Scrapter flavipes

Scrapter flavipes (Friese, 1925)

Figs 5–7

Polyglossa (Strandiella) flavipes Friese, 1925: 516–517, lectotype ♀ [designated by Eardley 1996] (type locality: Mfongosi, South Africa) (ZMHB), examined.

Diagnosis

The female of S. flavipes can be separated from that of all other species of this group by the following character combination: pronotal lobe yellow (Fig. 5A); facial fovea 3.5 times as long as wide; punctation on scutum dense (i = 0.3 d) (Fig. 5C). The male is characterized by a yellow pronotal lobe (Fig. 6A); narrow facial fovea; hind femur completely dark brown to black (Fig. 6A); anterior of premarginal line long and multi-rowed hairs (Fig. 6F); punctation of scutum dense (i = 0.5 d) (Fig. 6B) and form of S7 (Fig. 7C).

Additional material examined (2 specimens)

SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♀, 1 ♂; Natal, Weenen; [28°51′ S], [30°06 E]; Jan. 1925; HT leg.; RCMK.

Description

Female

BODY LENGTH. 8.5 mm.

HEAD. Wider than long. Integument brownish, mandibles yellowish-brown to reddish. Face irregularly and sparsely covered with greyish hair, more densely around basis of antennae. Facial fovea about 3.5 times as long as wide. Ocelli in front of the posterior margin of the compound eyes. Clypeus convex with fine punctation, apically sparse (i = 1–2 d), laterally dense (i = 0.5 d). Surface between punctures smooth and shiny (Fig. 5B). Malar area medially narrow, slightly curved. Antennal flagella ventrally yellow, dorsally black. Supraclypeal area delimited by sharp edges and definite.

MESOSOMA. Integument brownish, pronotal lobe yellow. Scutum finely and densely (i = 0.3 d) punctate; surface between punctures smooth and shiny (Fig. 5C). Metanotum less than half as long as scutellum. Propodeum basally and laterally coarsely carinate, apically coriaceous, matt (Fig. 5D). Scutum, scutellum, metanotum, mesepisternum and propodeum sparsely covered with short, brownish to greyish, erect hair.

WINGS. Yellowish-brown, stigma yellow and wing venation yellowish-brown (Fig. 5A).

LEGS. Integument brownish, hind femur completely dark brown to black. Vestiture and scopa greyish-white (Fig. 5A).

METASOMA. Integument brownish, T2–T3 completely and T1 and T4 partly yellow (Fig. 5E). T2– T4 anterior of premarginal line at least laterally row of short, greyish, erect hair. Hair on T4 dense, getting longer towards posterior. Prepygidial and pygidial fimbriae greyish. Discs of T1–T4 completely impunctate, surface abrasive and matt (Fig. 5E–F).

Male

BODY LENGTH. 7.8 mm.

HEAD. Wider than long. Integument brownish, mandibles brownish to reddish. Face densely covered with long, yellowish-grey, erect hair. Ocelli slightly in front of posterior margin of compound eyes. Facial fovea at least 5 times as long as wide. Malar area medially narrow, slightly curved. Antennal flagella ventrally yellow, dorsally black.

MESOSOMA. Integument brownish, pronotal lobe yellow. Scutum regularly and densely (i = 0.5 d) punctate (Fig. 6B). Propodeum basolaterally carinate, medially coarsely areolate (Fig. 6C). Scutum, scutellum, metanotum, mesepisternum and propodeum sparsely covered with long, yellowish-grey, erect hair.

WINGS. Yellowish-brown, stigma and wing venation brownish (Fig. 6A).

LEGS. Integument brown, hind femur partly dark brown to black. Vestiture greyish (Fig. 6A).

METASOMA. Integument black, marginal zone brownish. Disc of T1 without hair (Fig. 7A); T3 basally greyish, sparse, short, erect hair band, covering sixth of the tergum; hair of T4 basally short, getting longer towards posterior. T2–T4 anterior of premarginal line with row of short, erect, greyish hair (Fig. 6D). T1–T4 impunctate, surface abrasive and matt (Fig. 6D).

TERMINALIA. Genitalia (Fig. 7B), S7 (Fig. 7C) and terminal plate of S8 (Fig. 7D) as illustrated.

Distribution

Only known from a narrow strip in SE South Africa from Barberton in the north to Jeffreys Bay in the south (Eardley 1996).

Floral hosts

Unknown.

Seasonal activity

January.