Sphecodopsis magna, 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 : 31-35

Sphecodopsis magna sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:FD106A4D-48C2-488A-8D66-A41F0ACD1C1E

Figs 21–24

Diagnosis

The female of S. magna 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 with a small tip distally, shape as shown in Fig. 22C; body length approx. 5.8–6.6 mm, metasoma partially red ( Fig. 21B); fore tibia and tarsi with small reddish spots ( Fig. 21A); T6 covered with black hair ( Fig. 21B); head and mesosoma with short black hair, mixed with lighter and more dispersed hair ( Fig. 21C–D); propodeum densely covered with relatively long, yellowish-white hair mixed with long, black hair ( Fig. 22A). The male can be separated from that of all other species of the genus by the combination of the following characters: metasoma at least partially red ( Fig. 23B); fore legs with small reddish spots ( Fig. 23A); head and mesosoma with black hair, mixed with lighter hair ( Fig. 23C–D); mesoscutum densely, coarsely and deeply punctate, matt or slightly shiny ( Fig. 23D); propodeum covered with white hair mixed with at least a few black hairs ( Fig. 23E); gonostylus shorter than gonocoxa ( Fig. 24C–D).

Etymology

The species is named for its size because it is the largest in the species group.

Type material (7 specimens)

Holotype

SOUTH AFRICA • ♀; Kamiesberg Mts , 5 km SE of Leliefontein, roadside; 30°20′09″ S, 18°06′24″ E; 1400 m a.s.l.; 7 Sep. 2016; MK leg.; SAMC.

Paratypes

SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♀; Witwater , slope; 30°13′ S, 18°07′ E; 25 Sep. 2003; CM leg.; yellow + white trap; RCMK • 1 ♀; Kamiesberg Mts , 5 km SE of Leliefontein, roadside; 30°20′09″ S, 18°06′24″ E; 1400 m a.s.l.; 6 Oct. 2014; MK leg.; RCMK • 1 ♀, 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; 11 Sep. 2016; RCMK • 2 ♀♀; same collection data as for preceding; 10 Sep. 2017; RCMK .

Description

Female

BODY LENGTH. 5.8–6.6 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) and fine but deep punctation, except clypeus and supraclypeal area with more dispersed (i=0.5–1.5 d) punctation ( Fig. 21C). Surface between punctures slightly matt. Antenna reddish-brown to dark brown.

MESOSOMA. Integument black, tegula orange. Mesoscutum slightly shiny. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum densely (i= 0.5–1 d), finely and shallowly punctate ( Fig. 21D). Propodeum with dense (i =0.5–1 d), fine and shallow punctation, metapostnotum matt ( Fig. 22A). Mesoscutum, mesoscutellum and mesepisternum sparsely covered with long, black hair mixed with shorter, white hair ( Fig. 21D). Metanotum and propodeum very sparsely covered with short, white hair, propodeum interspersed with few long, black hair apically, metapostnotum glabrous ( Figs 21D, 22A).

WINGS. Yellowish-brown; wing venation brown and stigma brown to dark brown ( Fig. 21A).

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, very diffuse patches of white pubescence apically on the tibia, less on anterior leg, generally with less hair ( Fig. 21A).

METASOMA. Integument of T1 black basally, T1 and T2 red, T3 to a variable extent red, from only basal quarter red to completely red; T4–T6 black. T1 and T2 with few short, white and black hair, from T3 increasingly more and longer black hair ( Fig. 21B). T5 marginal zone covered with white, short hairs. T6 narrow and almost straight apically, densely covered with short, black hair ( Fig. 22B). Shape of S6 ( Fig. 22C) as illustrated.

Male

BODY LENGTH. 6.4 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) and fine but deep punctation, clypeus and supraclypeal area with more dispersed (i =0.5–1.5 d) punctation ( Fig. 23C). Surface between punctures matt. Antenna reddish-brown to dark brown.

MESOSOMA. Integument black, tegula reddish-brown. Mesoscutum matt. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum densely (i=0.5–1 d), finely and shallowly punctate ( Fig. 23D). Propodeum with dense (i =0.5–1 d), fine and shallow punctation, metapostnotum matt ( Fig. 23E). Mesoscutum, mesoscutellum, metanotum, propodeum and mesepisternum sparsely covered with long, black hair mixed with shorter, white hair, metapostnotum glabrous ( Fig. 23D–E).

WINGS. Yellowish-brown; wing venation brown and stigma dark brown to black ( Fig. 23A).

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. 23A).

METASOMA. Integument of T1 black basally, T1–T3 red, T4 basal quarter red and T4–T7 black. T1 and T2 very sparsely covered with short white and black hair, from T3 increasingly more and longer, black hair ( Fig. 23B). T6 marginal zone covered with short, white hair. T7 covered with short, golden-white hair and longer, black hair ( Fig. 23F).

TERMINALIA. Genitalia ( Fig. 24C–D), S7 ( Fig. 24A) and terminal plate of S8 ( Fig. 24B) as illustrated.

Distribution

Only known from the Kamiesberg Mts.

Host bees

Unknown.

Seasonal activity

September–October.