Rediviva steineri, Kuhlmann, Michael, 2012

Kuhlmann, Michael, 2012, Two new species of the South African endemic bee genus Rediviva Friese (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Melittidae), Zootaxa 3517, pp. 71-78 : 73-74

Rediviva steineri sp. nov.

( Figs 1 a–d, 5)

Diagnosis. The female of R. steineri can be separated from the other Rediviva species of the summer rainfall region (including R. whiteheadi ) by a combination of the following characters: malar space short ( Fig. 1 b), T1–2 black ( Fig. 1 d), foreleg elongate, much longer than midleg and with tarsal pilosity orange-brown ( Fig. 1 a), scopa orange, prepygidial fimbria bicoloured, dorsally blackish and laterally orange.

In the key to the Rediviva species of the summer rainfall region of eastern South Africa and Lesotho ( Whitehead et al. 2008) R. steineri runs to R. pallidula Whitehead & Steiner but it can easily be distinguished from that species by the bicoloured, laterally orange prepygidial fimbria (laterally whitish in R. pallidula ) and the abundant appressed orange hairs that form apical tergal hair bands (white tergal hair bands in R. pallidula ) and cover the discs of T2–3 (few white erect hairs in R. pallidula ) ( Fig. 1 d).

Description. Female. Bl = 12.0–13.0 mm. Head. Head wider than long. Integument black except tips of mandible partly dark reddish-brown. Face sparsely covered with long, whitish-grey to brown, erect hairs ( Fig. 1 b). Clypeus convex in profile, apically impunctate; medially covered with large punctures that become gradually smaller and denser towards the upper end; surface between punctures shiny ( Fig. 1 b). Malar area medially narrow, almost linear. Antenna black, ventrally dark reddish-brown. Mesosoma. Integument black. Mesoscutal disc between punctures smooth and shiny; disc densely (i = 0.5–1.0d) and finely punctate ( Fig. 1 c). Mesoscutum, scutellum, metanotum, mesepisternum and propodeum covered with long orange-brown erect hairs, on the disc of mesoscutum a few black hairs intermixed. Wings. Yellowish-brown; wing venation dark brown. Legs. Foreleg long, 11.0–12.0 mm (femur–claw) ( Fig. 1 a). Integument black, tibia and tarsi partly red-brown. Vestiture orange, scopa orange, sometimes with black hairs on the apical half of the hind basitarsus. Metasoma. Integument black. T1 anteriorly with a few long erect orange hairs ( Fig. 1 d); T2–T3 covered with long appressed orange hairs on T4 intermixed with black hairs; apical tergal hair band missing on T1, on T2–T4 broadly orange ( Fig. 1 d). Prepygidial fimbria dorsally black, laterally orange, pygidial fimbria orange-brown to black. T1 impunctate, polished and shiny, T2–T4 superficially and minutely punctate, shiny ( Fig. 1 d).

Male. Unknown.

Type material (3 specimens). Holotype, female, “South Afr., C.P., Farm Doornbosch, 3224AA [24°10'E 32°10'S], elev. 1580m, 30 Mar 1988, K. Steiner 2114 / Diascia capsularis 1146 / SAM-HYM-B 010631 ” ( SAMC). Paratypes: 1 Ƥ, South Africa, Mountain Zebra National Park, 3225AB [25°20'E 32°10'S], 1580m, 24.iii.1988, K. Steiner / Diascia capsularis / SAM-HYM-B 010632 ( SAMC); 1 Ƥ, South Africa, ca. 8km NW of Molteno, 3126AD [26°25'E 31°20'S], 1680m, 25.iii.1988, K. Steiner / Diascia capsularis / SAM-HYM-B 010633 ( RCMK).

Etymology. This species is dedicated to Kim Steiner who in collaboration with the late Vin Whitehead is one of the pioneers investigating plant-pollinator interactions in oil-collecting Rediviva bees and their host plants.

General distribution. Higher grounds west of the Drakensberg Mountains in the northern part of the Eastern Cape Province ( Fig. 5 ).

Floral hosts. All specimens were collected on Diascia capsularis (Scrophulariaceae) .

Seasonal activity (first–last observations). III.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Rediviva steineri sp. n., female. a. lateral view; b. head; c. scutum and scutellum; d. metasoma (dorsal view). Scale bar: 1 mm.

FIGURE 5. Distribution of Rediviva steineri sp. n. and R. whiteheadi sp. n. in South Africa.