Sphecodopsis Bischoff 1923

Key for the identification of species of Sphecodopsis Females The preparation of S6 is essential for a reliable determination. The females of the following species are unknown: S. albomaculata sp. nov., S. leonis, S. minuta sp. nov., S. nana sp. nov., S. nigra sp. nov., and S. villosa. The females of S. carolinae and S. capicola were not available for study, so they are not included in the key either. 1. S6 pointed posteriorly (Figs 4D, 6D, 10D) ....................................................................................... 2 – S6 bifid posteriorly (e.g. Figs 12C, 26C, 34C, 52C, 56C, 92C, 104C) ............................................ 4 2. T6 narrow and almost truncate apically (Fig. 10B) .......................... S. fumipennis (Bischoff, 1923) – T6 broad and rounded apically (Figs 4C, 6C) ................................................................................... 3 3. Punctation on mesoscutum denser (i =0.25–0.5 d) and finer, individual punctures not always clearly separated (Fig. 3D); S6 shiny on surface and more pointed apically (Fig. 4D) ................................. ............................................................................................................................. S. aquifolia sp. nov. – Punctation on mesoscutum slightly more dispersed (i =0.25–1 d) and coarser, individual punctures clearly separated (Fig. 5D); S6 matt on surface and rounded apically (Fig. 6D) ............................... .................................................................................................................... S. capensis (Friese, 1915) 4. Metasoma completely black (Figs 15B, 25B, 55B, 57B) ................................................................. 5 – T1 and T2 at least partially red, but metasoma usually with more extensive red colouration (e.g. Figs 11B, 33B, 59B, 81B) ................................................................................................................. 8 5. Apical notch of S6 at least five times as long as its apical width (Figs 56C, 58C) .......................... 6 – Apical notch of S6 at most three times as long as its apical width (Figs 16C, 26C) ........................ 7 6. Punctation of mesoscutum more dispersed (i=0.5–1 d) and coarser (Fig. 55D); apical notch of S6 five times as long as its apical width (Fig. 56C) ......................................................... S. atra sp. nov. – Punctation of mesoscutum denser (i=0.25–0.5 d) and finer (Fig. 57D); apical notch of S6 nine times as long as its apical width (Fig. 58C) ............................................................. S. catastropha sp. nov. 7. T6 sparsely covered with short white hair (Fig. 16B); apical notch of S6 two times as long as its apical width (Fig. 16C) ........................................................................................ S. chaotica sp. nov. – T6 covered with long black hair (Fig. 26B); apical notch of S6 three times as long as its apical width (Fig. 26C) .............................................................................................................. S. obscura sp. nov. 8. Fore tibia and tarsi completely or largely red (Figs 47A, 53A, 91A, 105A) .................................... 9 – Fore tibia and tarsi usually black, sometimes with small reddish spots (Figs 11A, 21A, 39A, 59A, 103A) .............................................................................................................................................. 20 9. Head only slightly wider than long, vertex conspicuously raised and rounded (Fig. 108C)............... ....................................................................................................... S. minutissima (Cockerell, 1933) – Head wider than long, vertex flat, almost flat or just slightly rounded (Figs 47C, 93C, 105C, 107C) ......................................................................................................................................................... 10 10. T5 apically with conspicuously long fringe, hair laterally distinctly longer forming a small medial gap (Figs 48B, 106B) .......................................................…………………………………………11 – T5 apically either without or with short fringe of hair of ±even length (Figs 54B, 88B, 110B, 114B) ............................................................................................................................................... 12 11. Apical notch of S6 shorter and narrower, about as long as its apical width (Fig. 106C); T5 with bright white fringe of strongly branched hair (Fig. 106B) ............................................ S. fimbriata sp. nov. – Apical notch of S6 longer and broader, about one and a half times as long as its apical width (Fig. 48C); T5 with brown fringe of slightly branched hair (Fig. 48B) ............................................. ............................................................................................................... S. vespericena Eardley, 1997 12. Head and mesoscutum with short white or golden hair (Figs 109C, 109D, 113C, 113D) ............. 