Sphecodopsis fumipennis ( Bischoff, 1923 )

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 : 15-18

Sphecodopsis fumipennis ( Bischoff, 1923)

Figs 9–10

Pseudodichroa fumipennis Bischoff, 1923: 596 , holotype ♀ (type locality: ‘Java’; the specimen was obviously mislabelled; see discussion in Bischoff 1923, Rozen 1968 and Eardley & Brothers 1997) (ZMHB), examined.

Diagnosis

The female of S. fumipennis can be separated from that of all other species of the genus by the combination of the following characters: S6 pointed posteriorly ( Fig. 10D ); T6 narrow and almost truncate apically ( Fig. 10B ). The male is unknown.

Additional material examined (17 specimens)

SOUTH AFRICA • 2 ♀♀; 12 km NW of Nieuwoudtville, Farm Avontuur , dolerite hill; 31°16′02″ S, 19°04′05″ E; 830 a.s.l.; 27 Aug. 2008; HE leg.; RCMK • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 6 Sep. 2008; MK leg.; RCMK • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 9 Sep. 2022; HE leg.; RCMK • 2 ♀♀; N Cape, Nieuwoudtville, Flower Reserve East; 31°21′56″ S, 19°08′52″ E; 735 m a.s.l.; 6 Sep. 2002; MK leg.; RCMK • 2 ♀♀; same collection data as for preceding; 11 Sep. 2002; RCMK • 2 ♀♀; same collection data as for preceding; 11 Sep. 2003; RCMK • 2 ♀♀; same collection data as for preceding; 13 Aug. 2004; RCMK • 1 ♀; Nieuwoudtville, Wild Flower Reserve , dolerite hills; 31°22′10″ S, 19°08′50″ E; 770 m a.s.l.; 21 Aug. 2007; KT leg.; RCMK • 1 ♀; N Cape, Nieuwoudtville, Flower Reserve, Rondell , Car Park East ; 31°22′18″ S, 19°08′58″ E; 730 m a.s.l.; 30 Sep. 2006; MK leg.; RCMK • 1 ♀; Nieuwoudtville, Wild Flower Reserve, Car Park East ; 31°22′18″ S, 19°08′58″ E; 730 a.s.l.; 14 Aug. 2010; MK leg.; RCMK • 1 ♀; Nieuwoudtville, Wild Flower Reserve ; 31°22′25″ S, 19°08′46″ E; 770 m a.s.l.; 10 Sep. 2007; KT leg.; RCMK • 1 ♀; Bredasdorp, Div. Pearly Beach ; [34°40′ S, 19°30′ E]; 1 Sep. 1959; SAM leg.; SANC .

Description

Female

BODY LENGTH. 7.4–8.9 mm.

HEAD. Head distinctly wider than long. Vertex almost straight and flat, except for the ocelli. Integument black, except part of mandibles reddish-brown. Face covered with long, black hair. Face and clypeus with dense (i =0.25–0.5 d), coarse and deep punctation, supraclypeal almost without punctation ( Fig. 9C ). Surface between punctures slightly shiny. Antenna black.

MESOSOMA. Integument black, tegula reddish-brown. Mesoscutum slightly shiny. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum densely (i =0.25–0.5 d) and finely but deeply punctate ( Fig. 9D ). Propodeum densely (i =0.25–0.5 d), finely and shallowly punctate, metapostnotum matt ( Fig. 10A ). Mesoscutum sparsely covered with long, black hair mixed with shorter, yellowish-white hair ( Fig. 9D ). Mesoscutellum, metanotum, mesepisternum and propodeum sparsely covered with long, black, erect hair mixed with shorter, dark brown hair, metapostnotum glabrous ( Figs 9D , 10A ).

WINGS. Yellowish-brown; wing venation dark brown and stigma dark brown to black ( Fig. 9A ).

LEGS. Integument black. Coxa and trochanter sparsely covered with long, black hair and shorter, white hair. Femur with few long, black hairs. Tibia and tarsi covered with long, black hair and densely covered with shorter, white hair. Patches with very dense white pubescence apically on the tibia, particularly conspicuous on middle and hind tibia, anterior leg generally less hairy ( Fig. 9A ).

METASOMA. Integument of T1 dark basally. Rest of T1 and T2 red, T3 variable color expansion of red, from completely red to completely black and T4–T6 black. T1–T4 sparsely covered with short, white and black hair ( Fig. 9B ). T5 marginal zone with bright white hair, disc covered with long, black hair. T6 with dense long, black hair, narrow and almost straight apically ( Fig. 10B ). Shape of S6 ( Fig. 10D ) as illustrated.

Male

Unknown.

Distribution

Found from southern Namaqualand to the Cape Peninsula ( Eardley & Brothers 1997).

Host bees

Confirmed host bee is Scrapter erubescens ( Friese, 1925) (= S. crassula Cockerell, 1932 ) ( Rozen & Michener 1968).

Seasonal activity

August–November ( Eardley & Brothers 1997).

Figures

Fig.9.Sphecodopsisfumipennis(Bischoff, 1923),♀(Nieuwoudtville FlowerReserve,RCMK).A.Habitus (lateral view). B. Metasoma (dorsal view). C. Head. D. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum (dorsal view).

Fig. 10. Sphecodopsis fumipennis (Bischoff, 1923), ♀ (Nieuwoudtville Flower Reserve, RCMK). A. Propodeum. B. T5 and T6. C. S6.