Scrapter minutus, Kuhlmann, 2014

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 : 29-31

Scrapter minutus sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:28AFECA3-0EC5-449D-B850-EEFB3AC29BEA

Fig. 15

Diagnosis

The female of S. minutus sp. nov. can be separated from other species of this group by the combination of the following characters: head about as long as broad, supraclypeal area and clypeus densely and distinctly punctate, only partly superficially sculptured and matt ( Fig. 15B ), scutum densely but relatively finely punctate, metanotum apicaly without distinct carinate depression ( Fig. 15 C–D), fore tibia anteriorly largely yellowish-brown, stigma brown, apical margins of metasomal terga black, terga densely and coarsely punctate ( Fig. 15E ). The male is unknown.

Etymology

Named for the small body size of the species.

Type material (2 specimens)

Holotype

SOUTH AFRICA: ♀, Hantam Mountains, 30 km N of Calvinia , 880 m, 31°12'09" S, 19°50'04" E, 16 Sep. 2007, K. Timmermann ( SANC).

Paratype

SOUTH AFRICA: 1 ♀, same data as holotype ( RCMK).

Description

Female

BODY LENGTH. 4.9 mm.

HEAD. Head about as broad as long. Integument black, except part of mandibles dark reddish-brown. Face sparsely covered with long, greyish, erect hair ( Fig. 15A ). Clypeus convex with coarse and dense punctation (i = 1–2 d); surface between punctures apically smooth and shiny, basally superficially sculptured and less shiny ( Fig. 15B ). Malar area medially narrow, almost linear. Antenna dorsally blackish-brown, ventrally yellowish-brown.

MESOSOMA. Integument black. Mesoscutal disc between punctures superficially reticulate but shiny; disc densely (i = 1.0–1.5 d) and finely punctate ( Fig. 15 C–D). Metanotum slightly shorter than basal area of propodeum, apically with indistinct narrow carinate depression ( Fig. 15D ). Propodeum basally only laterally finely carinate ( Fig. 15D ). Mesoscutum, scutellum, metanotum, mesepisternum and propodeum sparsely covered with short, greyish, erect hair ( Fig. 15A ).

WINGS. Yellowish-brown; wing venation and stigma brown.

LEGS. Integument black to dark reddish-brown; fore tibia basally with large yellowish spot ( Fig. 15A ). Vestiture greyish-white, scopa greyish-brown.

METASOMA. Integument black, apical margins of terga partly narrowly translucent dark reddish-brown ( Fig. 15E ). Discs of T1 and T2 without hair, following terga with very short but increasingly more and longer hair; apical tergal hair bands missing on all terga ( Fig. 15E ). Prepygidial and pygidial fimbriae greyish-brown. T1 densely (i = 1.0–1.5 d) but very finely punctate, between punctures basally superficially sculptured, apically polished and shiny; T2–T4 basally superficially sculptured, apically smooth and shiny, with dense (i = 1.0–1.5 d), fine, superficial punctation; T2–T4 with smooth and shiny, broad apical tergal depression ( Fig. 15E ).

Male

Unknown.

Distribution

The species is only known from the Hantam Mountains.

Floral hosts

Unknown.

Seasonal activity

September.

Figures

Fig. 15. Scrapter minutus sp. nov., ♀. A. Lateral view. B. Head (SEM). C. Thorax (dorsal view). D. Thorax (dorsal view, SEM). E. Metasoma (dorsal view). Scale bars: photos: 1 mm, SEM: 0.1 mm.