Patellapis (Chaetalictus) calviniensis

Patellapis (Chaetalictus) calviniensis (Cockerell 1934)

Halictus calviniensis Cockerell, 1934: 115–116.

(Figs. 111a–g; 112a–f)

Diagnosis. The male is characterised by lacking bristles on the posterior margin of S4. Further, the male has distinct formed dense, fan–shaped hair patches on metasomal sterna S4–S5. The female is morphologically characterised by a coarsely wrinkled basal area of propodeum and a strongly sculptured and densely punctate propodeum. The female resemble those belonging to the subgenus Patellapis (e.g. P. reticulata or P. karooensis).

Description

Female. Bl = 6,4–6,6mm. General habitus (Fig. 111e). Head. L = 1,6–1,8mm; W = 1,9–2,1mm. Head wider than long (Fig. 111a). Integument black except mandibles and malar area usually partly reddish-brown. Face shiny and with loose, long, greyish and yellowish, erect hairs. Mandibles bidentate. Clypeus and supraclypeal area convex in profile. Clypeus and supraclypeal area sparsely punctate; surface polished; clypeus sometimes with median depression. Clypeoantennal distance 0,4mm. Paraocular area shiny; strongly and densely punctate; surface often extensively sculptured. Antennae blackish-brown. Mesosoma. L = 1,3–1,4mm; W (ITS) = 1,6–1,7mm. Integument black. Scutum shiny; disc strongly and moderately densely punctate (i = 1,5d); surface reticulate anteriorly (Fig. 111b). Scutellum as illustrated in Fig. 111c. Scutum, scutellum, metanotum, mesepisternum and propodeum with whitish and greyish, erect hairs. Basal area of propodeum as illustrated in Fig. 111c; propodeum dull, coarsely and completely sculptured; densely punctate. Marginal region of posterior truncation dull; coarsely wrinkled. Wings. Hyaline. Legs. Integument blackishbrown. Vestiture greyish and yellowish. Ts finely serrate, with about 10 (broad) oblique projections (Fig. 111f). Bp as illustrated (Fig. 111g). Metasoma. L = 3,5–3,7mm; W = 2,4–2,5mm. Integument blackishbrown; margins of T pallid brownish to pale; margins partly translucent. T1–T4 with weak, indistinct, greyish apical hair bands; the bands mostly present only laterally. Prepygidial fimbria mostly yellowish (Fig. 111d).

Male. Bl = 6,4–6,6mm. Head. L = 1,6–1,7mm; W = 1,7–1,9mm. Head slightly wider than long (Fig. 112a). Integument black except mandibles and malar area partly reddish-brown. Clypeus, supraclypeal area, paraocular area and vertex with loose, whitish, erect hairs. Mandibles simple. Antennae brownish-black. Flagellomeres knotty. A4 as long as A3. Mesosoma. L = 1,1–1,3mm; W (ITS) = 1,4–1,5mm. Integument black. Scutum polished; disc strongly and moderately sparsely punctate (i = 1,5–2,0d); surface partly reticulate anteriorly. Scutellum as illustrated in Fig. 112b. Scutum, scutellum, metanotum, mesepisternum and propodeum with whitish and greyish, erect hairs. Basal area of propodeum as illustrated in Fig. 112b; propodeum dull, coarsely and completely sculptured; densely punctate. Marginal region of posterior truncation dull; coarsely wrinkled. Wings. Hyaline. Legs. Integument brownish-black. Vestiture greyish. Metasoma. L = 3,8–4,1mm; W = 1,9–2,0mm. Integument blackish-brown; margins of T pallid brownish to pale; margins extensively translucent (Fig. 112c). Apical plate broad and pointed apically. Posterior margin of S4 without erect bristles; S4–S5 with distinct dense, fan–shaped hair patches (Fig. 112d). S7 and S8 as illustrated in Fig. 112e. Genitalia. Genitalia as illustrated in Fig. 112f; gonocoxa shiny; gonostylus with dorso-lateral, slender projection; projection with long hairs.

Type material (1 specimen). Holotype, female, South Africa, Northern Cape: Calvinia, C.P., on mountain, Nov. 14., L.O. (handwritten white label), Halictus calviniensis Ckll. TYPE (handwritten white label), Type (red-white label), B.M. TYPE HYM. 17.a.1207 (white label), BMNH.

Additional material (51 specimens). 48♀, 3♂. South Africa, Western Cape: 12♀, 7 km W Nieuwoudtville, 09.x.2002, leg. F.D. Parker and M.E. Irwin, BLCU; Northern Cape: 3♀, 1♂, Nieuwoudtville, Glen Lyon, Renosterveld, 23.viii.2003, leg. M. Kuhlmann, KTPC; 1♀, idem., 27.viii.2003, KTPC; 5♀, 1♂, idem., 30.viii.2003, KTPC; 1♀, idem., 07.ix.2003, KTPC; 4♀, idem., 10.ix.2003, KTPC; 6♀, idem., 11.ix.2003, KTPC; 4♀, idem., 12.ix.2003, KTPC; 1♀, idem., 11.–18.x.2000, leg. S. van Noort and H.G. Robertson, SANC; 3♀, Nieuwoudtville, Glen Lyon, garden, 23.viii.2003, leg. M. Kuhlmann, KTPC; 2♀, idem., 28.viii.2003, KTPC; 1♀, Nieuwoudtville, pad to Farm Glenlyon (road to R27), 07.ix.2007, leg. K. Timmermann, KTPC; 2♀, idem., 17.ix.2007, leg. K. Timmermann and M. Kuhlmann, KTPC; 1♂, Nieuwoudtville, Flower Reserve East, 04.ix.2003, leg. M. Kuhlmann, KTPC; 2♀, 2 km W Nieuwoudtville, near Grasberg, 23.viii.2003, leg. K. Timmermann, KTPC; 1♀, Witwater, 23.ix.2003, leg. C. Mayer, KTPC.

Distribution (Fig. 119). Records only exist from the winter rainfall area, particularly from the Northern Cape and a single record is from the north–western part of the Western Cape.

Floral visitation. Chrysanthemum spec., Eriocephalus ericoides (Asteraceae), Ruschia unca (Mesembryanthemaceae), Oxalis spec. (Oxalidaceae)

Seasonal activity (first–last observations). viii–x.