Scrapter oxaliphilus sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: F67CFAE1-9B81-4C56-B72C-4BECC5E081EB

Figs 2–3, 13–15, 23–27

Diagnosis

The female of S. oxaliphilus sp. nov. can be separated from that of all other species in this group by the following character combination: clypeus, vertex and dorsal side of mesosoma with white to light brown hair, at most a few single black hairs intermixed (Fig. 13A), propodeum dorsolaterally (lateral to the matt propodeal triangle) partly smooth and shiny, basal area without carination (Fig. 13D), foreleg blackish-brown, sometimes femur apically slightly dark yellowish-brown (Fig. 13A), T2 distinctly and densely (i=0.5–1 d) punctate (Fig. 13B).

The male is characterized by clypeus medially finely and sparsely punctate, shiny (Fig. 3), propodeum sparsely covered with thin hair of variable length, basal area without or anteriorly only with very short, indistinct longitudinal carinae (Fig. 14B), foreleg completely dark brown to blackish, sometimes to a small extent distitarsus and apical parts of mediotarsi orange-brown (Fig. 14A), hind tibia apicomedially not conspicuously swollen (Fig. 15A), genitalia as in Fig. 15B.

Etymology

The specific epithet refers to the specific host plants of the genus Oxalis ( Oxalidaceae) of this bee species.

Type material (21 specimens)

Holotype SOUTH AFRICA • ♀; Plateau Hantam Mts, near antenna, 9 km N of Calvinia; 1570 m a.s.l.; 31°22′29″ S, 19°47′03″ E; 2 Oct. 2014; M. Kuhlmann leg.; SANC.

Paratypes SOUTH AFRICA • 2 ♀♀; Plateau Hantam Mts, near antenna, 9 km N of Calvinia; 1570 m a.s.l.; 31°22′29″ S, 19°47′03″ E; 7 Sep. 2010; M. Kuhlmann leg.; NHML • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; RCMK • 3 ♀♀, 5 ♂♂; same data as for preceding; 30 Aug. 2011; M. Kuhlmann leg.; RCMK • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; NHML • 5 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; 2 Oct. 2014; M. Kuhlmann leg.; RCMK • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; SANC • 1 ♀; Plateau Hantam Mts, weather stn., 12 km N of Calvinia; 1580 m a.s.l.; 31°21′13″ S, 19°47′53″ E; 11 Sep. 2010; M. Kuhlmann leg.; RCMK • 1 ♂; Farm Kanolfontein, 20 km W of Sutherland, Road Side; 1385 m a.s.l.; 32°24′43″ S, 20°27′28″ E; 7 Sep. 2012; M. Kuhlmann leg.; RCMK .

Description

Female

BODY LENGTH. 7–7.5 mm.

HEAD. Head wider than long. Integument black, except part of mandibles dark reddish-brown. Face sparsely covered with relatively long, greyish, erect hair (Fig. 2). Clypeus strongly convex with fine and very sparse (i=2 d) punctation; surface between punctures smooth and shiny (Fig. 2). Malar area medially narrow, almost linear. Antenna dorsally dark brown, ventrally brown.

MESOSOMA. Integument black, tegulae dark brown. Mesoscutal disc between punctures reticulate and matt; disc sparsely (i=1–3d) and relatively shallowly punctate (Fig. 13C). Metanotum as long as basal area of propodeum, apically with broad and distinct carinate depression (Fig. 13D). Propodeum basally without carination (Fig. 13D). Propodeum laterally with relatively short, apically with long, greyish to slightly yellowish hair; mesoscutum with short erect hair; scutellum, metanotum and mesepisternum with sparse, long, greyish-white, erect hair (Fig. 13A).

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

LEGS. Integument black; tarsi dark reddish-brown. Vestiture greyish to slightly brownish; scopa greyish-white.

METASOMA. Integument black to dark reddish-brown; apical margins of terga on T1 narrowly, on other terga broadly translucent yellowish to brownish (Fig. 13B). Disc of T1 sparsely covered with relatively long, greyish-white, erect hair; following terga with successively more and longer, greyish-white, erect hair; apical tergal hair bands missing on all terga (Fig. 13B). Prepygidial and pygidial fimbriae brownish-grey. T1 and T2 very finely, but distinctly and very densely (i=0.5–1d) punctate, T3 finely and densely (i =1–1.5d) punctate, on T4 slightly sparser; apical tergal depressions and between punctures terga smooth and shiny (Fig. 13B).

Male

BODY LENGTH. 8–8.5 mm.

HEAD. Head wider than long. Integument black, except mandible partly dark reddish-brown. Face covered with long, silvery-white, erect hair (Fig. 3). Malar area medially narrow, almost linear. Antenna dorsally dark brown, ventrally dark yellowish-brown.

MESOSOMA. Integument black. Mesoscutal disc between punctures reticulate and matt; disc shallowly densely (i=d) and very finely punctate. Basal area of propodeum in anterior half finely carinate (Fig. 14B). Mesoscutum, scutellum, metanotum, mesepisternum and propodeum sparsely covered with long, yellowish-grey, erect hair (Fig. 14A).

WINGS. Slightly yellowish-brown; wing venation and stigma brown.

LEGS. Integument black to reddish-brown, tarsi dark brown. Hind tibia apicomedially slightly swollen, vestiture greyish-white, without conspicuous hair tuft (Fig. 15A).

METASOMA. Integument black to reddish-brown, apical margins of terga translucent dark reddish-brown (Fig. 14C). Discs of T1–T5 covered with short, greyish, erect hair; apical tergal hair bands missing on all terga (Fig. 14C). Terga shallowly and finely but densely (i= d) punctate; between punctures and on apical tergal depressions superficially shagreened and slightly matt (Fig. 14C). Sterna without distinct apical hair fringes (Fig. 14D).

TERMINALIA. Genitalia (Fig. 15B), S7 (Fig. 15C) and terminal plate of S8 (Fig. 15D) as illustrated.

Distribution

Only known from higher altitudes of the Hantam and Roggeveld Mountains (Northern Cape Province).

Floral hosts

Oxalidaceae: yellow flowering Oxalis spec., O. pes-caprae .

Seasonal activity

September–October.