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.