Sphecodopsis tenera Pöllein & Kuhlmann, 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Pöllein, Daniela
name: Kuhlmann, Michael
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Apidae
Sphecodopsis
Sphecodopsis tenera

description: Sphecodopsis tenera sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 4D5C9251-C8BB-4120-98B1-050B9E902415
Figs 75–78
Diagnosis
The female of S. tenera sp. nov. can be separated from that of all other species by the combination of the following characters: S6 bifid posteriorly, apical notch four times as long as its apical width, more or less spatulate, shape as shown in Fig. 76C; body length 3.5–5.8 mm; metasoma partially red (Fig. 75B); fore tibia and tarsi usually black, sometimes with small reddish spots (Fig. 75A); T6 covered with golden hair (Fig. 76B); head and mesosoma with light hair (Fig. 75C–D); propodeum densely covered with short white or yellowish-white hair (Fig. 76A); T5 apically densely covered with short white hair (Fig. 76B); T6 rounded apically, covered with short golden hair forming a fringe (Fig. 76B). The male can be separated from that of all other species of the genus by the combination of the following characters: metasoma at least partially red (Fig. 77B); fore legs usually black, sometimes with small reddish spots (Fig. 77A); propodeum covered with white hair (Fig. 77E); head and mesosoma with white hair (Fig. 77C–D); T7 very sparsely covered with short golden hair (Fig. 77F); gonostylus inclined inward, penis valves narrower, slightly shorter than gonostylus (Fig. 78C); S8 broadly rounded apically (Fig. 78B).
Etymology
The name refers to the small and delicate appearance of the species.
Type material (29 specimens)
Holotype
SOUTH AFRICA • ♀; 12 km NW of Nieuwoudtville, Farm Avontuur, Fynbos; 31°16′18″ S, 19°02′55″ E; 770 m a.s.l.; 30 Aug. 2018; MK leg.; SAMC.
Paratypes
SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♀; 8 km WNW of Leliefontein, Fynbos, roadside; 30°15′58″ S, 18°03′17″ E; 1190 m a.s.l.; 14 Sep. 2017; MK leg.; RCMK • 1 ♀; Kamiesberg Mts, 5 km SE of Leliefontein, roadside; 30°20′09″ S, 18°06′24″ E; 1400 m a.s.l.; 10 Sep. 2017; MK leg.; RCMK • 1 ♀; N Cape, 15 km NW of Nieuwoudtville, Farm Engelsepunt, Fynbos; 31°14′31″ S, 18°59′08″ E; 830 m a.s.l.; 6 Oct. 2003; KT leg.; RCMK • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 7 Oct. 2003; RCMK • 1 ♀; 12 km NW of Nieuwoudtville, Farm Avontuur, Fynbos; 31°16′18″ S, 19°02′55″ E; 770 m a.s.l.; 25 Aug. 2010; MK leg.; RCMK • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 3 Sep. 2016 • 1 ♀, 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; 30 Aug. 2018; RCMK • 4 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding; 9 Sep. 2018; RCMK • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 21 Sep. 2022; RCMK • 1 ♀; Nieuwoudtville, Wild Flower Reserve, dolerite hills; 31°22′10″ S, 19°08′50″ E; 770 m a.s.l.; 17 Aug. 2007; KT leg.; RCMK • 2 ♀♀, 1 ♂; 20 km S of Nieuwoudtville, Farm Papkuilsfontein, Fynbos; 31°33′16″ S, 19°08′31″ E; 680 m a.s.l.; 7 Sep. 2007; MK leg.; RCMK • 2 ♀♀, 3 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding; 27 Aug. 2012; RCMK • 1 ♀; Ouberg Pass, 27 km SE of Vanrhynsdorp, Fynbos; 31°48′07″ S, 18°55′00″ E; 380 m a.s.l.; 9 Aug. 2011; MK leg.; RCMK • 2 ♀♀, 3 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding; 23 Aug. 2012; RCMK.
Description
Female
BODY LENGTH. 3.9–4.0 mm.
HEAD. Head wider than long. Vertex slightly rounded, ocelli highest point. Integument black, except part of mandibles red or reddish-brown. Face covered with short, white and golden hair. Face with dense (i=0.25–0.5 d), coarse and deep punctation (Fig. 75C). Surface between punctures slightly shiny. Antenna black.
MESOSOMA. Integument black, tegula red. Mesoscutum slightly shiny. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum densely (i=0.25–0.5 d), coarsely and deeply punctate (Fig. 75D). Propodeum with dense (i=0.5–1 d), fine and shallow punctation, metapostnotum matt (Fig. 76A). Mesoscutum covered with short, golden hair. Mesoscutellum covered with long, golden hair (Fig. 75D). Metanotum and propodeum covered with short white hair, metapostnotum glabrous (Figs 75D, 76A). Mesepisternum covered with slightly long, white hair.
