Sphecodopsis carolinae Eardley, 2007

Pöllein, Daniela & Kuhlmann, Michael, 2025, Taxonomic revision of the southern African bee genus Sphecodopsis Bischoff, 1923 (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Nomadinae), European Journal of Taxonomy 980, pp. 1-157 : 128-130

Sphecodopsis carolinae Eardley, 2007

Figs 99–100

Sphecodopsis carolinae Eardley, 2007: 195–196 , holotype ♂ (type locality: near Grasberg [N of Nieuwoudtville], South Africa) (SANC), examined.

Diagnosis

The female paratype of S. carolinae was not available for study but was described by Eardley (2007: 196). The male of S. carolinae can be separated from that of all other species of the genus by the combination of the following characters: metasoma at least partially red ( Fig. 99B ); fore legs usually black ( Fig. 99A ); head and mesosoma with short white hair ( Fig. 99C–D ); mesoscutum densely, coarsely and deeply punctate, matt or slightly shiny ( Fig. 99D ); propodeum shagreened and matt, just like the metapostnotum, covered only with white hair ( Figs 99E , 100B ); genitalia elongated and narrow ( Fig. 100C ).

Additional material examined (2 specimens)

SOUTH AFRICA • 2 ♂♂; N Cape, Fynbos, 2 km W of Nieuwoudtville, near Grasberg ; 31°21′05″ S, 19°05′49″ E; 742 m a.s.l.; 23 Aug. 2003; KT leg.; RCMK .

Description

Female

See Eardley (2007: 196).

Male

BODY LENGTH. 6.5 mm.

HEAD. Head wider than long. Vertex slightly rounded, ocelli highest point. Integument black, except part of mandibles red or reddish-brown. Face covered with short, white hair, mixed with short, black hair. Face with dense (i=0.25–0.5 d) and fairly fine, but deep punctation ( Fig. 99C ). Surface between punctures matt. Antenna black.

MESOSOMA. Integument black, tegula yellow. Mesoscutum matt. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum densely (i =0.25–0.5 d) and fairly finely but deeply punctate ( Fig. 99D ). Propodeum and metapostnotum matt ( Fig. 99E ). Mesoscutum, mesoscutellum and mesepisternum sparsely covered with short, yellowish-white hair ( Fig. 99D ). Metanotum and propodeum sparsely covered with short, white hair, metapostnotum glabrous ( Fig. 99D–E ).

WINGS. Yellowish; wing venation brown and stigma brown to dark brown ( Fig. 99A ).

LEGS. Integument black. Coxa, trochanter and femur sparsely covered with short, white hair. Tibia and tarsi covered with short, white hair ( Fig. 99A ).

METASOMA. Integument of T1 basally black, T2 red, T3–T7 to a variable extent red, from completely red to completely black. T1–T2 with few short, white hair, from T3 increasingly more and longer hair ( Fig. 99B ). T5 and T6 disc covered with long, golden hair. T7 covered with short, yellowish-white hair and longer golden hair ( Fig. 99F ).

TERMINALIA. Genitalia ( Fig. 100C–D ), S7 ( Fig. 100A ) and terminal plate of S8 ( Fig. 100B ) as illustrated.

Distribution

Only known from the Kamiesberg Mts and the vicinity of Nieuwoudtville ( Eardley 2007).

Host bees

Unknown.

Seasonal activity

August–September ( Eardley 2007).

Figures

Fig. 99. Sphecodopsis carolinae Eardley, 2007, ♂ (RCMK). A. Habitus (lateral view). B. Metasoma (dorsal view). C. Head. D. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum (dorsal view). E. Propodeum. F. T4–T7 (dorsal view).

Fig. 100. Sphecodopsis carolinae Eardley, 2007, ♂ (RCMK). A. S7 (dorsal view). B. S8 (dorsal view). C. Genital (dorsal view). D. Genital (lateral view).