Sphecodopsis microscopica, 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 : 82-85

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-FFA7-FFD5-FDB0-F98DFE18FC57

treatment provided by

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

scientific name

Sphecodopsis microscopica
status

sp. nov.

Sphecodopsis microscopica sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:86F371F1-6556-4232-BFE2-042D66CBE1AB

Figs 63–64 View Fig View Fig

Diagnosis

The female of S. microscopica 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 seven times as long as its apical width, more or less spatulate, shape as shown in Fig. 64C View Fig ; body length 3.5–5.8 mm; metasoma partially red ( Fig. 63B View Fig ); fore tibia and tarsi usually black, sometimes with small reddish spots ( Fig. 63A View Fig ); T6 covered with only thin golden hair ( Fig. 64B View Fig ); head and mesosoma with light hair ( Fig. 63C–D View Fig ); propodeum very sparsely covered with short white hair ( Fig. 64A View Fig ); T6 almost straight apically with a distinct fringe, hair laterally much longer than medially ( Fig. 64B View Fig ). The male is unknown.

Etymology

The species is named for its minute size.

Type material (13 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.; 22 Aug. 2012; MK leg.; SAMC. GoogleMaps

Paratypes

SOUTH AFRICA • 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 ♀; Gemsbokrivier-Pad , 4.5 km NE of Grootdrif, roadside; 31°25′54″ S, 18°55′16″ E; 170 m a.s.l.; 15 Aug. 2011; MK leg.; RCMK GoogleMaps 3 ♀♀; same collection data as for preceding; 6 Sep. 2016; RCMK GoogleMaps 1 ♀; W Cape, Knersvlakte, Kaapse Drif ; 31°26′01″ S, 18°47′34″ E; 22 Sep. 1999; MK leg.; RCMK GoogleMaps 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 23 Sep. 1999; RCMK GoogleMaps 1 ♀; Knersvlakte , roadside, 23 km ESE of Vanrhynsdorp; 31°44′06″ S, 18°55′32″ E; 200 m a.s.l.; 17 Aug. 2010; MK leg.; RCMK GoogleMaps 2 ♀♀; Keiski Mts , 3 km E of Farm M’Vera, shale; 31°45′29″ S, 19°54′13″ E; 1190 m a.s.l.; 28 Sep. 2022; MK leg.; RCMK GoogleMaps 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; SANC GoogleMaps 1 ♀; Roggeveld Mts , 2 km S of Farm Houdenbek, roadside; 32°18′03″ S, 20°23′16″ E; 1280 m a.s.l.; 16 Sep. 2018; MK leg.; RCMK GoogleMaps .

Description

Female

BODY LENGTH. 3.2–4.5 mm.

HEAD. Head wider than long. Vertex slightly rounded, ocelli highest point. Integument black, except part of mandibles red. Face covered with short, yellowish-white hair. Face with dense (i =0.25–0.5 d) and fine but deep punctation ( Fig. 63C 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. 63D View Fig ). Propodeum with dense (i =0.5–1 d), fine and shallow punctation, metapostnotum matt ( Fig. 64A View Fig ). Mesoscutum, mesoscutellum and metanotum sparsely covered with short, white hair ( Fig. 63D View Fig ). Propodeum sparsely covered with few short white hairs, metapostnotum glabrous ( Fig. 64A View Fig ). Mesepisternum covered with slightly long, white hair.

WINGS. Yellowish; wing venation brown and stigma brown ( Fig. 63A View Fig ).

LEGS. Integument black, except tibia apically light red. Coxa, trochanter, femur, tibia and tarsi covered with short, white hair ( Fig. 63A View Fig ).

METASOMA. Integument of T1–T2 red, T3 to a variable extent red, from completely black to only black on the disc, T4–T6 black. T1 and T2 with few short, white and golden hairs, from T3 increasingly more and longer hair ( Fig. 63B View Fig ). T5 disc covered with long, white hair, marginal zone covered with short, white hairs. T6 almost square and straight apically with a small, short hair fringe on either side, densely covered with short golden and white hair ( Fig. 64B View Fig ). Shape of S6 ( Fig. 64C View Fig ) as illustrated.

Male

Unknown.

Distribution

So far, the species has been recorded in the Knersvlakte, the Keiskie Mts and the Roggeveld Mts.

Host bees

Likely hosts are equally small species of euryglossiform Scrapter ( Kuhlmann 2014; Kuhlmann & Friehs 2020) that were found in association with this cuckoo bee.

Seasonal activity

August–September.

Kuhlmann M. 2014. Revision of the euryglossiform species of the Afrotropical bee genus Scrapter Lepeletier & Serville, 1828 (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Colletidae). European Journal of Taxonomy 95: 1-69. https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2014.95

Kuhlmann M. & Friehs T. 2020. Nine new species and new records of euryglossiform Scrapter Lepeletier & Serville (Hymenoptera: Colletidae) from South Africa. European Journal of Taxonomy 647: 1-33. https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2020.647

Gallery Image

Fig. 63. Sphecodopsis microscopica sp. nov., paratype, ♀ (Gemsbokrivier-Pad, RCMK). A. Habitus (lateral view). B. Metasoma (dorsal view). C. Head. D. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum (dorsal view).

Gallery Image

Fig. 64. Sphecodopsis microscopica sp. nov., paratype, ♀ (Gemsbokrivier-Pad, RCMK). A. Propodeum. B. T5 and T6. C. S6.

SAMC

Iziko Museums of Cape Town

SANC

Agricultural Research Council-Plant Protection Research Institute

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Apidae

Genus

Sphecodopsis