Redivivoides variabilis, 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 : 24-29

Redivivoides variabilis sp. nov.

Figs 15 , 16 , 17

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:8353A5DA-3526-4FDC-A7EF-E31070DB45EF

Diagnosis

Females and males of R. variabilis can be separated from other Redivivoides species by their black to brown metasomal terga which are smooth and shiny between punctures and that lack white apical hair bands ( Figs 15 E-F, 16E). This is the only Redivivoides species where terga have an intense oily bluish shine.

Etymology

The species is named after the colour variation of the females.

Type material (31 specimens)

Holotype

♀, 17 Aug. 1999, K. Steiner / Host Plant: Melolobium obcordatum / SAM-HYM-B009467 ( SAMC). SOUTH AFRICA: N.C. Prov., Grootvlei , 3017BB, 17°50’E, 30°10’S.

Paratypes

SOUTH AFRICA: 1 ♀, 1 ♂ same date as holotype ( SAMC) ; 1 ♀, 1 ♂, Springbok [29°40’ S, 17°52’ E], 7 Sep. 1966, C.D. Michener ( SAMC) ; 3 ♀♀, Namaqualand, Springbok, Goegap Nature Res. (hills) [29°41’ S, 17°59’ E], 8-10 Sep. 1992, F.W. & S.K. Gess, on yellow fls. of Lebeckia spinescens Harv. (Papilionaceae), 92/93/41, ( AMGS) ; 2 ♀♀, Dassiefontein Farm, 14 km E Kammieskroon (sic) [30°09’ S, 17°59’ E], 16-17 Sep. 2001, C. Eardley ( SANC) ; 1 ♀, Skilpad, 3017BB [30°10’ S, 17°50’ E], 19 Aug. 1999, K. Steiner, Nemesia anisocarpa ( SAMC) ; 1 ♀, Kamieskroon, Dassiefontein , 3017BB [30°10’ S, 17°50’ E], 7 Sep. 1986, K. Steiner, Lotononis ( SAMC) ; 1 ♀, Farm Grootvlei, 3017BB [30°10’ S, 17°50’ E], 24 Aug. 1990, K. Steiner, Legume ( SAMC) ; 1 ♂, Grootvlei , 20 km S Kamieskroon [30°10’ S, 17°50’ E], 10 Aug. 1984, V.B. Whitehead, yellow legume ( SAMC) ; 2 ♀♀, 8 km E Karkams, 3017BD [30°20’ S, 17°50’ E], 10 Aug. 1985, V.B. Whitehead, Nemesia & Lachenalia ( SAMC) ; 1 ♀, 6.2 km NE of Karkams, 3017BD [30°20’ S, 17°50’ E], 4 Sep. 1986, K. Steiner, Nemesia ( SAMC) ; 1 ♀, Garies, Welkom Farm , 3018CA [30°40’ S, 18°10’ E], 30 Sep. 1988, V.B. Whitehead, Lotononis serpens ( SAMC) ; 1 ♀, N. Cape, Nieuwoudtville, Flower Reserve East [31°21’56” S, 19°08’52” E], 735 m, 10 Aug. 2004, M. Kuhlmann ( RCMK) ; 1 ♀ (black form), N. Cape, Nieuwoudtville, Flower Reserve East [31°21’56”S, 19°08’52” E], 735 m, 6 Sep. 2002, M. Kuhlmann ( RCMK) ; 1 ♀ (black form), 1 ♂, N. Cape, Nieuwoudtville, Flower Reserve East [31°21’56” S, 19°08’52” E], 735 m, 3 Sep. 2003, M. Kuhlmann, on Oxalis spec. ( RCMK) ; 1 ♀, Nieuwoudtville, Farm Glenlyon , 3117AC [31°21’ S, 19°08’ E], 14 Aug. 1997, V.B. Whitehead, Lotononis serpens ( SAMC) ; 1 ♂, Nieuwoudtville Flower Reserve [31°22’ S, 19°08’ E], 2 Aug. 1984, V.B. Whitehead, Lotononis serpens ( SAMC) ; 2 ♀♀, W. Cape, 24 km N of Garies [30°23’ S, 17°54’ E], 777 m, 25 Sep. 2011, L. Packer ( LPCT, RCMK) ; 1 ♂, N. Cape, Nieuwoudtville, Glen Lyon , Renosterveld [31°24’03” S, 19°08’34” E], 700 m, 18 Aug. 2004, M. Kuhlmann ( RCMK) ; 1 ♀ (black form), Keiski Mts., 5 km S Farm Nooiensrivier , dolerite hill [31°45’54”S, 19°50’17” E], 1270 m, 29 Aug. 2010, M. Kuhlmann ( RCMK) ; 1 ♀ (black form), Keiski Mts., 5 km S Farm Nooiensrivier , dolerite hill [31°45’54” S, 19°50’17” E], 1270 m, 4 Sep. 2010, M. Kuhlmann ( RCMK) ; 1 ♀, Skaapdam, 11 km E Lamberts Bay [32°05’ S, 18°22’E], 9 Sep. 1987, V.B. Whitehead, Nemesia ( SAMC) ; 1 ♀ (black form), Clanwilliam, Ramskop [32°10’ S, 18°53’ E], 21 Aug. 1984, V.B. Whitehead & M. Macpherson, Homeria minuta ( SAMC) .

Description

Female

BODY LENGTH. 12.0-13.0 mm.

