Scrapter mellonholgeri Kuhlmann

Kuhlmann, Michael & Friehs, Thyra, 2020, Nine new species and new records of euryglossiform Scrapter Lepeletier & Serville (Hymenoptera: Colletidae) from South Africa, European Journal of Taxonomy 647, pp. 1-33 : 14-16

Scrapter mellonholgeri Kuhlmann sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F5E08BBE-DDEE-41DF-9369-DBA7FC851046 Figs 6–7

Diagnosis

The female of S. mellonholgeri Kuhlmann sp. nov. can be separated from all other species of this group by the combination of the following characters: head distinctly broader than long; supraclypeal area and clypeus superficially sculptured and slightly matt, coarsely and densely to sparsely punctate ( Fig. 6B ); scutum mostly relatively sparse and slightly coarsely punctate ( Fig. 6 C–D); propodeum basally just slightly ( Fig. 6 E–F); stigma brown; apical margins of metasomal terga slightly translucent dark reddishbrown; terga densely and finely punctate ( Fig. 6G ). The male is characterized by an unmodified antenna; coarsely and densely punctate scutum; finely and densely punctate metasomal terga ( Fig. 7C ); hind tibia apically broadened inside, forming a spine ( Fig. 7E ); third hind tarsus unmodified ( Fig. 7G ) and the shape of S7 ( Fig. 7F ).

Etymology

This species is dedicated to my (MK) friend (High Elvish [Sindarin]: mellon; noun in apposition) Holger Heinrich Dathe, expert in bees of the genus Hylaeus and former director of the Senckenberg German Entomological Institute, Müncheberg, in recognition of his ground breaking contributions to Afrotropical taxonomy of Hylaeus .

Material examined (44 specimens)

Holotype

SOUTH AFRICA • ♂; Roggeveld Mts , 2 km SE of Farm Allemansdam, burnt area; 31°49′32″ S, 19°59′55″ E; alt. 1290 m a.s.l.; 2 Sep. 2017; MK leg.; RCMK.

Paratypes

SOUTH AFRICA • 2 ♀♀; Kamiesberg Mts , 5 km SE of Leliefontein, road side; alt. 30°20′09″ S, 18°06′24″ E; 1400 m a.s.l.; 7 Sep. 2016; MK leg.; RCMK • 7 ♀♀; same collection data as for preceding; 11 Sep. 2016; MK leg; RCMK • 13 ♀♀, 6 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding; 10 Sep. 2017; MK leg; RCMK • 4 ♂♂; same collection data as for holotype; MK leg.; RCMK • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; 24 Aug. 2018; MK leg.; RCMK • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; 29 Aug. 2018; MK leg.; RCMK • 1 ♀; 8 km WNW of Leliefontein, Fynbos , road side; 30°15′58″ S, 18°03′17″ E; alt. 1190 m a.s.l.; 10 Sep. 2017; MK leg.; RCMK • 8 ♀♀; same collection data as for preceding; 14 Sep. 2017; MK leg.; RCMK .

Description

Female

BODY LENGTH. 4.4–5.3 mm.

HEAD. Head slightly wider than long. Integument black, except part of mandibles dark reddish-brown. Face sparsely covered with long, greyish, erect hair ( Fig. 6B ). Clypeus convex with relatively coarse but dense (i = 0.5–1 d) punctation; surface between punctures superficially reticulate and slightly matt ( Fig. 6B ). Malar area medially narrow, almost linear. Antenna dorsally blackish-brown, ventrally yellowish-brown.

MESOSOMA. Integument black, tegula reddish-brown. Mesoscutal disc between punctures to a variable degree reticulate and slightly matt; disc relatively sparsely (i = 2–3 d) and relatively finely to slightly coarsely punctate ( Fig. 6D ); sometimes disc shinier and with denser (i = 1 d) punctation ( Fig. 6C ). Metanotum about as long as basal area of propodeum, apically with narrow carinate depression ( Fig. 6 E–F). Propodeum basally indistinctly and very finely carinate ( Fig. 6F ), sometimes only laterally

carinate ( Fig. 6E ). Mesoscutum, scutellum, metanotum, mesepisternum and propodeum sparsely covered with short, greyish, erect hair ( Fig. 6A ).

WINGS. Brownish; wing venation and stigma brown.

LEGS. Integument black. Vestiture greyish-white; scopa greyish-white, dorsally brownish.

METASOMA. Integument black, apical margins of terga narrowly black to translucent dark reddish-brown ( Fig. 6G ). Disc of T1–T2 glabrous; following terga with very short but increasingly more and longer hair; T3 basally with a very narrow and sparse band of very fine, short, erect hair; apical tergal hair bands missing on all terga ( Fig. 6G ). Prepygidial and pygidial fimbriae relatively short, greyish-brown. T1 finely and relatively densely (i = 1–1.5 d) punctate, between punctures superficially sculptured and slightly matt; following terga more matt; T2–T4 with superficially sculptured and slightly matt apical tergal depression ( Fig. 6G ).

Male

BODY LENGTH. 4.6–5.5 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 except last three flagellar segments completely or largely brown.

MESOSOMA. Integument black. Mesoscutal disc between punctures reticulate and slightly matt to matt; disc sparsely (i = 1.5–3 d) and coarsely punctate. Mesoscutum, scutellum, metanotum, mesepisternum and propodeum sparsely covered with long, greyish, erect hair ( Fig. 7A ).

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

LEGS. Integument black, fore tibia anteriorly dominantly yellowish-brown. Hind tibia inside apically broadened, with a spine ( Fig. 7E ). Hind basitarsus medially slightly broadened ( Fig. 7G ). Vestiture greyish-white.

METASOMA. Integument black to dark reddish-brown, apical margins of terga partly narrowly translucent dark reddish-brown ( Fig. 7C ). Discs of T1–T2 without hair, following terga with short but increasingly more and longer hair; T3 and T4 basally with a very narrow and sparse band of short greyish, erect hair; apical tergal hair bands missing on all terga ( Fig. 7C ). T1 finely, following terga relatively coarsely but densely (i = 0.5–1 d) punctate; superficially reticulate and slightly matt; T2–T4 with narrow, superficially sculptured but shiny apical tergal depression ( Fig. 7C ). S3 and particularly S4–S5 with sparse, long apical hair fringes.

TERMINALIA. Genitalia ( Fig. 7B, D ), S7 ( Fig. 7F ) and terminal plate of S8 ( Fig. 7H ) as illustrated.

Distribution

Recorded from the northern part of the Roggeveld Mts and the Kamisberg Mts.

Floral hosts

Brassicaceae : white Heliophila spec.

Seasonal activity

August–September.

Figures

Fig. 6. Scrapter mellonholgeri Kuhlmann sp. nov., ♀, paratype (RCMK). A. Lateral view. B. Head. C–D. Scutum and scutellum (dorsal view). Variation of sculpture. E–F. Metanotum and propodeum (dorsal view). Variation of sculpture. G. Metasoma (dorsal view).

Fig. 7. Scrapter mellonholgeri Kuhlmann sp. nov., ♂, holotype (RCMK). A. Lateral view. B. Genitalia (dorsal view). C. Metasoma (dorsal view). D. Genitalia (lateral view). E. Hind tibia. F. S7 (dorsal view). G. Hind basitarsus. H. S8, apical end.