Redivivoides eardleyi sp. nov.

Figs 5, 9

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 543F31E2-5A26-4D78-A07A-674CA7997F19

Diagnosis

Females of R. eardleyi sp. nov. can be separated from other Redivivoides species by a combination of the following characters: metasomal terga black to brown, T2 sparsely punctate with minute punctures and surface between punctures smooth and shiny, white apical tergal hair bands present (Fig. 5D), prepygidial and pygidial fimbria dark brown to black (Fig. 5D). The male is unknown.

Etymology

Named after Connal D. Eardley, Pretoria, who collected this species and to honour his outstanding contribution to African bee taxonomy.

Type material (3 specimens)

Holotype ♀, 13 Sep. 2011, C. Eardley (SANC). SOUTH AFRICA: N. Cape, 6 km E Pofadder, 29°06’26” S, 19°27’13” E.

Paratypes SOUTH AFRICA: 1 ♀, same date as holotype (RCMK); 1 ♀, N. Cape, 21.6 km E Springbok [29°34’ S, 18°04’ E], 1006 m, 13 Sep. 2011, L. Packer (LPCT) .

Description

Female

BODY LENGTH. 11.0 mm.

HEAD. Head wider than long. Integument black. Face sparsely covered with long, whitish-grey, erect hairs, along the inner eye margins and on vertex intermixed with black hairs (Fig. 5B). Clypeus convex in profile, apically impunctate; medially covered with fine punctures that become gradually smaller and denser towards the clypeal margins; surface between punctures smooth and shiny (Fig. 5B). Malar area medially narrow, almost linear. Antenna black.

MESOSOMA. Integument black. Mesoscutal disc between punctures smooth and shiny; disc densely (i = 0.5-1.0 d) and finely punctate (Fig. 5C). Mesoscutum, scutellum, metanotum, mesepisternum and propodeum covered with long yellowish-white erect hairs, on the disc of mesoscutum intermixed with black hairs.

WINGS. Yellowish-brown; wing venation reddish brown.

LEGS. Integument black. Vestiture whitish to brown, scopae yellowish to dark brown.

METASOMA. Integument black, apical margins of T2 – T4 narrowly reddish-brown (Fig. 5D). T1 with a few long erect whitish hairs; discs of T2 – T4 sparsely covered with very short erect white to dark brown hairs; apical tergal hair bands on T1 – T4 broad and white; prepygidial and pygidial fimbriae black (Fig. 5A, D). T1 almost impunctate, polished and shiny, T2 – T4 shiny, with very fine, superficial and sparse punctation that becomes progressively denser on apical tergae (Fig. 5D).

Male

Unknown.

Distribution

There is only a single record of this species from the Karoo in the summer rainfall area (Fig. 9).

Floral hosts

Unknown.

Seasonal activity

September.