Sphecodopsis directa Pöllein & Kuhlmann, 2025, sp. nov.

Sphecodopsis directa sp. nov. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 4ADDC4FF-2ABC-4B9B-A3A6-3B661F722B36 Figs 103–104 Diagnosis The female of S. directa sp. nov. can be separated from that of all other species of the genus by the combination of the following characters: S6 bifid posteriorly, apical notch about three times as long as its apical width, shape as shown in Fig. 104C; metasoma partially red (Fig. 103B); front legs with red dots on femur and tibia (Fig. 103A); T6 densely covered with golden hair (Fig. 104B). The male is unknown. Etymology The name refers to the long straight tips of the female S6. Type material (2 specimens) Holotype SOUTH AFRICA • ♀; Leliefontein, plain; 31°14′ S, 18°09′ E; 31 Aug. 2003; CM leg.; SANC. Paratype SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♀; Leliefontein, plain; 31°14′ S, 18°09′ E; 21 Sep. 2004; CM leg.; RCMK. Description Female BODY LENGTH. 5.6 mm. HEAD. Head wider than long. Vertex rounded, ocelli highest point. Integument black, except part of mandibles red or reddish-brown. Face covered with short, white hair mixed with short black hair. Face with dense (i=0.5–1 d) and fairly fine but deep punctation (Fig. 103C), between punctures slightly matt. Antenna black. MESOSOMA. Integument black, except red under the pronotal lobe, tegulae red. Mesoscutum slightly matt. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum densely (i= 0.25–0.5 d) and fairly finely but deeply punctate (Fig. 103D). Propodeum with dense (i=1–1.5 d), fairly fine but shallow punctation, metapostnotum matt (Fig. 104A). Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum with short, white hair mixed with very short, golden hair (Fig. 103D). Metanotum, propodeum and mesepisternum sparsely covered with short, white hair, metapostnotum glabrous (Figs 103D, 104A). WINGS. Yellowish-brown; wing venation brown and stigma brown to dark brown (Fig. 103A). LEGS. Integument mostly black with few red patches. Coxa, trochanter and femur sparsely covered with fairly long, white hair mixed with short, white hair. Tibia and tarsi covered with short, white hair (Fig. 103A). METASOMA. Integument of T1–T3 red, T4 basal quarter red, the rest, T5 and T6 black. T1 and T2 with few short, white hair, from T3 increasingly more and longer hair (Fig. 103B). T6 broad and rounded apically, covered with long, white hair (Fig. 104B). Shape of S6 (Fig. 104C) as illustrated. Male Unknown. Distribution Only known from the type locality in the Kamiesberg Mts. Host bees Unknown. Seasonal activity August–September.