Scrapter sittybon 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 : 54-57

Scrapter sittybon Davies, 2005

Figs 28–29

Scrapter sittybon Davies, 2005: 171–173 , figs 36–39, holotype ♂ (type locality: Farm Kalkgat , 40 km north-east of Vanrhynsdorp, South Africa) ( SANC).

Diagnosis

The female of S. sittybon is here described for the first time. It can be separated from other species of this group by the combination of the following characters: fore tibia entirely or dominantly yellowish to reddish brown, stigma brown, apical margins of metasomal terga broadly brownish translucent ( Fig. 28B ). The male is characterized by an unmodified antenna, scutum between punctures smooth and shiny, the form of S7 ( Fig. 29D ), hind basitarsus blackish and hind tibia apically slightly swollen and curved ( Fig. 29E ).

Material examined (2 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, 14 Sep. 2003, KT ( RCMK); 1 ♂, Hantam Mountains, 30 km N of Calvinia , 880 m, 31°12'09" S, 19°50'04" E, 16 Sep. 2007, KT ( RCMK).

Description

Female

BODY LENGTH. 4.9–5.1 mm.

HEAD. Head wider than long. Integument black, except part of mandibles dark reddish-brown. Face sparsely covered with long, greyish, erect hair ( Fig. 28C ). Clypeus slightly convex with coarse punctation, apically coarser and sparser (i = 1–2 d), basally much finer and denser (i ˂ 0.5 d); surface between punctures apically smooth and shiny, basally superficially sculptured and slightly matt ( Fig.

28C–D). Malar area medially narrow, almost linear. Antenna dorsally darker orange-brown, ventrally more yellowish-brown ( Fig. 28C ).

MESOSOMA. Integument black, except pronotal lobe and tegula yellowish to reddish-brown ( Fig. 28A ). Mesoscutal disc between punctures polished and shiny; disc densely (i = 1–2 d) and coarsely punctate, punctures of variable size ( Fig. 28 E–F). Metanotum about 2/3 as long as basal area of propodeum, apically with distinct carinate depression ( Fig. 28F ). Propodeum basally coarsely and broadly carinate ( Fig. 28F ). Mesoscutum, scutellum, metanotum, mesepisternum and propodeum sparsely covered with short, greyish, erect hair ( Fig. 28A ).

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

LEGS. Integument mostly dark reddish-brown, partly blackish; fore tibia and tarsi almost completely, mid tibia anteriorly and hind tibia basally yellowish-brown ( Fig. 28A ). Vestiture greyish-white, scopa greyish-white.

METASOMA. Integument black, apical margins of terga broadly translucent yellowish to reddish-brown ( Fig. 28B ). Discs of T1 and T2 without hair; following terga with very sparse and short but increasingly more and longer hair; apical tergal hair bands missing on all terga ( Fig. 28B ). Prepygidial and pygidial fimbriae greyish-brown. T1 and following terga densely (i = 1 d) but almost invisibly very finely and irregularly punctate, between punctures sculptured and slightly matt; T2–T4 with superficially sculptured but shiny, broad apical tergal depression ( Fig. 28B ).

Male

BODY LENGTH. 4.8–5.2 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. Antennal flagellum either completely yellowish-brown or sometimes dorsally dark brown, particularly the last 3–4 segments dorsally ( Fig. 29A ).

MESOSOMA. Integument black, tegula yellowish-brown. Mesoscutal disc between punctures smooth and shiny; disc densely (i = 0.5–1.0 d) and finely punctate. Mesoscutum, scutellum, metanotum, mesepisternum and propodeum covered with long, yellowish-grey, erect hair ( Fig. 29A ).

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

LEGS. Integument mostly dark yellowish to reddish-black, fore tibia and tarsi, mid tibia (except darker spot posteriorly), base of hind tibia and femora apically yellow to yellowish-brown ( Fig. 29A ). Hind tibia inside apically slightly broadened and curved ( Fig. 29E ). Vestiture greyish-white.

METASOMA. Integument black, apical margins of terga broadly translucent yellowish to reddish-brown ( Fig. 29C ). Discs of T1–T3 without hair; following terga with very short and sparse but increasingly more and longer hair; T2–T4 basally with a broad and dense band of very fine but long, erect, silverish hair; apical tergal hair bands missing on all terga ( Fig. 29C ). T1 and following terga irregularly densely (i ˂ 0.5–1 d) but almost invisibly very finely punctate, between punctures sculptured and slightly matt; terga with broad, superficially sculptured but shiny apical tergal depression ( Fig. 29C ). S3–S5 with long, sparse apical hair fringes.

TERMINALIA. Genitalia ( Fig. 29B ), S7 ( Fig. 29D ) and terminal plate of S8 ( Fig. 29F ) as illustrated.

Distribution

The species is only known from the Knersvlakte and the Hantam Mountains.

Floral hosts

Unknown.

Seasonal activity

September.

Figures

Fig. 28. Scrapter sittybon 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. 29. Scrapter sittybon 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.