Scrapter oxaliphilus, Kuhlmann, 2025

Kuhlmann, Michael, 2025, New species and species group in the bee genus Scrapter Lepeletier & Serville, 1828 (Hymenoptera: Colletidae) oligolectic on Oxalis flowers in western South Africa, European Journal of Taxonomy 987, pp. 146-188 : 164-167

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2025.987.2863
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9D9B200A-8887-4E52-8D0C-A6B78D1B8B0F
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15425196
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/7D38FB0F-FFC3-8D1F-FDDA-22BBD49DF863
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Scrapter oxaliphilus
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Scrapter oxaliphilus sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F67CFAE1-9B81-4C56-B72C-4BECC5E081EB

Figs 2–3 View Fig View Fig , 13–15 View Fig View Fig View Fig , 23–27 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig

Diagnosis

The female of S. oxaliphilus sp. nov. can be separated from that of all other species in this group by the following character combination: clypeus, vertex and dorsal side of mesosoma with white to light brown hair, at most a few single black hairs intermixed ( Fig. 13A View Fig ), propodeum dorsolaterally (lateral to the matt propodeal triangle) partly smooth and shiny, basal area without carination ( Fig. 13D View Fig ), foreleg blackish-brown, sometimes femur apically slightly dark yellowish-brown ( Fig. 13A View Fig ), T2 distinctly and densely (i=0.5–1 d) punctate ( Fig. 13B View Fig ).

The male is characterized by clypeus medially finely and sparsely punctate, shiny ( Fig. 3 View Fig ), propodeum sparsely covered with thin hair of variable length, basal area without or anteriorly only with very short, indistinct longitudinal carinae ( Fig. 14B View Fig ), foreleg completely dark brown to blackish, sometimes to a small extent distitarsus and apical parts of mediotarsi orange-brown ( Fig. 14A View Fig ), hind tibia apicomedially not conspicuously swollen ( Fig. 15A View Fig ), genitalia as in Fig. 15B View Fig .

Etymology

The specific epithet refers to the specific host plants of the genus Oxalis ( Oxalidaceae ) of this bee species.

Type material (21 specimens)

Holotype SOUTH AFRICA • ♀; Plateau Hantam Mts, near antenna, 9 km N of Calvinia ; 1570 m a.s.l.; 31°22′29″ S, 19°47′03″ E; 2 Oct. 2014; M. Kuhlmann leg.; SANC. GoogleMaps

Paratypes SOUTH AFRICA • 2 ♀♀; Plateau Hantam Mts, near antenna, 9 km N of Calvinia ; 1570 m a.s.l.; 31°22′29″ S, 19°47′03″ E; 7 Sep. 2010; M. Kuhlmann leg.; NHML GoogleMaps • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; RCMK GoogleMaps • 3 ♀♀, 5 ♂♂; same data as for preceding; 30 Aug. 2011; M. Kuhlmann leg.; RCMK GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; NHML GoogleMaps • 5 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; 2 Oct. 2014; M. Kuhlmann leg.; RCMK GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; SANC GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; Plateau Hantam Mts, weather stn., 12 km N of Calvinia ; 1580 m a.s.l.; 31°21′13″ S, 19°47′53″ E; 11 Sep. 2010; M. Kuhlmann leg.; RCMK GoogleMaps • 1 ♂; Farm Kanolfontein, 20 km W of Sutherland, Road Side ; 1385 m a.s.l.; 32°24′43″ S, 20°27′28″ E; 7 Sep. 2012; M. Kuhlmann leg.; RCMK GoogleMaps .

Description

Female

BODY LENGTH. 7–7.5 mm.

HEAD. Head wider than long. Integument black, except part of mandibles dark reddish-brown. Face sparsely covered with relatively long, greyish, erect hair ( Fig. 2 View Fig ). Clypeus strongly convex with fine and very sparse (i=2 d) punctation; surface between punctures smooth and shiny ( Fig. 2 View Fig ). Malar area medially narrow, almost linear. Antenna dorsally dark brown, ventrally brown.

MESOSOMA. Integument black, tegulae dark brown. Mesoscutal disc between punctures reticulate and matt; disc sparsely (i=1–3d) and relatively shallowly punctate ( Fig. 13C View Fig ). Metanotum as long as basal area of propodeum, apically with broad and distinct carinate depression ( Fig. 13D View Fig ). Propodeum basally without carination ( Fig. 13D View Fig ). Propodeum laterally with relatively short, apically with long, greyish to slightly yellowish hair; mesoscutum with short erect hair; scutellum, metanotum and mesepisternum with sparse, long, greyish-white, erect hair ( Fig. 13A View Fig ).

WINGS. Yellowish-brown; wing venation and stigma dark brown.

LEGS. Integument black; tarsi dark reddish-brown. Vestiture greyish to slightly brownish; scopa greyish-white.

METASOMA. Integument black to dark reddish-brown; apical margins of terga on T1 narrowly, on other terga broadly translucent yellowish to brownish ( Fig. 13B View Fig ). Disc of T1 sparsely covered with relatively long, greyish-white, erect hair; following terga with successively more and longer, greyish-white, erect hair; apical tergal hair bands missing on all terga ( Fig. 13B View Fig ). Prepygidial and pygidial fimbriae brownish-grey. T1 and T2 very finely, but distinctly and very densely (i=0.5–1d) punctate, T3 finely and densely (i =1–1.5d) punctate, on T4 slightly sparser; apical tergal depressions and between punctures terga smooth and shiny ( Fig. 13B View Fig ).

Male

BODY LENGTH. 8–8.5 mm.

HEAD. Head wider than long. Integument black, except mandible partly dark reddish-brown. Face covered with long, silvery-white, erect hair ( Fig. 3 View Fig ). Malar area medially narrow, almost linear. Antenna dorsally dark brown, ventrally dark yellowish-brown.

MESOSOMA. Integument black. Mesoscutal disc between punctures reticulate and matt; disc shallowly densely (i=d) and very finely punctate. Basal area of propodeum in anterior half finely carinate ( Fig. 14B View Fig ). Mesoscutum, scutellum, metanotum, mesepisternum and propodeum sparsely covered with long, yellowish-grey, erect hair ( Fig. 14A View Fig ).

WINGS. Slightly yellowish-brown; wing venation and stigma brown.

LEGS. Integument black to reddish-brown, tarsi dark brown. Hind tibia apicomedially slightly swollen, vestiture greyish-white, without conspicuous hair tuft ( Fig. 15A View Fig ).

METASOMA. Integument black to reddish-brown, apical margins of terga translucent dark reddish-brown ( Fig. 14C View Fig ). Discs of T1–T5 covered with short, greyish, erect hair; apical tergal hair bands missing on all terga ( Fig. 14C View Fig ). Terga shallowly and finely but densely (i= d) punctate; between punctures and on apical tergal depressions superficially shagreened and slightly matt ( Fig. 14C View Fig ). Sterna without distinct apical hair fringes ( Fig. 14D View Fig ).

TERMINALIA. Genitalia ( Fig. 15B View Fig ), S7 ( Fig. 15C View Fig ) and terminal plate of S8 ( Fig. 15D View Fig ) as illustrated.

Distribution

Only known from higher altitudes of the Hantam and Roggeveld Mountains (Northern Cape Province).

Floral hosts

Oxalidaceae : yellow flowering Oxalis spec. , O. pes-caprae .

Seasonal activity

September–October.