Scrapter acanthophorus 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 : 4-7

Scrapter acanthophorus Davies, 2005

Figs 1–2

Scrapter acanthophorus Davies, 2005: 153–155 , figs 4–8, holotype ♂ (type locality: Knersvlakte, 30 km north of Vanrhynsdorp , South Africa) ( SANC).

Diagnosis

The female of S. acanthophorus is here described for the first time. It can be separated from other species of this group by the combination of the following characters: clypeus distinctly convex ( Fig. 1 C–D), foretibia dominantly blackish-brown, stigma brown, apical margins of metasomal terga broadly brownish translucent, terga between punctures smooth and shiny ( Fig. 1B ). The male is characterized by an unmodified antenna, hind tibia apically broadened inside forming a spine ( Fig. 2E ), coarsely but more sparsely punctate scutum and metasomal terga ( Fig. 2C ) and the form of S7 ( Fig. 2D ).

Material examined (25 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, 10 Sep. 2003, KT ( RCMK) ; 1 ♀, W. Cape, Knersvlakte, Sukkulent Karoo , 30 km N of Vanrhynsdorp , 146 m, 31°22'23" S, 18°42'37" E, 22 Aug. 2003, KT ( RCMK) ; 7 ♀♀, 2 ♂♂, idem, 6 Sep. 2003, KT ( RCMK) ; 2 ♀♀, idem, 11 Sep. 2003, KT ( RCMK) ; 11 ♀♀, 1 ♂, idem, 5–6 Sep. 2003, KT ( RCMK 6 ♀♀, 1 ♂, NHML 5 ♀♀).

Description

Female

BODY LENGTH. 6.0– 6.5 mm.

HEAD. Head wider than long. Integument black except part of mandibles dark reddish-brown. Face sparsely covered with long, greyish, erect hair ( Fig. 1C ). Clypeus strongly convex with coarse punctation, apically sparse (i = 2–3 d), basally dense (i = 0.5–1 d); surface between punctures apically smooth and shiny, basally superficially shagreened and slightly matt ( Fig. 1 C–D). Malar area medially narrow, almost linear. Antenna dorsally blackish-brown, ventrally yellowish-brown.

MESOSOMA. Integument black. Mesoscutal disc between punctures superficially shagreened but shiny; disc densely (i = 0.5–1.0 d) and coarsely punctate ( Fig. 1 E–F). Metanotum slightly shorter than basal area of propodeum, apically with narrow carinate depression ( Fig. 1F ). Propodeum basally finely but broadly carinate ( Fig. 1F ). Mesoscutum, scutellum, metanotum, mesepisternum and propodeum sparsely covered with short, greyish, erect hair ( Fig. 1A ).

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

LEGS. Integument black to dark reddish-brown; fore and mid tibia basally with small yellowish spot. Vestiture greyish-white, scopa greyish-white.

METASOMA. Integument black, apical margins of terga broadly translucent yellowish to reddish-brown ( Fig. 1B ). Discs of T1 and T2 without hair, laterally sparsely covered with long erect greyish-white hair; following terga with increasingly more and longer hair; T3–T4 basally with a very narrow and sparse band of very fine, short, erect hair; apical tergal hair bands missing on all terga ( Fig. 1B ). Prepygidial and pygidial fimbriae greyish-brown. T1 densely (i = 1 d) but finely punctate, between punctures polished and shiny; T2–T4 shiny, with dense, fine, superficial punctation; T2–T4 with polished broad apical tergal depression ( Fig. 1B ).

Male

BODY LENGTH. 5.2–6.0 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. 2A ).

MESOSOMA. Integument black. Mesoscutal disc between punctures superficially shagreened but shiny; disc densely (i = 0.5–1.0 d) and coarsely punctate. Mesoscutum, scutellum, metanotum, mesepisternum and propodeum covered with long, greyish, erect hair.

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

LEGS. Integument black, fore tarsi and inner side of fore tibia yellow, base of mid tibia with small yellow spot ( Fig. 2A ). Hind tibia inside apically broadened, with a spine; hind basitarsus medially broadened ( Fig. 2E ). Vestiture greyish-white.

METASOMA. Integument black, apical margins of terga broadly translucent yellowish to reddish-brown ( Fig. 2C ). Discs of T1–T3 without hair, laterally sparsely covered with short, erect greyish-white hair; following terga with increasingly more and longer hair; T2–T4 basally with a very narrow and sparse band of very fine, short, erect hair; apical tergal hair bands missing on all terga ( Fig. 2C ). T1 and following terga densely (i ˂ 0.5–1 d) but finely punctate, between punctures polished or superficially sculptured, shiny to slightly matt; terga with broad, polished to superficially sculptured but shiny apical tergal depression ( Fig. 2C ). S3 and particularly S4–S5 with long apical hair fringes.

TERMINALIA. Genitalia ( Fig. 2B ), S7 ( Fig. 2D ) and terminal plate of S8 ( Fig. 2F ) as illustrated.

Distribution

The species is only known from the Knersvlakte, a semi-desert plane in southern Namaqualand.

Floral hosts

Unknown.

Seasonal activity

August–September.

Figures

Fig. 1. Scrapter acanthophorus 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. 2. Scrapter acanthophorus 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.