Scrapter sittybon Davies, 2005

Kuhlmann, Michael, 2014, Revision of the euryglossiform species of the Afrotropical bee genus Scrapter Lepeletier & Serville, 1828 (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Colletidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 95, pp. 1-69 : 54-57

Scrapter sittybon Davies, 2005

Figs 28–29

Scrapter sittybon Davies, 2005: 171–173 , figs 36–39, holotype ♂ (type locality: Farm Kalkgat, 40 km north-east of Vanrhynsdorp, South Africa) (SANC).

Diagnosis

The female of S. sittybon is here described for the first time. It can be separated from other species of this group by the combination of the following characters: fore tibia entirely or dominantly yellowish to reddish brown, stigma brown, apical margins of metasomal terga broadly brownish translucent ( Fig. 28B ). The male is characterized by an unmodified antenna, scutum between punctures smooth and shiny, the form of S7 ( Fig. 29D ), hind basitarsus blackish and hind tibia apically slightly swollen and curved ( Fig. 29E ).

Material examined (2 specimens)

SOUTH AFRICA: 1 ♀, W. Cape, Knersvlakte, Sukkulent Karoo, 40 km N of Vanrhynsdorp, Farm Kalkgat, 140 m, 31°07'04" S, 18°55'18" E, 14 Sep. 2003, KT (RCMK); 1 ♂, Hantam Mountains, 30 km N of Calvinia, 880 m, 31°12'09" S, 19°50'04" E, 16 Sep. 2007, KT (RCMK).

Description

Female

BODY LENGTH. 4.9–5.1 mm.

HEAD. Head wider than long. Integument black, except part of mandibles dark reddish-brown. Face sparsely covered with long, greyish, erect hair ( Fig. 28C ). Clypeus slightly convex with coarse punctation, apically coarser and sparser (i = 1–2 d), basally much finer and denser (i ˂ 0.5 d); surface between punctures apically smooth and shiny, basally superficially sculptured and slightly matt ( Fig.

28C–D). Malar area medially narrow, almost linear. Antenna dorsally darker orange-brown, ventrally more yellowish-brown ( Fig. 28C ).

MESOSOMA. Integument black, except pronotal lobe and tegula yellowish to reddish-brown ( Fig. 28A ). Mesoscutal disc between punctures polished and shiny; disc densely (i = 1–2 d) and coarsely punctate, punctures of variable size ( Fig. 28 E–F). Metanotum about 2/3 as long as basal area of propodeum, apically with distinct carinate depression ( Fig. 28F ). Propodeum basally coarsely and broadly carinate ( Fig. 28F ). Mesoscutum, scutellum, metanotum, mesepisternum and propodeum sparsely covered with short, greyish, erect hair ( Fig. 28A ).

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

LEGS. Integument mostly dark reddish-brown, partly blackish; fore tibia and tarsi almost completely, mid tibia anteriorly and hind tibia basally yellowish-brown ( Fig. 28A ). Vestiture greyish-white, scopa greyish-white.

METASOMA. Integument black, apical margins of terga broadly translucent yellowish to reddish-brown ( Fig. 28B ). Discs of T1 and T2 without hair; following terga with very sparse and short but increasingly more and longer hair; apical tergal hair bands missing on all terga ( Fig. 28B ). Prepygidial and pygidial fimbriae greyish-brown. T1 and following terga densely (i = 1 d) but almost invisibly very finely and irregularly punctate, between punctures sculptured and slightly matt; T2–T4 with superficially sculptured but shiny, broad apical tergal depression ( Fig. 28B ).

Male

BODY LENGTH. 4.8–5.2 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. Antennal flagellum either completely yellowish-brown or sometimes dorsally dark brown, particularly the last 3–4 segments dorsally ( Fig. 29A ).

MESOSOMA. Integument black, tegula yellowish-brown. Mesoscutal disc between punctures smooth and shiny; disc densely (i = 0.5–1.0 d) and finely punctate. Mesoscutum, scutellum, metanotum, mesepisternum and propodeum covered with long, yellowish-grey, erect hair ( Fig. 29A ).

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

LEGS. Integument mostly dark yellowish to reddish-black, fore tibia and tarsi, mid tibia (except darker spot posteriorly), base of hind tibia and femora apically yellow to yellowish-brown ( Fig. 29A ). Hind tibia inside apically slightly broadened and curved ( Fig. 29E ). Vestiture greyish-white.

METASOMA. Integument black, apical margins of terga broadly translucent yellowish to reddish-brown ( Fig. 29C ). Discs of T1–T3 without hair; following terga with very short and sparse but increasingly more and longer hair; T2–T4 basally with a broad and dense band of very fine but long, erect, silverish hair; apical tergal hair bands missing on all terga ( Fig. 29C ). T1 and following terga irregularly densely (i ˂ 0.5–1 d) but almost invisibly very finely punctate, between punctures sculptured and slightly matt; terga with broad, superficially sculptured but shiny apical tergal depression ( Fig. 29C ). S3–S5 with long, sparse apical hair fringes.

TERMINALIA. Genitalia ( Fig. 29B ), S7 ( Fig. 29D ) and terminal plate of S8 ( Fig. 29F ) as illustrated.

Distribution

The species is only known from the Knersvlakte and the Hantam Mountains.

Floral hosts

Unknown.

Seasonal activity

September.

Figures

Fig. 28. Scrapter sittybon Davies, 2005, ♀. A. Lateral view. B. Metasoma (dorsal view). C. Head. D. Head (SEM). E. Thorax (dorsal view). F. Thorax (dorsal view, SEM). Scale bars: photos: 1 mm, SEM: 0.1 mm.

Fig. 29. Scrapter sittybon Davies, 2005, ♂. A. Lateral view. B. Genitalia (dorsal view, SEM). C. Metasoma (dorsal view). D. S7 (dorsal view, SEM). E. Hind tibia. F. S8, apical end (SEM). Scale bars: photos: 1 mm, SEM: 0.1 mm.