Sphecodopsis keiskiensis, 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 : 103-106

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-FF90-FFE8-FDA7-F90AFEFDFD58

treatment provided by

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

scientific name

Sphecodopsis keiskiensis
status

sp. nov.

Sphecodopsis keiskiensis sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:08F5B31D-7C62-49B7-B0F2-C409838D9794

Figs 79–80 View Fig View Fig

Diagnosis

The female of S. keiskiensis 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 about as long as its apical width ( Fig. 80C View Fig ); metasoma partially red ( Fig. 79B View Fig ); fore tibia and tarsi completely or largely red ( Fig. 79A View Fig ); head wider than long, vertex flat ( Fig. 79C View Fig ); T5 apically without fringe ( Fig. 80B View Fig ); head and mesoscutum with black hair, interspersed with lighter hair ( Fig. 79C–D View Fig ); mesoscutum shiny, sparsely and shallowly punctate ( Fig. 79D View Fig ); no white hair above base of antenna ( Fig. 79C View Fig ); propodeum laterally and metapostnotum only with few white hairs in upper corners ( Fig. 80A View Fig ). The male is unknown.

Etymology

Named after the Keiskie Mts where the only known specimen was found.

Type material (1 specimen)

Holotype

SOUTH AFRICA • ♀; Keiskie Mts , 5 km S of Farm Nooiensrivier, dolerite hill; 31°45′54″ S, 19°50′17″ E; 1270 m a.s.l.; 22 Sep. 2014; MK leg.; SAMC. GoogleMaps

Description

Female

BODY LENGTH. 7.4 mm.

HEAD. Head wider than long. Vertex almost straight and flat, except for the ocelli. Integument black, except part of mandibles red or reddish-brown. Face covered with long, black hair. Face and clypeus with sparse (i=0.5–1 d), fine and shallow punctation, supraclypeal area with more dispersed (i=0.5–2.5 d) punctation ( Fig. 79C View Fig ). Surface between punctures shiny. Antenna black.

MESOSOMA. Integument black, tegula orange, partially translucent. Mesoscutum shiny. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum sparsely (i= 1–3 d), finely and shallowly punctate ( Fig. 79D View Fig ). Propodeum densely (i =0.5–1 d), finely and shallowly punctate, metapostnotum matt ( Fig. 80A View Fig ). Mesoscutum, mesoscutellum and mesepisternum sparsely covered with long, black hair mixed with shorter, yellowish-white hair ( Fig. 79D View Fig ). Metanotum and propodeum sparsely covered with short, yellowish-white hair, metapostnotum only with hair in upper corners ( Figs 79D View Fig , 80A View Fig ).

WINGS. Fuscous; wing venation brown and stigma brown to dark brown ( Fig. 79A View Fig ).

LEGS. Integument of coxa and trochanter black, trochanter apically red, tibia and tarsi completely red. 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. 79A View Fig ).

METASOMA. Integument of T1–T3 red and T4–T6 black. T1 and T2 sparsely covered with short, white and black hair, from T3 increasingly more and longer black hair ( Fig. 79B View Fig ). T6 with short, golden hair, narrow and almost straight apically, apical margin with very short, dense, golden hair ( Fig. 80B View Fig ). Shape of S6 ( Fig. 80C View Fig ) as illustrated.

Male

Unknown.

Distribution

Only known from the type locality in the Keiskie Mts south of Calvinia.

Host bees

Unknown.

Seasonal activity

September.

Gallery Image

Fig. 79.Sphecodopsis keiskiensis sp. nov., holotype, ♀ (SAMC). A. Habitus (lateral view). B. Metasoma (dorsal view). C. Head. D. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum (dorsal view).

Gallery Image

Fig. 80. Sphecodopsis keiskiensis sp. nov., holotype, ♀ (SAMC). A. Propodeum. B. T5 and T6. C. S6.

SAMC

Iziko Museums of Cape Town

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Apidae

Genus

Sphecodopsis