WINGS. Yellowish; wing venation brown and stigma brown (Fig. 75A).
LEGS. Integument black, except femur and tibia apically light red. Coxa, trochanter, femur, tibia and tarsi covered with short, white hair (Fig. 75A).
METASOMA. Integument of T1–T2 red, T3–6 to a variable extent red, from T3–T4 completely black or entirely red, T5 and T6 black. T1 and T2 with few short, white and golden hairs, from T3 increasingly more and longer hair (Fig. 75B). T5 marginal zone densely covered with short, white hairs. T6 slightly rounded apically with a hair fringe, densely covered with short, golden hair, (Fig. 76B). Shape of S6 (Fig. 76C) as illustrated.
Male
BODY LENGTH. 3.7–4.9 mm.
HEAD. Head wider than long. Vertex slightly rounded, ocelli highest point. Integument black, except part of mandibles red. Face covered with short, white hair. Face with dense (i =0.5–1 d), coarse and deep punctation (Fig. 77C). Surface between punctures matt. Antenna brown.
MESOSOMA. Integument black, tegula orange. Mesoscutum slightly shiny.Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum densely (i =0.5–1 d) and finely but deeply punctate (Fig. 77D). Propodeum with dense (i=0.5–1 d), fine and shallow punctation, metapostnotum matt (Fig. 77E). Mesoscutum, metanotum, propodeum and mesepisternum sparsely covered with short, white hair, metapostnotum glabrous (Fig. 77D–E). Mesoscutellum covered with slightly long, white hair.
WINGS. Yellowish; wing venation brown and stigma brown (Fig. 77A).
LEGS. Integument black. Coxa, trochanter, femur, tibia and tarsi sparsely covered with short, white hair (Fig. 77A).
METASOMA. Integument of T1 and T2 red, except base of T1 black. T3 variable, from completely black to entirely red. T1 and T2 with few short, white and golden hair, from T3 increasingly more and longer hair (Fig. 77B). T7 covered with short, golden hair (Fig. 77F).
TERMINALIA. Genitalia (Fig. 78C–D), S7 (Fig. 78A) and terminal plate of S8 (Fig. 78B) as illustrated.
Distribution
Recorded from the wider Nieuwoudtville area and the Kamiesberg Mts.
Host bees
Unknown.
Seasonal activity
August–October.
Comment
Five specimens display slight morphological differences: in S. cf. 1 tenera sp. nov. the marginal zone of T5 is covered less densely with fewer short, white hairs; T6 is broader, sparsely covered with short, golden hair and more truncate apically without a hair fringe. In S. cf. 2 tenera the marginal zone of T5 is much more densely covered with short, white hair and T6 densely covered with short, golden hair, slightly more truncate apically with a smaller, sparse hair fringe. In S. cf. 3 tenera T6 is narrower and more truncate apically.
At present, the taxonomic status of these specimens is unclear so we do not assign them to S. tenera sp. nov. but make their collection data available to enable further investigation:
Sphecodopsis cf. 1 tenera: SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♀; 7 km NE of Steinkopf, roadside N7; 29°12′40″ S, 17°47′11″ E; 970 m a.s.l.; 13 Sep. 2017; MK leg.; RCMK.
Sphecodopsis cf. 2 tenera: • 1 ♀; 8 km NW of Leliefontein, Fynbos, roadside; 30°15′58″ S, 18°03′17″ E; 1190 m a.s.l.; 14 Sep. 2017; MK leg.; RCMK.
Sphecodopsis cf. 3 tenera: • 1 ♀; 15 km NW of Nieuwoudtville, Farm Zoetfontein E, Fynbos; 31°14′05″ S, 19°02′50″ E; 775 m a.s.l.; 7 Oct. 2022; MK leg.; RCMK • 1 ♀; Knersvlakte, roadside, 23 km SE of Vanrhynsdorp; 31°44′06″ S, 18°55′32″ E; 200 m a.s.l.; 17 Aug. 2010; MK leg.; RCMK • 1 ♀; Ouberg Pass, roadside, 27 km SE of Vanrhynsdorp, Fynbos; 31°48′07″ S, 18°55′00″ E; 380 m a.s.l.; 8 Aug. 2012; MK leg.; RCMK.
description: Published as part of Pöllein, Daniela & Kuhlmann, Michael, 2025, Taxonomic revision of the southern African bee genus Sphecodopsis Bischoff, 1923 (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Nomadinae), pp. 1-157 in European Journal of Taxonomy 980 on pages 98-103, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2025.980.2805, http://zenodo.org/record/14981767