Megatrigon apiformis sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: F83D697B-489E-4E4C-AE21-BB7A4FCA6C4F

Figs 1G, 2H, 3G, 4C, 5A, 7G, 10G, 11G, 12F, 16

Diagnosis

Small, slender, golden-haired species (Fig. 1G); head (Fig. 2H) almost entirely covered by dense, whiteyellow microtrichia except following bare parts: triangular area laterally from median microtrichiose stripe on face, area lateral and above the antennae, posterior margin of the head (in dorsal view); wing (Fig. 5A) completely covered with very dense, white microtrichia; mesoscutum (Fig. 4C) besides lateral microtrichiose stripes, also with long submedian stripes far exceeded the level of transverse suture, indistinct median stripe along the whole length of mesoscutum (can be interrupted) and well-developed prescutellar microtrichia.

Etymology

The species epithet, which is formed as an adjective, is derived from the Latin words apis (= [honey] bee) and forma (= shape), alluding to the honey bee-like appearance of this species.

Type material

Holotype SOUTH AFRICA: ♂, KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 12 Oct. 1971, leg. M.E. Irwin (NMSA).

Paratype SOUTH AFRICA: 1 ♂, KwaZulu-Natal, Goskies Farm, Karkloof, 21 Dec. 1983, B.R. Stuckenberg leg. (NMSA).

Description

LENGTH. Body 7.5 mm, wing 5.8 mm.

HEAD (Figs 2H, 3G). Distance between eyes, 0.16–0.17 × width of head; post-ocular orbit wider, the width of post-ocular orbit dorsally 0.13–0.14 as wide as head; ocellar triangle isosceles, without median longitudinal groove; postpedicel (Fig. 3G) almost rounded, 1.2–1.3 × as long as deep, 1.6–1.7 × as long as pedicel; supra-alar setae yellow.

THORAX (Fig. 4C). Microtrichia on mediotergite covered about one third of width.

WING (Fig. 5A). Setae on costagium yellow; wing veins mostly yellow, but darker distally.

LEGS. Setae on legs yellow; only apex of pro- and mesofemur lighter, not also the base; of tarsi, only tarsomere 1 of metaleg darkened dorsally; microtrichia on metatibia dorsally relatively short like in M. argenteus comb. nov.

ABDOMEN (Fig. 7G). Relatively narrow, tergite 2 is 1.8 × and tergite 3 is 2 × as wide as long; tergites with a golden lustre, long, dense, golden setose; tergites 2–4 with transversal, yellow-white microtrichiose fasciae connected in the middle; fasciae on tergites 2+3 oblique and reaching lateral margins, tergite 4 with horizontal fasciae, widely separated from lateral margin; tergite 4 with wide microtrichiose posterior margin and one or two pairs of depressions; indistinct white microtrichia present anteromedially on

tergites 2–4, more developed on tergite 2, but on tergites 3+4 connected with fasciae along the median line. Male genitalia in Figs 10G, 11G, 12F.

Distribution

Afrotropical – South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal) (Fig. 16).