Sphecodopsis capicola ( Strand, 1911 )

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 : 50-53

Sphecodopsis capicola ( Strand, 1911)

Figs 37–38

Omachthes capicola Strand, 1911: 224–225 , holotype ♂ (type locality: ‘Kapland’ (= Cape Colony), South Africa) (ZMHB), examined.

Diagnosis

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. 37B ); fore legs usually black ( Fig. 37A ); head and mesosoma with conspicuously dense, long, black hair ( Fig. 37C–D ); gonostylus slightly longer than gonocoxa ( Fig. 38C–D ). Female specimens were not available for study, compare Eardley & Brothers (1997: 400) for the diagnosis.

Additional material examined (6 specimens)

SOUTH AFRICA • 4 ♂♂; Nieuwoudtville , Farm Glen Lyon, entrance , Renosterveld; 31°23′ S, 19°08′ E; 700 m a.s.l.; 18 Aug. 2007; KT leg.; RCMK • 2 ♂♂; 20 km S of Nieuwoudtville, Farm Papkuilsfontein , Fynbos; 31°33′16″ S, 19°08′31″ E; 680 m a.s.l.; 27 Aug. 2012; MK leg.; RCMK .

Female

Female specimens were not available for study, compare Eardley & Brothers (1997: 400) for a description.

Male

BODY LENGTH. 6.7–7.4 mm.

HEAD. Head distinctly wider than long. Vertex almost straight and flat, except for the ocelli. Integument black, except part of mandibles red or reddish-brown. Face covered with long, black hair mixed with short, white hair. Face and clypeus with dense (i=0.25–0.5 d), coarse and deep punctation, except supraclypeal with more dispersed (i=0.5–1 d) punctation ( Fig. 37C ). Surface between punctures matt. Antenna black.

MESOSOMA. Integument black, tegula reddish-brown, partially translucent. Mesoscutum matt. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum densely (i= 0.25–0.5 d), finely and deeply punctate ( Fig. 37D ). Propodeum with dense (i =0.25–1 d), coarse and deep punctation, metapostnotum matt ( Fig. 37E ). Mesoscutum, mesoscutellum, metanotum, mesepisternum and propodeum sparsely covered with long, black hair mixed with shorter white hair, metapostnotum glabrous ( Fig. 37D–E ).

WINGS. Fuscous; wing venation dark brown and stigma dark brown to black ( Fig. 37A ).

LEGS. Integument black. Coxa and trochanter sparsely covered with long, black hair and shorter white hair. Femur with few long, black hair. Tibia and tarsi sparsely covered with short, black hair mixed with short, white hair ( Fig. 37A ).

METASOMA. Integument of T1 dark basally. Rest of T1–T3 red, T4 and T4 to a variable extent red, from completely red (except T5 marginal zone) to completely black; T6 and T7 black. T1–T3 sparsely covered with short white and black hair, from T4 increasingly more and longer hair. T4–T6 marginal zone with bright white hair becoming increasingly denser apically, disc with long, black hair ( Fig. 37B ). T7 covered with short, bright white hair and long, black hair ( Fig. 37F ).

TERMINALIA. Genitalia ( Fig. 38C–D ), S7 ( Fig. 38A ) and terminal plate of S8 ( Fig. 38B ) as illustrated.

Distribution

Known from the wider Namaqualand. The record from Willowmore ( Eardley & Brothers 1997: 401) is isolated and doubtful.

Host bees

Unknown.

Seasonal activity

August–September ( Eardley & Brothers 1997).

Figures

Fig. 37. Sphecodopsis capicola (Strand, 1911), ♂ (Nieuwoudtville, RCMK). A. Habitus (lateral view). B. Metasoma (dorsal view). C. Head. D. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum (dorsal view). E. Propodeum. F. T4–T7 (dorsal view).

Fig. 38. Sphecodopsis capicola (Strand, 1911), ♂ (Nieuwoudtville, RCMK). A. S7 (dorsal view). B. S8 (dorsal view). C. Genital (dorsal view). D. Genital (lateral view).