Scrapter amplispinatus Eardley, 1996

Davies, G. B. P., Eardley, C. D. & Brothers, D. J., 2005, Eight new species of Scrapter (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Colletidae), with descriptions of S. albifumus and S. amplispinatus females and a major range extension of the genus, African Invertebrates 46, pp. 141-141 : 175-177

Scrapter amplispinatus Eardley, 1996

Scrapter amplispinatus: Eardley 1996: 80 , 81, figs 81, 88–90. (Type locality: Hartebeesfontein Farm, Middelpos , Northern Cape)

Description:

Female.

Material examined: 1^ SOUTH AFRICA: Northern Cape: Elandsfontein (31°46'S: 20°03'E), 16.ix.1999, V . Whitehead ( SAMC) .

Measurements (n = 1): head length 2.6 mm, head width 3 mm, lower interocular distance 2 mm, upper interocular distance 2.1 mm, interantennal distance 0.4 mm, antennocular distance 0.6 mm, length of clypeus 0.8 mm, length of eye 1.8 mm, width of eye (lateral view) 1.1 mm, width of gena (lateral view) 0.5 mm, length of facial fovea 0.7 mm, maximum width of facial fovea 0.2 mm, mesoscutum length 1.9 mm, mesosoma length 3.5 mm, forewing length 8.1 mm, length of pterostigma 1.1 mm, maximum width of pterostigma 0.3 mm, length of marginal cell beyond pterostigma 1.7 mm, length of marginal cell 2.1 mm, length of free-part of marginal cell 1.3 mm.

Vestiture: Clypeus, supraclypeal area, paraocular area and frons with sparse, black, weakly plumose, sub-erect hairs. Vertex similar but hairs erect. Gena adjacent to eye with sparse, black hairs, gena towards occiput with thick, white, plumose hairs. Mesoscutum covered in short, fairly dense (integument easily visible), erect, yellowish, plumose hairs, some taller black hairs intermixed. Scutellum and metanotum similar to mesoscutum but with thicker, longer, yellower hairs. Mes- and metepisterna with long, fairly dense, white hairs. Propodeum with fairly dense, strongly plumose hairs. T1–T4 with distinct posterior, white hair bands along marginal zones, remainder of discs with sparse, short, whitish hairs, particularly laterally. T5 prepygidial fimbria composed of thick, black, mostly plumose, decumbent hairs. S1 and S2 centrally with fairly thick, strongly plumose scopa, remaining sterna with moderate vestiture.Anterior probasitarsal brush hairs simple. Metatibial scopa anteriorly bearing white, plumose hairs, dorsally with ridge of dark, plumose hairs, posteriorly thick, white, simple keirotrichiae.

Integumental colour: Largely black. Antenna ventrally orange. Hindlegs with orangish wash.

Head: Broad. Clypeus with finely reticulate sculpture and dense punctation (interspace 0.5 × puncture diameter), clypeal sulcus present. Supraclypeal area, paraocular area, and frons sculpture and punctation similar to clypeus. Frontal line largely carinate. Facial fovea broad, shallow, shiny and conspicuous. Vertex rounded in anterior profile. Gena much narrower than eye (0.5:1), with dense punctation, almost carinulate. Inner eye orbits straight, proportion of lower to upper interocular distance equal. F1 slightly elongate. Antenna quite long, reaching scutellum.

Mesosoma: Mesoscutum with very dense, uniform punctation (interspace <0.5 × puncture diameter), narrow interspaces weakly reticulate. Scutellum and metanotum sculpture and punctation similar to mesoscutum. Mesepisternum with roughened, almost carinulate sculpture and dense punctation (interspace 1 × puncture diameter), episternal groove pitted throughout, although weakly above. Propodeum declivitous, fairly dense punctation and coarse, reticulate sculpture, propodeal triangle greatly reduced forming three acute points, uniform reticulate sculpture.

Metasoma: T1–T4 discs with dull, roughened, dense reticulate sculpture and micropunctation. T5 similar but with larger punctures. T2 fovea very broad and rounded.

Legs: Metabasitibial plate composed of two carinae (anterior and posterior), posterior carina becomes tuberculate apically (three separate tubercles). Claws simple. The male of the species has a greatly swollen anterior (outer) metatibial spur (hence the specific epithet); the female has an unmodified anterior metatibial spur.

Remarks: S. amplispinatus was described from Middelpos in the Roggeveld Moutains of the Northern Cape. The present female specimen ( Fig. 41 ) was also collected from the Roggeveld Mountains together with three males. Two of the males and the female were collected on flowers of Polycarena aurea Benth. (Scrophulariaceae) . The remaining male was collected on a Selago species (Scrophulariaceae). The Roggeveld Mountains fall within the Succulent Karoo biome, and the area forms part of the ‘Hantam-Roggeveld Centre’ of plant endemism ( Van Wyk & Smith 2001: 72–81). The region is characterised by low, mainly winter rainfall (usually less than 300 mm) and exceedingly cold winters (night temperatures usually fall well below 0°C during winter). The Roggeveld region is noted for its exceptionally rich asilid fauna ( Londt 1994: 119–120), and it is possible many insects occurring in the area will be found to be endemics. S. amplispinatus is evidently such an endemic.

Figures

Fig. 41. Scrapter amplispinatus Eardley, dorsal view of female.