Redivivoides eardleyi, Kuhlmann, 2012

Kuhlmann, Michael, 2012, Revision of the South African endemic bee genus Redivivoides Michener, 1981 (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Melittidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 34, pp. 1-34 : 8-9

Redivivoides eardleyi sp. nov.

Figs 5 , 9

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:543F31E2-5A26-4D78-A07A-674CA7997F19

Diagnosis

Females of R. eardleyi sp. nov. can be separated from other Redivivoides species by a combination of the following characters: metasomal terga black to brown, T2 sparsely punctate with minute punctures and surface between punctures smooth and shiny, white apical tergal hair bands present ( Fig. 5D ), prepygidial and pygidial fimbria dark brown to black ( Fig. 5D ). The male is unknown.

Etymology

Named after Connal D. Eardley, Pretoria, who collected this species and to honour his outstanding contribution to African bee taxonomy.

Type material (3 specimens)

Holotype

♀, 13 Sep. 2011, C. Eardley ( SANC). SOUTH AFRICA: N. Cape, 6 km E Pofadder , 29°06’26” S, 19°27’13” E.

Paratypes

SOUTH AFRICA: 1 ♀, same date as holotype ( RCMK) ; 1 ♀, N. Cape, 21.6 km E Springbok [29°34’ S, 18°04’ E], 1006 m, 13 Sep. 2011, L. Packer ( LPCT) .

Description

Female

BODY LENGTH. 11.0 mm.

HEAD. Head wider than long. Integument black. Face sparsely covered with long, whitish-grey, erect hairs, along the inner eye margins and on vertex intermixed with black hairs ( Fig. 5B ). Clypeus convex in profile, apically impunctate; medially covered with fine punctures that become gradually smaller and denser towards the clypeal margins; surface between punctures smooth and shiny ( Fig. 5B ). Malar area medially narrow, almost linear. Antenna black.

MESOSOMA. Integument black. Mesoscutal disc between punctures smooth and shiny; disc densely (i = 0.5-1.0 d) and finely punctate ( Fig. 5C ). Mesoscutum, scutellum, metanotum, mesepisternum and propodeum covered with long yellowish-white erect hairs, on the disc of mesoscutum intermixed with black hairs.

WINGS. Yellowish-brown; wing venation reddish brown.

LEGS. Integument black. Vestiture whitish to brown, scopae yellowish to dark brown.

METASOMA. Integument black, apical margins of T2 – T4 narrowly reddish-brown ( Fig. 5D ). T1 with a few long erect whitish hairs; discs of T2 – T4 sparsely covered with very short erect white to dark brown hairs; apical tergal hair bands on T1 – T4 broad and white; prepygidial and pygidial fimbriae black ( Fig. 5A, D ). T1 almost impunctate, polished and shiny, T2 – T4 shiny, with very fine, superficial and sparse punctation that becomes progressively denser on apical tergae ( Fig. 5D ).

Male

Unknown.

Distribution

There is only a single record of this species from the Karoo in the summer rainfall area ( Fig. 9 ).

Floral hosts

Unknown.

Seasonal activity

September.

Figures

Fig. 5. Redivivoides eardleyi sp. nov., ♀. A. Lateral view. B. Head. C. Scutum and scutellum. D. Metasoma (dorsal view). Scale bar: 1 mm.

Fig. 9. Distribution of Redivivoides eardleyi sp. nov., R. kamieskroonensis sp. nov. and R. namaquaensis sp. nov. in South Africa.