Ctenoplectrina ugandica (Cockerell, 1944) Davies & Brothers, 2006

Davies, Gregory B. P. & Brothers, Denis J., 2006, Morphology of Scrapter (Hymenoptera: Anthophila: Colletidae), with description of three new species and taxonomic status of five Cockerell taxa, African Invertebrates 47, pp. 135-183 : 178-180

Ctenoplectrina ugandica (Cockerell, 1944) , comb. n.

Scrapter ugandica Cockerell 1944 b: 805 . Type locality: Madi , Uganda.

Cockerell (1944 b) described S. ugandica on the basis of a single female ( Figs 123, 124 ) collected in May 1927, and he expressed surprise to ‘find this South African genus so far north as Uganda’. Examination of the holotype female indicates that S. ugandica is not a colletid, let alone a Scrapter species.

Dissection of the mouthparts revealed it to have a fairly long, acute glossa. Other features arguing against it being a colletid include the lack of a pre-episternal groove (ignoring Diphaglossini and Hesperocolletes Michener ), lack of arolia and absence of facial foveae. The labial palp segments are sub-equal in length, which suggested some sort of ‘short-tongued’ bee (possibly in Andrenidae , Halictidae or Melittidae ).The general facies of the bee, however, was not similar to these ‘short-tongued’ taxa, and a stipital concavity with a weak comb was detected during the dissection of the mouthparts. There was also no trace of a galeal comb. These are features of a ‘long-tongued’ bee. Keying the specimen brought it out at Ctenoplectrini ( Apidae ), and this identification was confirmed by the marginal cell being sharply bent away from the costal margin ( Fig. 125 ), a feature Michener and Greenberg (1980: 191) identify as ‘a unique synapomorphy of the Ctenoplectridae’. Further confirmation was provided by the oilcollecting hairs on S3–5 ( Fig. 126 ). Other characters of this bee include the short, compressed F1–3 (contrasting with other flagellomeres), short, blunt mandibles with weak sculpture, lack of a ventral premental fovea, two submarginal cells, declivitous propodeum, lack of T2 fovea, weak, thin pygidial plate and deeply cleft claws.

There are only two ctenoplectrinid genera, Ctenoplectra Kirby and the parasitic Ctenoplectrina Cockerell. S. ugandica is ascribed to the latter because it lacks a metabasitibial plate and has reduced oil-collecting tufts on the sterna. Michener (2000: 678) admitted one species in Ctenoplectrina , but noted ‘the diversity among three specimens suggests two species’. Consequently we have moved the species to Ctenoplectrina , but left in abeyance its relationship to the only other formally described species, C. politula Cockerell.

Figures

Figs 123, 124. Dorsal and lateral views of female Ctenoplectrina ugandica.

Figs 125, 126. Ctenoplectrina ugandica: (125) Apical portion of forewing, marginal cell bent away from costal margin (arrowed), (126) Oil-collecting hairs on S2–4.