Sphecodopsis crassipunctata, 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 : 68-70

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-FFB5-FFC4-FDC8-FBBAFE12FC46

treatment provided by

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

scientific name

Sphecodopsis crassipunctata
status

sp. nov.

Sphecodopsis crassipunctata sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:DFEBC3C0-A761-41D8-8D5C-4653CBA83AC7

Figs 51–52 View Fig View Fig

Diagnosis

The female of S. crassipunctata 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 seven times as long as its apical width ( Fig. 52C View Fig ); metasoma partially red ( Fig. 51B View Fig ); fore tibia and tarsi completely or largely red ( Fig. 51A View Fig ); head wider than long, vertex flat ( Fig. 51C View Fig ); T5 apically either without or with short fringe of hair of ± even length ( Fig. 52B View Fig ); head and mesoscutum with black hair ( Fig. 51C–D View Fig ); mesoscutum matt, densely and deeply punctate ( Fig. 51D View Fig ); T6 broad and rounded apically, laterally slightly rounded, with short golden hair ( Fig. 52B View Fig ). The male is unknown.

Etymology

Named for the relatively coarse punctation of the mesoscutum.

Type material (2 specimens)

Holotype

SOUTH AFRICA • ♀; W Cape, S of Lamberts Bay 21 km E; [31°26′ S, 18°58′ E]; 22 Sep. 2001; CE leg.; SANC. GoogleMaps

Paratype

SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♀; W Cape, S of Lamberts Bay ; [32°04′ S, 18°20′ E]; 7 Oct. 1999; MH leg.; RCMK GoogleMaps .

Description

Female

BODY LENGTH. 6.5 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 short, black hair. Face with dense (i =0.25–0.5 d), coarse and deep punctation, supraclypeal area with more dispersed (i =0.5–1 d) punctation ( Fig. 51C View Fig ). Surface between punctures slightly shiny. Antenna reddish-brown to brown.

MESOSOMA. Integument black, tegula yellow. Mesoscutum slightly shiny. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum densely (i =0.25–0.5 d), coarsely and deeply punctate ( Fig. 51D View Fig ). Propodeum with dense (i=0.5–1 d) and fine but deep punctation, metapostnotum matt ( Fig. 52A View Fig ). Mesoscutum, mesoscutellum and mesepisternum sparsely covered with short, black hair ( Fig. 51D View Fig ). Metanotum and propodeum sparsely covered with short, white hair, metapostnotum glabrous ( Figs 51D View Fig , 52A View Fig ).

WINGS. Yellowish-brown; wing venation brown and stigma brown to dark brown ( Fig. 51A View Fig ).

LEGS. Integument of coxa and trochanter reddish-brown. Femur basal half reddish-brown, apical half light red, tibia and tarsi light red. Coxa, trochanter and femur sparsely covered with short, white hair mixed with short, black hair. Tibia and tarsus covered with short, white hair mixed with short, black hair ( Fig. 51A View Fig ).

METASOMA. Integument of T1–T3 red, T4–T6 black. T1–T4 with few short, white hair mixed with short, black hair ( Fig. 51B View Fig ). T5 with dense short, white hair. T6 covered with short, white hair, broad and rounded apically ( Fig. 52B View Fig ). Shape of S6 ( Fig. 52C View Fig ) as illustrated.

Male

Unknown.

Distribution

Only known from the type locality Lamberts Bay at the southwest coast of South Africa.

Host bees

Unknown.

Seasonal activity

September–October.

Gallery Image

Fig. 51. Sphecodopsis crassipunctata sp. nov., paratype, ♀ (RCMK). A. Habitus (lateral view). B. Metasoma (dorsal view). C. Head. D. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum (dorsal view).

Gallery Image

Fig. 52.Sphecodopsis crassipunctata sp. nov., paratype, ♀ (RCMK). A. Propodeum.B. T5 and T6.C. S6.

SANC

Agricultural Research Council-Plant Protection Research Institute

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Apidae

Genus

Sphecodopsis