Sphecodopsis regina sp. nov., paratype, ♂ (RCMK). A. Habitus (lateral view). B. Metasoma (dorsal view). C. Head. D. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum (dorsal view). E. Propodeum. F. T4–T7 (dorsal view).

Gallery Image

Fig. 112. Sphecodopsis regina sp. nov., paratype, ♂ (RCMK). A. S7 (dorsal view). B. S8 (dorsal view). C. Genital (dorsal view). D. Genital (lateral view).

SAMC

Iziko Museums of Cape Town

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Apidae

Genus

Sphecodopsis