13 – Head and mesoscutum with black hair, sometimes interspersed with lighter hair (Figs 51C–D, 91C– D, 107C–D) ..................................................................................................................................... 14 13. Propodeum sparsely covered with golden hair (Fig. 110A); apical notch of S6 about as long as its apical width (Fig. 110C) ......................................................................................... S. regina sp. nov. – Propodeum densely covered with bright white hair (Fig. 114A); apical notch of S6 about twice as long as its apical width (Fig. 114C) ....................................................................... S. vicfalls sp. nov. 14. Mesoscutum matt, densely and deeply punctate (Figs 51D, 53D, 107D) ...................................... 15 – Mesoscutum shiny, sparsely and shallowly punctate (Figs 79D, 81D–E, 87D, 91D) .................... 17 15. T6 narrow and almost truncate apically, with long black hair (Fig. 107B) ........................................ .......................................................................................................... S. longipygidium Eardley, 1997 – T6 broad and rounded apically, with short golden hair (Figs 52B, 54B) ....................................... 16 16. Apical notch of S6 about seven times as long as its apical width (Fig. 52C); T6 laterally slightly rounded (Fig. 52B) ……………………..................................................... S. crassipunctata sp. nov. – Apical notch of S6 about twice as long as its apical width (Fig. 54C); T6 laterally almost straight (Fig. 54B) ........................................................................................... S. namaquensis Eardley, 1997 17. Apical notch of S6 about as long as its apical width (Figs 80C, 82D) ........................................... 18 – Apical notch of S6 about one and a half times as long as its apical width (Figs 88C, 92C) .......... 19 18. Thin patches of white hair above each antennae (Fig. 81C); propodeum laterally and metapostnotum with abundant white hair in upper corners (Fig. 82A, 82B) .................. S. kuhlmanni Eardley, 2007 – No white hair above each antennae (Fig. 79C); propodeum laterally and metapostnotum only with few white hairs in upper corners (Fig. 80A) .................................................... S. keiskiensis sp. nov. 19. 2 nd antennal segment approx. twice as long as 3 rd segment (Fig. 91C); metapostnotum approx. as high as wide, superficially shagreened and more shiny (Fig. 92A) .... S. semirufa (Cockerell, 1933) – 2 nd antennal segment 1.5 times longer than 3 rd segment (Fig. 87C); metapostnotum wider than high, more distinctly shagreened and matt (Fig. 88A) .................................................... S. rufipes sp. nov. 20. Apical notch of S6 about three as long as its apical width, shape as shown in Fig. 104C; T 6 densely covered with golden hair (Fig. 104B); front legs only with dots of red on the femur and the tibia (Fig. 103A) ………… ............................................................................................. S. directa sp. nov. – S6 of different shape (Figs 12C, 30C, 34C, 60C); T6 either covered with black or white hair or with only thin golden hair (Figs 12B, 18B, 40B, 72B); front legs completely black or, if with red maculation, position and form different (Figs 11A, 21A, 45A, 73A) ............................................ 21 21. Head and mesosoma with conspicuously dense, long, black hair (Figs 33C–D, 43C–D); apical notch of S6 about as long as its apical width, shape as shown in (Figs 34C, 40C, 44C, 46C) ................ 22 – Head and mesosoma with light hair, if black then shorter or more dispersed (Figs 19C–D, 75C–D); shape of S6 different (Figs 12C, 18C, 60C) ................................................................................... 25 22. T5 only with long black hair (Fig. 44B) ................................................. S. leliefonteinensis sp. nov. – T5 with black hair on the disc and bright white hair on the apical margin (Figs 34B, 40B, 46B). 23 23. T6 apically truncate (Fig. 40B) ................................................................................... S. felix sp. nov. – T6 apically slightly rounded (Figs 34B, 46B) ................................................................................ 24 24. Mesoscutum very densely punctate (i=0–0.25 d) surface appears rugged (Fig. 33D); body length around 7–9 mm (Fig. 33A) ............................................................................ S. atricapillata sp. nov. – Mesoscutum with more dispersed punctation (i=0.25–0.5 d) surface smooth (Fig. 45D); body length around 5 mm (Fig. 45A) ............................................................................ S. roggeveldensis sp. nov. 25. Smaller, body length 3.5–5.8 m