Scrapter carysomus Davies, 2005

Figs 2–6, 23–26

Scrapter carysomus Davies in Davies et al., 2005: 149 (in key), 155–158, figs 9–12, holotype ♂ (type locality: Farm Glen Lyon, Nieuwoudtville, South Africa) (SANC), examined.

Diagnosis

The female of S. carysomus is described here for the first time. It can be separated from that of all other species in this group by the following character combination: propodeum dorsolaterally (lateral to the matt propodeal triangle) very finely shagreened and matt (Fig. 4D), foreleg blackish-brown, sometimes femur apically slightly dark yellowish-brown, disc of T2 finely and sparsely punctate or without punctation, apical tergal depressions broad, yellowish translucent with the adjacent apical area of the disc crescent-shaped dark reddish (Fig. 4B).

The male is characterized by foreleg with medio- and distitarsi completely bright yellow, basitarsus and tibia predominantly yellow (Figs 3, 5A), mid and hind leg with tarsi predominantly dark yellowish-brown to blackish (Fig. 5A); hind tibia apically on inner side with hairs relatively short (Fig. 6A), genitalia as in Fig. 6B. The male was described in detail by Davies et al. (2005), so the description is not repeated here but images (Figs 3, 5–6) are provided to facilitate its identification.

Material examined (101 specimens)

SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♀; Keiski Mts, 3 km E of Farm M’Vera, shale; 1190 m a.s.l.; 31°45′29″ S, 19°54′13″ E; 26 Aug. 2017; M. Kuhlmann leg.; RCMK • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; 27 Aug. 2017; M. Kuhlmann leg.; RCMK • 1 ♂; Keiski Mts, 5 km S of Farm Nooiensrivier, dolerite hill; 1270 m a.s.l.; 31°45′54″ S, 19°50′17″ E; 12 Jun. 2013; M. Kuhlmann leg.; RCMK • 4 ♀♀; Leliefontein, plain; 30.23391° S, 18.16476° E; 7 Sep. 2003; C. Mayer leg; RCMK • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; 16 Aug. 2003; C. Mayer leg.; RCMK • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; NHML • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; 31 Aug. 2003; C. Mayer leg; RCMK • 1 ♀, 6 ♂♂; same data as for preceding; NHML • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; 30.23169° S, 18.16260° E; 31 Aug. 2003; C. Mayer leg.; RCMK • 2 ♂♂; same data as for preceding; NHML • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; 5 Sep. 2003; C. Mayer leg.; NHML • 2 ♀♀, 2 ♂♂; same data as for preceding; 7 Sep. 2003; C. Mayer leg.; RCMK • 3 ♀♀, 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; NHML • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; 30.22452° S, 18.14052° E; 25 Sep. 2003; C. Mayer leg.; NHML • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; 30.23169° S, 18.16260° E; 16 Aug. 2003; C. Mayer leg.; NHML • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; 30.23391° S, 18.16476° E; 5 Sep. 2003; C. Mayer leg; NHML • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; 11 Sep. 2003; C. Mayer leg.; NHML • 3 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; 30.23169° S, 18.16260° E; 11 Sep. 2003; C. Mayer leg.; NHML • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; 25 Sep. 2003; C. Mayer leg; NHML • 1 ♀, 4 ♂♂; Leliefontein, slope; 30.23288° S, 18.16458° E; 31 Aug. 2003; C. Mayer leg; NHML • 2 ♂♂; same data as for preceding; 5 Sep. 2003; C. Mayer leg.; RCMK • 1 ♀, 5 ♂♂; same data as for preceding; NHML • 2 ♀♀, 3 ♂♂; same data as for preceding; 16 Aug. 2003; C. Mayer leg.; NHML • 2 ♀♀, 2 ♂♂; same data as for preceding; 11 Sep. 2003; C. Mayer leg.; NHML • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; 25 Sep. 2003; C. Mayer leg.; NHML • 4 ♀♀, 4 ♂♂; same data as for preceding; 7 Sep. 2003; C. Mayer leg.; NHML • 1 ♀, 2 ♂♂; Nieuwoudtville, Flower Reserve East; 735 m a.s.l.; 31°21′56″ S, 19°08′52″ E; 3 Sep. 2003; M. Kuhlmann leg.; RCMK • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; 4 Sep. 2003; M. Kuhlmann leg.; RCMK • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; 7 Sep. 2003; M. Kuhlmann leg.; RCMK • 1 ♂; Nieuwoudtville, Glen Lyon, Renosterveld; 700 m a.s.l.; 31°24′03″ S, 19°08′34″ E; 27 Aug. 2003; M. Kuhlmann leg.; RCMK • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; 30 Aug. 2003; M. Kuhlmann leg.; RCMK • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; 7 Sep. 2003; M. Kuhlmann leg.; RCMK • 1 ♀; Nieuwoudtville, Farm Glen Lyon, Renosterveld; 700 m a.s.l.; 31°24′03″ S, 19°08′34″ E; 7 Aug. 2004; M. Kuhlmann leg.; RCMK • 1 ♀; Nieuwoudtville, Flower Reserve East; 735 m a.s.l.; 31°21′56″ S, 19°08′52″ E; 10 Aug. 2004; M. Kuhlmann leg.; RCMK • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; 13 Aug. 2004; M. Kuhlmann leg.; RCMK • 2 ♂♂; same data as for preceding; 6 Jun. 2013; M. Kuhlmann leg.; RCMK • 2 ♀♀; Remhoogte, plain; 30.23530° S, 18.16568° E; 5 Sep. 2003; C. Mayer leg.; NHML • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; 7 Sep. 2003; C. Mayer leg.; RCMK • 1 ♀, 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; NHML • 1 ♀, 1 ♂; Remhoogte, plain; 30.23453° S, 18.16499° E; 7 Sep. 2003; C. Mayer leg.; RCMK • 2 ♂♂; same data as for preceding; NHML • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; 11 Sep. 2003; C. Mayer leg.; RCMK • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; 31 Aug. 2003; C. Mayer leg.; NHML • 2 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; 7 Sep. 2003; C. Mayer leg.; NHML • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; 25 Sep. 2003; C. Mayer leg.; RCMK • 1 ♀, 2 ♂♂; Remhoogte, slope; 30.24110° S, 18.17063° E; 31 Aug. 2003; C. Mayer leg.; RCMK • 1 ♀, 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; 7 Sep. 2003; C. Mayer leg.; RCMK • 2 ♀♀, 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; 11 Sep. 2003; C. Mayer leg.; NHML .

