Scrapter ulrikae sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 1E428C5C-04E8-4EDC-B815-F6C1BF840F31

Figs 32–33

Diagnosis

The female of S. ulrikae sp. nov. can be separated from other species of this group by the combination of the following characters: fore tibia dominantly dark blackish-brown, stigma brown, apical margins of metasomal terga broadly brownish translucent, terga between punctures finely sculptured and slightly matt (Fig. 32E). The male is characterized by an unmodified antenna, scutum between punctures smooth and shiny, hind tibia simple, hind basitarsus blackish, T2–T4 basally densely covered with short, erect, silverish hair (Fig. 33C) and the form of S7 (Fig. 33D).

Etymology

This species is dedicated to my partner Ulrike Gigengack, who enthusiastically collects bees and has accompanied me on many field trips to South Africa.

Type material (33 specimens)

Holotype

SOUTH AFRICA: ♂, 12 km NW of Nieuwoudtville, Farm Avontuur, Fynbos, 770, 31°16'18" S, 19°02'55" E, 18 Aug. 2012, M. Kuhlmann (SANC).

Paratypes

SOUTH AFRICA: 2 ♀♀, 8 ♂♂, same data as holotype (SANC 1 ♂, NHML 2 ♂♂, RCMK 2 ♀♀, 5 ♂♂); 4 ♀♀, idem, 25 Aug. 2010, MK (SANC 3 ♀♀, RCMK 1 ♀); 8 ♂♂, idem, 16 Aug. 2011, MK (RCMK); 1 ♀, idem, 17 Aug. 2011, H. Erhardt (RCMK); 2 ♀♀, idem, 5 Sep. 2012, H. Erhardt (RCMK); 1 ♀, N. Cape, Fynbos, 15 km NW of Nieuwoudtville, Farm Engelsepunt, 830 m, 31°14'31" S, 18°59'08" E, 6 Aug. 2003, KT (NHML) ; 2 ♀♀, idem, 28 Aug. 2003, KT (NHML); 1 ♀, 24 Sep. 2003, KT (NHML); 1 ♀, N. Cape, Nieuwoudtville, Glenlyon, Renosterveld, 700 m, 31°24'03" S, 19°08'34" E, 10 Sep. 2003, MK (RCMK) ; 2 ♀♀, Farm Kanolfontein, 20 km W of Sutherland, road side, 1385 m, 32°24'43" S, 20°27'28" E, 7 Sep. 2012, MK (RCMK).

Description

Female

BODY LENGTH. 6.0– 6.4 mm.

HEAD. Head wider than long. Integument black, except part of mandibles dark reddish-brown. Face sparsely covered with long, greyish, erect hair (Fig. 32B). Clypeus slightly convex with coarse and dense punctation (i = 0.5–2 d); surface between punctures smooth and shiny (Fig. 32B). Malar area medially narrow, almost linear. Antenna dorsally blackish-brown, ventrally yellowish-brown.

MESOSOMA. Integument black, tegula dark reddish-brown.Mesoscutal disc between punctures superficially reticulate but shiny; disc densely (i = 0.5–1.0 d) and coarsely punctate (Fig. 32 C–D). Metanotum only about half as long as basal area of propodeum, apically with narrow carinate depression (Fig. 32D). Propodeum basally coarsely and broadly carinate (Fig. 32D). Mesoscutum, scutellum, metanotum, mesepisternum and propodeum sparsely covered with short, yellowish-grey, erect hair (Fig. 32A).

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

LEGS. Integument black to dark reddish-brown; fore tibia anteriorly in basal half with small yellowish spot. Vestiture greyish-white, scopa greyish-white, dorsally dark brown (Fig. 32A).

METASOMA. Integument black, apical margins of terga broadly or narrowly translucent reddish-brown, sometimes yellowish (Fig. 32E). Discs of T1 and T2 without hair; following terga with very few and short but increasingly more and longer hair; apical tergal hair bands missing on all terga (Fig. 32E). Prepygidial and pygidial fimbriae blackish-brown. T1 almost impunctate, superficially sculptured and shiny; T2–T3 basally densely sculptured, matt and finely but densely punctate, apically almost polished and shiny, with sparse but larger punctation; T2–T4 with polished broad apical tergal depression (Fig. 32E).

Male

BODY LENGTH. 5.5–5.8 mm.

HEAD. Head slightly wider than long. Integument black, except mandible partly dark reddish-brown. Face densely covered with long, greyish-white, erect hair. Malar area medially narrow, almost linear. Antenna dorsally dark brown, ventrally yellowish-brown (Fig. 33A).

MESOSOMA. Integument black. Mesoscutal disc between impunctate and densely sculptured, completely matt. Mesoscutum, scutellum, metanotum, mesepisternum and propodeum covered with long, greyish, erect hair (Fig. 33A).

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

LEGS. Integument black, fore tibia anteriorly yellow, base of mid and hind tibia with small yellow spot (Fig. 33A). Hind tibia unmodified. Vestiture greyish-white.

METASOMA. Integument black, apical margins of terga partly narrowly translucent yellowish to reddishbrown (Fig. 33C). Disc of T1 and basal half of T2–T4 densely covered with band of very fine, short, erect, silverish hair; apical tergal hair bands missing on all terga (Fig. 33C). T1 almost impunctate, sculptured and matt, following terga densely (i ˂ 0.5–1 d) and finely punctate, between punctures polished or

superficially sculptured, shiny to slightly matt; terga with narrow, polished to superficially sculptured but shiny apical tergal depression (Fig. 33C). Sterna without conspicuous long apical hair fringes.

TERMINALIA. Genitalia (Fig. 33B), S7 (Fig. 33D) and terminal plate of S8 (Fig. 33F) as illustrated.

Distribution

The species is known from sandstone Fynbos around Nieuwoudtville to the vicinity of Sutherland.

Floral hosts

Brassicaceae: white and blue Heliophila sp.

Seasonal activity

August–September.