Halictus capillipalpis Cockerell, 1946c: 183.

(Figs. 52a–g; 53a–h)

Diagnosis. The females are characterised by a few, very long and coarsely serrate inner hind tibial spur and by the presence of apical hair bands on metasomal terga T3–T4. The males are characterised by the dorsally enlarged penis valves, which produce a conspicuous hyaline projection (Fig. 53g). This morphological feature is unique within the subgenus Chaetalictus.

Description

Female. Bl = 6,3–6,5mm. General habitus (Fig. 52e). Head. L = 1,7–1,8mm; W = 2,1–2,2mm. Head wider than long (Fig. 52a). Integument black except mandibles sometimes partly reddish-brown. Face shiny and with loose, greyish, erect hairs. Mandibles bidentate. Clypeus and supraclypeal area convex in profile. Clypeus moderately strongly and densely punctate and with a median depression; surface shiny. Clypeoantennal distance 0,4mm. Supraclypeal area with a few, small punctures; punctures well separated; surface shiny and partly chagreened. Paraocular area sparsely punctate; surface shiny and finely sculptured.

Antennae brownish-black. Mesosoma. L = 1,3–1,4mm; W (ITS) = 1,4–1,5mm. Integument black. Scutum slightly dull; surface completely reticulate; disc sparsely punctate (i = 2,0–3,0d) (Fig. 52b). Scutellum as illustrated in Fig. 52c. Scutum, scutellum, metanotum, mesepisternum and propodeum with whitish to greyish, erect hairs. Basal area of propodeum as illustrated in Fig. 52c; propodeum and marginal region of posterior truncation shiny and finely chagreened; propodeum with punctures well separated. Wings. Hyaline.

Legs. Integument brownish-black. Vestiture whitish to greyish. Ts coarsely serrate; with 4 very long and strong, oblique projections (Fig. 52f). Bp as illustrated (Fig. 52g). Metasoma. L = 3,4–3,5mm; W = 2,2–2,4mm. Integument black except the margins of T brownish to yellowish; margins extensively translucent. Apical hair bands present on T3–T4; those on T1–T2 only present laterally. Prepygidial fimbria mostly yellowish. Metasomal terga as illustrated in Fig. 52d.

Male. Bl = 5,8mm. General habitus (Fig. 53e). Head. L = 1,8mm; W = 1,9mm. Head about as long as wide. Integument black except mandibles sometimes partly reddish-brown. Clypeus, supraclypeal area, paraocular area and vertex covered with erect, whitish to greyish hairs. Mandibles simple. Antennae brownish-black. Flagellomeres simple, not knotty. A4 as long as A3. Mesosoma. L = 1,3mm; W (ITS) = 1,5mm. Integument black. Scutum polished; sparsely punctate (i = 2,0–3,0d) (Fig. 53a). Scutellum as illustrated in Fig. 53b. Scutum, scutellum, metanotum, mesepisternum and propodeum with long, whitish to greyish, erect hairs. Basal area of propodeum as illustrated in Fig. 53b; propodeum shiny; densely punctate; surface completely sculptured. Marginal region of posterior truncation shiny; surface completely sculptured.

Wings. Hyaline. Legs. Integument brownish-black. Vestiture whitish to greyish. Metasoma. L = 3,0mm; W = 1,9mm. Integument brownish-black except the margins of T brownish to pallid brownish; margins broadly translucent. Metasomal terga as illustrated in Fig. 53c. Apical plate broad; angulated apically. Posterior margin of S4with a row of 18–20 erect bristles. Metasomal sterna S5–S6 without dense hair patches (Fig. 53d). S7 and S8 as illustrated in Fig. 53h. Genitalia. Genitalia as illustrated in Fig. 53f–g; gonocoxa extensively dull; gonostylus with dorso-lateral, slender, hyaline projection; projection with a row of about 10 long, curled, erect hairs; penis valves dorsally enlarged with a conspicuous hyaline projection.

Type material (1 specimen). Holotype, male, Type (round red-white label), B.M. TYPE HYM 17 a.1182 (white label), Halictus capillipalpis Ckll Type (handwritten white label), S. Africa, Natal: Van Reenen, Drakensberg, 1.–22.i.1927 (white label), S. Africa. R. E. Turner. Brit. Mus. 1927–54 (white label), BMNH.

Additional material (10 specimens). 8♀, 2♂. South Africa. KwaZulu – Natal: 5♀, 1♂, Tendele, 20.i.1987, leg. P. Goldblatt and J. Manning, SEMC; 3♀, Coleford Nat. res. (19,4 km 211° SW Underberg), 03.–09.xii.2001, leg. S. van Noort, SANC; 1♂, Cobham NR, s D`Berg, up Pholela valley from the camp, 29.i.2002, leg. Craig Peter, SANC.

Distribution (Fig. 56). Only known from KwaZulu–Natal.

Floral visitation. Wahlenbergia spec. (Campanulaceae), Moraea inclinata (Iridaceae).

Seasonal activity (first–last observations). xii–i.

Remarks. This species is treated as Chaetalictus new species 7 in Timmermann and Kuhlmann (2008b).