Miscophus, Jurine, 1807

Kumar, P. Girish, Mawadda, N. V. Ayisha, Terine, Joshua B. & Amal, S., 2024, Review of the genus Miscophus Jurine, 1807 (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae: Crabroninae) of the Indian subcontinent with descriptions of two new species from southern India, Zootaxa 5418 (5), pp. 589-600 : 590

Key to Miscophus of Indian subcontinent

1. Head and mesosoma dark metallic greenish blue ( Figs 5 & 7 ); frons above antennal scrobe with small longitudinal depression and two well-developed transverse depressions ( Fig. 6 )............................ M. kaleshi Girish Kumar sp. nov.

- Head and mesosoma brownish black to black ( Figs 1 , 14 , 18 , 26 & 30 ); frons without such depressions ( Figs 3 , 16 , 19 , 28 & 31 )................................................................................................. 2

2. Metasoma partly or entirely orange red to brick red ( Figs 15 , 27 & 35 )........................................... 3

- Metasoma almost entirely black ( Figs 2 & 25 ).............................................................. 5

3. Basal two to three metasomal segments orange to red, remaining segments black ( Figs 15 & 27 )...................... 4

- All metasomal segments orange to red ( Fig 35 )........................................ M. rothneyi Bingham, 1897

4. Head, mesosoma, and metasoma with distinct close punctures; propodeal dorsum with distinct oblique vertical ridges on both sides of median carina along with punctures ( Fig. 27 )................................... M. quettaensis Nurse, 1903

- Head, mesosoma, and metasoma with grain-like microsculpture ( Fig. 15 ); propodeal dorsum without oblique vertical ridges, only with grain-like microsculpture on both sides of median carina ( Fig. 15 )............... M. nigricans Cameron, 1907

5. Head, mesosoma and metasoma mostly smooth and shiny; frons with sparse punctures and coriaceous as in Fig. 3 ; propodeal dorsum shiny with some inconspicuous transverse ridges medially and few inconspicuous oblique ridges basally, without distinct median carina as in Fig. 2 ; second submarginal cell 3-sided, second recurrent vein joining second submarginal cell at its extreme apex ( Fig. 2 )............................................................. M. difficilis Nurse, 1903

- Head, mesosoma and metasoma mostly minutely and closely punctured; frons with close punctures as in Fig. 19 ; propodeal dorsum with irregular somewhat conspicuous longitudinal ridges, with distinct median carina as in Fig. 23 ; second submarginal cell 4-sided, second recurrent vein joining second submarginal cell at its submedial margin ( Fig. 24 ).......................................................................................... M. prasanthi Girish Kumar sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURES 5–13. Miscophus kaleshi Girish Kumar sp. nov., FIGURES 5–10 holotype female. 5, Habitus, lateral view; 6, Head, frontal view; 7, Head and mesosoma, dorsal view; 8, Propodeum, dorsal view; 9, Fore wing; 10, Metasoma, dorsal view. FIGURES 11–13 paratype male. 11, Head, frontal view; 12, Clypeus; 13, Antenna.

FIGURES 1–4. Miscophus difficilis Nurse, 1903 type female. 1, Habitus, lateral view; 2, Habitus, dorsal view; 3, Head, frontal view; 4, Type labels.

FIGURES 14–17. Miscophus nigricans Cameron, 1907 type male. 14, Habitus, lateral view; 15, Habitus, dorsal view; 16, Head, frontal view; 17, Type labels.

FIGURES 18–25. Miscophus prasanthi Girish Kumar sp. nov., holotype male. 18, Habitus, lateral view; 19, Head, frontal view; 20, Clypeus; 21, Antenna; 22, Head and mesosoma, dorsal view; 23, Propodeum, dorsal view; 24, Fore wing; 25, Metasoma, dorsal view.

FIGURES 26–29. Miscophus quettaensis Nurse, 1903 type female. 26, Habitus, lateral view; 27, Habitus, dorsal view; 28, Head, frontal view; 29, Type labels.

FIGURES 30–36. Miscophus rothneyi Bingham, 1897. FIGURES 30–35 female. 30, Habitus, lateral view; 31, Head, frontal view; 32, Head and mesosoma, dorsal view; 33, Propodeum, dorsal view; 34, Fore wing; 35, Metasoma, dorsal view. FIGURE 36 male, Head, frontal view.