Colletes testaceipes Friese, 1909

Kuhlmann, Michael, 2007, Revision of the bees of the Colletes fasciatus-group in southern Africa (Hymenoptera: Colletidae), African Invertebrates 48 (2), pp. 121-166 : 160-162

Colletes testaceipes Friese, 1909

Figs 16, 17, 43

Colletes testaceipes: Friese 1909: 120–121 . Type locality: Namibia, Prince of Wales Bay .

Diagnosis: Among the species with a reduced scopa, C. testaceipes is characterised by the following combination of characters: tibiae completely orange-brown to red, width of facial fovea about 2× diameter of antennal flagellum, hairs on disc of mesonotum about 2× as long as diameter of antennal flagellum. Male best identified by the unique shape of S7 ( Fig. 16).

Description:

Female.

Length 12–13 mm.

Vestiture: Face greyish white, with longer, yellowish brown hairs on vertex; mesonotum with relatively long, greyish or yellowish white hairs intermixed with numerous longer blackish hairs; mesosomal sides and legs similar to mesonotum, except hairs shorter on mesosomal side and legs; scutellum and metanotum with short, yellowish white vestiture, on scutellum intermixed with longer, light brown hairs, metanotum medially plumose; T1 densely covered with moderately long, erect, white hairs, posteriorly with a few very short, depressed hairs; disc of T2 with very short, erect, yellowish hairs; discs of T3–T5 with successively longer, erect, blackish hairs; relatively broad, white, posterior tergal fringes on T1–T4, narrowed medially on T1, very narrow on T5; T2 with well developed, relatively broad basal tomentum; S2–S5 with very short, thin sparse white hair fringes laterally; discs of sterna loosely covered with very short hairs.

Integument: Mainly black, antenna brown ventrally, legs red and terga translucent yellowish to reddish brown posteriorly; discs of T1–T4 with narrow red margin posteriorly; T1 with very slight bluish shine; malar area narrow, length about 1/3 width of mandibular base; clypeus slight depressed medially, with dense (0.2 pd), small punctures, punctures slightly elongate; integument between punctures smooth and shiny; facial fovea broad, maximum width about 2× antennal diameter; disc of mesonotum with relatively sparse (1–2 pd), medium-sized punctures, surrounded by dense (<0.5 pd) punctation, integument between punctures smooth and shiny; upper sloping part of propodeal triangle with short, longitudinal carinae, vertical part superficially shagreened and shiny, anteriorly with few indistinct roughly transverse carinae; disc of T1 with distinct, fine to very fine, dense (0.5 pd) punctation, punctures becoming much finer and indistinctly shallow towards posterior tergal depression; disc of T2 with fine and dense (<0.5 pd) punctation; integument between punctures smooth and shiny.

Male.

Length 10–12 mm.

Vestiture: Face white; mesonotum with long, white to greyish white hairs; mesosomal sides and legs white to greyish white, scutellum and metanotum with long, yellowish to yellowish white hairs; T1 densely covered with long, erect, greyish white hairs; disc of T2–T6 with successively shorter concolorous hairs of same colour; relatively broad white posterior tergal fringes on T1–T4, narrower on T5 and very narrow on T6; S1–S5 with dense, long fringes that are longer laterally than medially.

Integument: Completely black, except antenna brown ventrally, legs reddish brown becoming more yellowish brown on tarsi; terga narrowly translucent posteriorly; discs of T1–T3 with very narrow, red posterior margin; T1–T4 with slight bluish shine; malar area long, length subequal to width of mandibular base; clypeus with very dense, small punctures (<0.2 pd); facial fovea narrow, maximum width equal to antennal diameter; disc of mesonotum with medium-sized, scattered punctures (1 pd), integument glabrous, surrounded by slightly denser (0.5 pd) punctation; upper sloping part of propodeal triangle with around 3 short, longitudinal carinae, vertical part superficially shagreened and shiny, upper half with 2 or 3 large, roughly transverse carinae; hind basitarsus not modified; discs of T1 and T2 with coarse, distinct, dense (<0.2 pd) punctation, punctures becoming slightly finer and more shallow towards anterior part of posterior tergal depression, nearly smooth and shiny posteriorly; integument between punctures smooth and shiny. Shape of S7 as in Fig. 16 and shape of gonostylus as illustrated ( Fig. 17).

Type material examined: Colletes testaceipes , ơ lectotype: ‘Prince of Wales-Bay, L. Schultze S., Type, Colletes testaceipes 1908 Friese det., L. Schultze. Süd-Afrika, 1903, Mai, Pr.of Wales Bay, No. 135, Konserv. Alk. 94’, ^Paralectotype: ‘SW. Afrika, Grotfontein, 1903, Volkmann, Colletes testaceipes 1908 Friese det., Type, Coll. Friese’ (all ZMBH).

Additional material examined: 20^4ơ. SOUTH AFRICA: Northern Cape: 2ơ Port Nolloth, viii.1890, R.M.L. (CMK); 2^Wallekral, 7 km WNW on road to Hondeklip Bay, 14–16.ix.1992, F.W. & S.K. Gess, on yellow Fabaceae (AMGS, CMK) ; 4^Hester Malan Nat.Res., 30.viii.1987, M. Struck, on Conicosia elongata (SANC, CMK) ; 1^5.ix.1986, (SANC), idem; 1^Hester Malan Nat. Res., 2.vii.1985, M. Struck (SANC); 1^Hester Malan Nat. Res., 9.vii.1985, M. Struck, on Ruschia elineata (SANC) ; 6^Leliefontein, 2.x.1995, F.W. & S.K. Gess, on pink Ruschia (AMGS, CMK) ; Western Cape: 1ơ Kalkgat (Farm), 55 km NE Vanrhynsdorp, 140 m, 3.ix.2003, K. Timmermann, on mesem (CMK); 1ơ Vanrhynsdorp, 45 km NE, 140 m, 20.vii.2003, K. Timmermann (CMK); 1^Lamberts Bay, 20 km E, 13.ix.1984, V.B. Whitehead (SAMC); 1^Drooge Rivier, Sandberg, 27.viii.1987, V.B. Whitehead, on Homeria (SAMC) ; 1^Klawer, 7 km N, 27.vii.1985, V.B. Whitehead, on Apartesia (SAMC); 1^Clanwilliam, 8.ix.1966, C.D. Michener (CMK); 1^Biedouw Valley, 5–7.ix.1987, C.D. Eardley (CMK).

Distribution: This species distribution extends from south-western Namibia, which is the northern part of the winter rainfall area to southern Namaqualand, which is in the middle of the winter rainfall area ( Fig. 43 ). The isolated record from ‘Grotfontein’ (= Grootfontein, Namibia) is probably an error caused by incorrect labelling and is not included in the distribution map.

Flower visiting: Apatesia sp. , Conicosia elongata , Ruschia elineata , Ruschia sp. (Aizoaceae) , yellow Fabaceae , Homeria sp. (= Moraea sp. ) ( Iridaceae ).

Phenology: First record 2 nd July, last record 2 nd October.

Figures

Fig. 43. Distribution of C. nieuwoudtvillei, C. obscurus, C. schultzei, C. stellatus, C. testaceipes, C. wathmoughi and C. zygophyllum.