A new species of the bee genus Ammobates LATREILLE, 1809 from sub-Saharan Africa (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

The cleptoparasitic bee Ammobates (Ammobates) roggeveldi n. sp. is described from a female specimen collected in western South Africa. This is only the second species of the genus recorded from sub-Saharan Africa.


INTRODUCTION
Ammobates LATREILLE, 1809 currently includes 50 species (ENGEL, 2009), mostly from the Palaearctic, and one each in the Oriental and Afrotropical regions (MICHENER, 2007). The genus is subdivided in three subgenera: Ammobates s. str. (41 species, known from Morocco through Europe and North Africa to southern India with a single species in South Africa and Namibia), Euphileremus POPOV, 1951 (six species ranging from the Canary Islands eastwards to Uzbekistan) and Xerammobates POPOV, 1951 (three species in Tunisia and Turkmenistan) (MICHENER, 2007;ENGEL, 2009).

During fieldwork in western South Africa, a new
Ammobates species was discovered. The female was collected by sweep net and readily recognizable as undescribed in the field because it is completely black while in the only other sub-Saharan Ammobates species, A. auster EARDLEY, 1997, the metasoma and legs are at least partly orangish (EARDLEY & BROTHERS, 1997). Because of its biogeographic significance herein the conspicuous second Ammobates species from sub-Saharan Africa and the southern hemisphere is described based on a female specimen collected in the Greater Cape Floristic Region (GCFR) of western South Africa (BORN et al., 2007;LINDER et al., 2010). The new species was found in Mountain Renosterveld vegetation (VAN DER MERWE et al., 2008) along a dry river bed in the northern extension of the Hantam-Roggeveld Centre of plant endemism (CLARK et al., 2011) south of Calvinia (Northern Cape Province), South Africa (figure 1).

MATERIAL AND METHODS
For morphology, the terminology of MICHENER (2007) was used. Puncture density is characterized by the relationship between puncture diameter (d) and the space between these punctures (i). Body length was measured from the vertex to the apex of the body. Images were taken with a Keyence VHX-5000 Digital Microscope.
The holotype of the new species will be housed in the Iziko South African Museum, Cape Town, South Africa (SAMC). The new species belongs to subgenus Ammobates s. str. based on the following characters (MICHENER, 2007): second submarginal crossvein distal to second recurrent vein, female T6 without median ridge (figure 4a), labrum about twice as long as its basal width (figure 2c), clypeus strongly protuberant (figure 2a) and body length 9.5 mm (species of the other two subgenera < 8.5 mm).
Sculpture. Head smooth and shiny, with dense small punctures separated by half puncture width or less (figure 2b). Labrum smooth and superficially shagreened with scattered punctures separated by 1-3 times puncture width on disc and gradually more tightly packed until separated by less than puncture width towards its base (figure 2c). Mesosoma smooth and shiny, with small to medium punctures separated by 1-2 times puncture width less on mesoscutum, slightly more narrowly spaced on other parts. Mesoscutellum, postscutellum and propodeum rugoso-punctate. Metasoma with anteriorfacing surface of first metasomal tergum densely and finely punctuate, punctures separated by puncture width or less, punctures on apical depression gradually more dispersed and apical margin impunctate. Following terga with similar pattern (figure 3b). Metasomal tergum six medially coarsely rugoso-punctate (figure 4a). Metasomal sterna five and six as in figure 4b. pubescence similar to head except setae plumose and more densely covering this part of the body (figure 3a); posterior and lateral surface of propodeum laterally more densely covered with shorter suberect hair. Metasoma with scattered simple short subappressed to suberect setae (figure 3b); first metasomal tergum with scattered very short, erected, simple setae on disc, such setae dense laterally on dorsal-facing surface and plumose setae forming apicolateral hair patch; following terga with hhhhhhhhhhhh -47 -

Etymology
The specific epithet refers to the Roggeveld Mountains where the species was found.

Key to females of sub-Saharan
Ammobates species

DISCUSSION
The record of a second Ammobates species in the southwest of the African continent underpins the outstanding biogeographic position of the GCFR as a center of wild bee diversity and endemism (KUHLMANN, 2005(KUHLMANN, , 2009). The region is particularly vulnerable to climate change induced range shifts of bees and their host plants which increase their risk of extinction (KUHLMANN et al., 2012).
Species of the latter two genera can be locally abundant in the area and are the only suitable hosts with respect to their body size (KUHLMANN, unpubl.). However, the surprisingly few records of the two relatively large and conspicuous Ammobates species in southern Africa suggest that the unknown host(s) might be rare, too. The geographical spread of A. auster records ranging from the Namib Desert to Karoo and Fynbos biomes (EARDLEY & BROTHERS, 1997) indicate that more than a single host species is likely used so the reasons for the rarity of the cleptoparasites remain unknown. (!) Documents from other sources and not distributed under a free license are reproduced after authorisation (to be requested by the authors) and remain the property of the original authors or publishers.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
(!) The published content is the sole responsibility of the authors.