Description

Female

BODY LENGTH. 7–8 mm.

HEAD. Head wider than long. Integument black to very dark reddish-brown. Face covered with relatively long, yellowish to greyish, erect hair (Fig. 2). Clypeus strongly convex; finely and very sparsely (i =2–5d) punctate; surface between punctures smooth and shiny (Fig. 2). Malar area medially narrow, almost linear. Antenna dorsally dark brown, ventrally dark yellow.

MESOSOMA. Integument black, tegulae yellowish-brown. Mesoscutal disc between punctures strongly reticulate and slightly matt; disc relatively densely (i= 1–2d) and distinctly but relatively shallowly punctate (Fig. 4C). Metanotum slightly shorter than basal area of propodeum, apically with broad and distinct carinate depression (Fig. 4D). Propodeum on basal half relatively indistinctly and finely carinate (Fig. 4D). Mesoscutum covered with relatively short, scutellum and metanotum with long, yellowish-brown, erect hair; mesepisternum and propodeum covered with long, yellowish-grey, erect hair (Fig. 4A).

WINGS. Yellowish-brown; wing venation light brown; stigma yellowish-brown.

LEGS. Integument black to reddish-brown; fore tibia sometimes anteriorly on basal half with relatively small yellowish spot; all tarsi brownish to yellowish. Vestiture and scopa yellowish-grey.

METASOMA. Integument black to reddish-brown, apical margins of terga broadly translucent yellow (Fig. 4B). Disc of T1 glabrous; following terga with very few and very short but increasingly more and longer, greyish, erect hair; apical tergal hair bands missing on all terga (Fig. 4B). Prepygidial and pygidial fimbriae yellowish-brown. Punctation on all terga very fine and sparse (i =2d), on T1 extremely fine and almost impunctate, on following terga increasingly distinct; between punctures finely shagreened and slightly matt; apical tergal depressions finely shagreened and slightly matt (Fig. 4B).

Distribution

Presumably the most widespread species of this group recorded from mountainous regions of the Kamiesberg Mountains, Roggeveld Mountains and the Bokkeveld Plateau (Northern Cape Province).

Floral hosts

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

Seasonal activity

June–September.