HEAD. Head slightly wider than long. Integument black except median part of mandible and sometimes labrum partly dark reddish-brown. Face sparsely covered with long, whitish-grey (in the dark form all black, Fig. 15B ), erect hairs intermixed with black hairs along the inner eye margins and on vertex ( Fig. 15C ). Clypeus mostly flat, apically almost impunctate, punctures here large and scattered becoming rapidly smaller and denser towards the upper edge; surface between punctures shiny ( Fig. 15C ). Malar area medially narrow, almost linear. Antenna black, ventrally sometimes partly dark reddish-brown.

MESOSOMA. Integument black, tegulae partly yellowish-brown. Mesoscutal disc between punctures smooth and shiny; disc densely (i = 0.5-1.0 d) and finely punctate ( Fig. 15D ). Mesoscutum, scutellum, metanotum, mesepisternum and propodeum covered with long yellowish-brown erect hairs, on the disc of mesoscutum and scutellum some black hairs intermixed (in the dark form all black, Fig. 15B ).

WINGS. Yellowish-brown; wing venation brown.

LEGS. Integument black to yellowish-brown. Vestiture yellowish-brown, scopae yellowish-brown. In the dark form hairs of femora and most of tibiae black or dark brown, on tarsi yellowish-brown, scopae darker yellowish-brown ( Fig. 15B ).

METASOMA. Integument black, except apical tergal margins partly narrowly brownish translucent; terga with intense oily bluish shine ( Fig. 15 E-F). T1 apically sparsely covered with a few long erect yellowish hairs; T2 – T4 covered with short yellowish-white hairs; apical tergal hair band missing on T1, on T2 – T4 very sparse and only laterally developed ( Fig. 15 A-E). In the dark form all hairs black, no apical tergal hair bands ( Fig. 15 B-F). Prepygidial fimbria dorsally black, laterally partly yellowish white (in dark form all black), pygidial fimbria black. Terga densely but finely punctate, smooth and shiny between punctures ( Fig. 15 E-F).

Male

BODY LENGTH. 12.0-13.0 mm.

HEAD. Head slightly wider than long. Integument black except tip of mandible partly dark reddish-brown. Face densely covered with long, whitish-grey to yellowish-brown, erect hairs intermixed with black hairs along the inner eye margins and on vertex. Malar area medially narrow, almost linear. Antenna black, ventrally dark reddish-brown.

MESOSOMA. Integument black, tegulae partly yellowish-brown. Mesoscutal disc between punctures smooth and shiny; disc densely (i = 0.5–1.0 d) and finely punctate ( Fig. 16B ). Mesoscutum, scutellum, metanotum, mesepisternum and propodeum covered with long yellowish-brown erect hairs, on the disc of mesoscutum and scutellum some black hairs intermixed ( Fig. 16B ).

WINGS. Yellowish-brown; wing venation brown.

LEGS. Integument black, tibiae and tarsi partly yellowish-brown. Vestiture yellowish-white.

METASOMA. Integument black, except apical tergal margins partly narrowly brownish translucent; T1 – T3 with intense oily bluish shine, T4 – T5 less so ( Fig. 16A, C ). T1 completely and T2 on disc covered with long erect yellowish-white hairs; T2 – T3 densely covered with short erect yellowish-white either yellowish-white or black on T4 and black on T5 – T6; apical tergal hair band missing on T1, on T2 – T5 sparse and narrow, yellowish-white to white ( Fig. 16A, C ). Terga densely but finely punctate, smooth and shiny between punctures ( Fig. 16C ). T7 with pygidial plate that is reduced to a narrow longitudinal, slightly elevated and shiny ridge.

TERMINALIA. Genitalia ( Fig. 16 G-H), S6 ( Fig. 16D ), S7 ( Fig. 16E ) and terminal plate of S8 ( Fig. 16F ) as illustrated.

Distribution

The species has been found in most parts of Namaqualand to the northern parts of the Roggeveld Mountains in the southeast ( Fig. 17 ). The colour form with females all black is only known from the higher grounds of the south-eastern part of the species' range while the females with light brown pilosity mostly occur in lower areas and the north ( Fig. 17 ). Colour variation is also known from Rediviva gigas Whitehead & Steiner, 1993 and R. parva Whitehead & Steiner, 2001 . In R. gigas there is no obvious geographical pattern of colour variation but the black form of R. parva seems to be concentrated in the north and in lower lying areas in the west of its range ( Whitehead & Steiner 2001).

Floral hosts

Fabaceae : Lebeckia spinescens , Lotonotis hirsuta (= serpens ), Lotononis spec., Melolobium obcordatum ; Hyacinthaceae : Lachenalia spec.; Iridaceae : Moraea miniata ; Oxalidaceae : Oxalis spec.; Scrophulariaceae : Nemesia anisocarpa , Nemesia spec.

Seasonal activity

August – September.

Figures

Fig. 15. Redivivoides variabilis sp. nov., ♀. A. Lateral view (light form). B. Lateral view (black form). C. Head. D. Scutum and scutellum. E. Metasoma (dorsal view) (light form). F. Metasoma (dorsal view) (black form). Scale bar: 1 mm.

Fig. 16. Redivivoides variabilis sp. nov., ♂. A. Lateral view. B. Scutum and scutellum. C. Metasoma (dorsal view). D. S6 (ventral view). E. S7 (dorsal view). F. S8, apical end (backscattered electron image). G. Genitalia (dorsal view). H. Genitalia (lateral view). Scale bar: 1 mm.

Fig. 17. Distribution of Redivivoides variabilis sp. nov. in South Africa.