Sphecodopsis bifida, 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 : 125-128

Sphecodopsis bifida sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:BB54F0E7-CD7E-4A10-BB06-28B82E89D119

Figs 97–98

Diagnosis

The female of S. bifida sp. nov. can be separated from that of all other species of the genus by the combination of the following characters: S6 bifid posteriorly, apical notch without a small tip distally; shape as shown in Fig. 98C ; body length> 6 mm; metasoma partially red ( Fig. 97B ); fore tibia and tarsi usually black, sometimes with small reddish spots ( Fig. 97A ); head and mesoscutum with black hair, mixed with shorter white hair ( Fig. 97C–D ); T6 rounded apically, covered with black and shorter white hair ( Fig. 98B ). The male is unknown.

Etymology

The name refers to the apically bifid S6 on the female specimens.

Type material (5 specimens)

Holotype

SOUTH AFRICA • ♀; 6 km NNW of Farm Kanariesfontein, 30 km W of Sutherland , roadside; 32°22′17″ S, 20°22′50″ E; 1310 m a.s.l.; 16 Sep. 2017; MK leg.; SAMC.

Paratypes

SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♀; 8 km WNW of Leliefontein, Fynbos , roadside; 30°15′58″ S, 18°03′17″ E; 1190 m a.s.l.; 14 Sep. 2017; MK leg.; RCMK • 3 ♀♀; 6 km NNW of Farm Kanariesfontein, 30 km W of Sutherland , roadside; 32°22′17″ S, 20°22′50″ E; 1310 m a.s.l.; 16 Sep. 2017; MK leg.; RCMK .

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 long, black hair mixed with short, white hair. Face with dense (i=0.25–0.5 d), coarse and deep punctation, clypeus and supraclypeal area with more dispersed (i=0.5–1 d) punctation ( Fig. 97C ). Surface between punctures slightly shiny. Antenna reddish-brown to dark brown.

MESOSOMA. Integument black, tegula orange. Mesoscutum slightly matt. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum densely (i=0.5–1 d) and finely but deeply punctate ( Fig. 97D ). Propodeum with dense (i=0.5–1 d) and fine but shallow punctation, metapostnotum matt ( Fig. 98A ). Mesoscutum, mesoscutellum and mesepisternum sparsely covered with long, black hair mixed with shorter, white hair ( Fig. 97D ). Metanotum and propodeum very sparsely covered with short, white hair, metapostnotum glabrous ( Figs 97D , 98A ).

WINGS. Yellowish-brown; wing venation dark brown and stigma dark brown to black ( Fig. 97A ).

LEGS. Integument black. Coxa, trochanter and femur sparsely covered with long, black hair mixed with shorter white hair. Tibia and tarsi very sparsely covered with short, black hair mixed with short white hair ( Fig. 97A ).

METASOMA. Integument of T1–T3 red, T4 to a variable extent red, from basal half to completely red, T5 and T6 black. T1 and T2 with few short, white and black hair, from T3 increasingly more and longer, black hair ( Fig. 97B ). T5 marginal zone with few white, short hairs. T6 broad and rounded apically, covered with long, black hair and short, white hair underneath ( Fig. 98B ). Shape of S6 ( Fig. 98C ) as illustrated.

Male

Unknown.

Distribution

The species was only found in the Kamiesberg Mts and the southern Roggeveld Mts.

Host bees

Unknown.

Seasonal activity

September.

Figures

Fig. 97. Sphecodopsis bifida sp. nov., paratype, ♀ (RCMK). A. Habitus (lateral view). B. Metasoma (dorsal view). C. Head. D. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum (dorsal view).

Fig. 98. Sphecodopsis bifida sp. nov., paratype, ♀ (RCMK). A. Propodeum. B. T5 and T6. C. S6.