Sphecodopsis chaotica, 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 : 23-26

Sphecodopsis chaotica sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C1690FA9-D4F4-4849-8E34-251D44E6086D

Figs 15–16

Diagnosis

The female of S. chaotica 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 two times as long as its apical width ( Fig. 16C ); metasoma completely black ( Fig. 15B ); T6 sparsely covered with short white hair ( Fig. 16B ). The male is unknown.

Etymology

This taxonomically difficult species is named for the initially chaotic process of clarifying its true identity.

Type material (6 specimens)

Holotype

SOUTH AFRICA • ♀; Betty’s Bay Botanical Gardens ; 34°21′ S, 18°55′ E; 29. Sep. 2001; CE leg.; SANC.

Paratypes

SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♀; Cape Town ; [33°57′ S, 18°27′ E]; 1913; GP leg.; SANC • 1 ♀; W Cape, Kleinmond , coast; [34°20′ S, 19°02′ E]; 6. Nov. 1999; MH leg.; RCMS • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; RCMK • 1 ♀; W Cape, 25 km S of Bredasdorp , coast; [34°40′ S, 20°02′ E]; 23. Oct. 1999; MSn leg.; RCMS • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; RCMK .

Description

Female

BODY LENGTH. 6.0– 7.5 mm.

HEAD. Head wider than long. Vertex slightly rounded, ocelli highest point. Integument black, except part of mandibles reddish-brown. Face covered with short, white hair. Face with dense (i=0.25–0.5 d), coarse and deep punctation, clypeus and supraclypeal area with denser (i =0–0.25 d), finer, shallow punctation ( Fig. 15C ). Surface between punctures slightly shiny. Antenna black.

MESOSOMA. Integument black, tegula reddish-brown. Mesoscutum slightly shiny. Mesoscutum, mesoscutellum and metanotum densely (i=0.25–0.5 d) and coarsely but shallowly punctate ( Fig. 15D ). Propodeum with dense (i =0.25–1 d) and coarse but shallow punctation, metapostnotum matt ( Fig. 16A ). Mesoscutum, mesoscutellum, metanotum, propodeum and mesepisternum covered with long, white hair, metapostnotum glabrous ( Figs 15D , 16A ).

WINGS. Yellowish-brown; wing venation brown and stigma brown to dark brown ( Fig. 15A ).

LEGS. Integument black. Coxa, trochanter and femur sparsely covered with short, white hair. Tibia and tarsus densely covered with short, white hair ( Fig. 15A ).

METASOMA. Integument of T1–T6 completely black. T1 and T2 with few short, white hair, from T3 with longer, white hair ( Fig. 15B ). T6 broad and rounded apically, covered with short, white hair ( Fig. 16B ). Shape of S6 ( Fig. 16C ) as illustrated.

Male

Unknown.

Distribution

So far only known from the SW coast of South Africa from Cape Town to Bredasdorp.

Host bees

Unknown.

Seasonal activity

September–November.

Figures

Fig. 15. Sphecodopsis chaotica sp. nov., paratype, ♀(Kleinmond, RCMK). A. Habitus (lateral view). B. Metasoma (dorsal view). C. Head. D. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum (dorsal view).

Fig. 16. Sphecodopsis chaotica sp. nov., paratype, ♀ (Kleinmond, RCMK). A. Propodeum. B. T5 and T6. C. S6.