Rhynchium brunneum subsp. brunneum, (Fabricius, 1793)

Pham, Phong Huy & Kumar, P. Girish, 2016, Taxonomic notes on the genus Rhynchium Spinola (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae) from Vietnam, with a first checklist of the species worldwide, Ecologica Montenegrina 7, pp. 530-537 : 531-532

1. R. brunneum brunneum ( Fabricius, 1793)

( Figs. 1-5 )

Vespa brunnea Fabricius, 1793 , Entomol. Syst., 2: 264, Syntype, sex not mentioned, “ Tranquebariae , India (Universitetets Zoologiske Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark)”.

Odynerus brunneus Latreille, 1806 , Gen. Crust. Ins., 1: pl. 14 fig. 3.

Rhynchium brunneum Spinola, 1808 , Ins. Ligur, 2: 189.

Rhynchium haemorrhoidale var. brunneum de Saussure, 1862 , Stettin. Ent. Ztg., 23: 190.

Rhynchium quinquecinctum var. brunneum Dalla Torre, 1894 , Cat. Hym., 9: 45 (cat.).

Rhynchium brunneum brunneum : Gusenleitner, 2006, Linzer biol. Beitr., 38(1): 692 (Sikkim, Meghalaya, West Bengal).

Material examined: VIETNAM: Bac Ninh: 1 ♂ , Tu Son , v.2010, P.H. Pham . Hai Phong: 1 ♀ , Vinh Bao , 25.vi.2013, P.H. Pham . Hoa Binh: 2 ♀ + 1 ♂, Mai Chau, Mai Chau , 3.vi.2012, P.H. Pham . Hung Yen: 1 ♀ + 1 ♂, Trieu Duong, Tien Lu , 25.vi.2013, P.H. Pham . Nam Dinh: 1 ♀ + 1 ♂, Xuan Thuy National Park, Xuan Thuy , 22.vi.2013, P.H. Pham . Quang Ninh: 1 ♀ + 3 ♂, Hong Thai Tay, Dong Trieu , 26.vi.2013, P.H. Pham . Thai Binh: 2 ♀ + 2 ♂, Hong Minh, Hung Ha , 23-24.vi.2013 ; 2 ♂, Hung Nhan, Hung Ha , 25.vi.2013, P.H. Pham ; 1 ♀, Dong Minh, Tien Hai , 20 ° 20 ’ 23’’N, 106 ° 35 ’ 89’’E, alt. 0 m, 21.vi.2013, H.P. Pham . Thanh Hoa: 2 ♀ , Sam Son Town , 20-21.vi.2016, P.H. Pham . SRI LANKA: Paradeniya: 5 ♀ , 2.vi.1910, name of collector unknown, NZC Regd.Nos.13752/H3 to 13756/H3.

Distribution: Vietnam: Bac Giang, Bac Ninh (new record), Cao Bang, Dien Bien, Gia Lai, Ha Giang, Ha Noi, Ha Tinh, Hai Duong, Hai Phong (new record), Hoa Binh, Hung Yen (new record), Kon Tum, Lai Chau, Lam Dong, Lao Cai, Nam Dinh, Nghe An, Quang Nam, Quang Ninh, Quang Tri, Thai Binh, Thai Nguyen, Thanh Hoa, Thua Thien Hue, Vinh Phuc. Elsewhere: India, Seychelles, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Guam, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Marianas, Myanmar, New Britain, Pakistan, Palau, China, Taiwan, Thailand.

Remarks: There are three subspecies recorded from the Oriental Region namely, R. brunneum brunneum ( Fabricius, 1793) , R. brunneum ceylonicum Giordani Soika, 1994 and R. brunneum maladivum Gusenleitner, 2003 . Out of these three subspecies, the nominotypical subspecies namely R. b. brunneum is widely distributed in the Oriental Region. R. b. ceylonicum is recorded from Sri Lanka and R. b. maladivum recorded from the Maldives ( Kumar & Sharma, 2013). We have examined specimens collected from Sri Lanka. These specimens are of the subspecies R. b. ceylonicum. This subspecies is distinguished from R. b. brunneum by colour pattern. In R. b. brunneum the body is marked with black and reddish brown colouration, whereas R. b. ceylonicum the body is marked with black and yellowish brown colouration. Among specimens collected in Vietnam, there are 5 specimens that they have a slight difference in colour from the other specimens [1 ♂, Mai Chau, Hoa Binh Province; 2 ♂, Hung Nhan, Hung Ha, Thai Binh Province; 1 ♀ + 1 ♂, Hong Thai Tay, Dong Trieu, Quang Ninh Province]. Their colour pattern is very close to that of the subspecies R. b. ceylonicum, and these specimens can represent the formally named color form R. b. ceylonicum. Thus we propose to synonymize R. b. ceylonicum under the nominotypical subspecies R. b. brunneum .

The black marks on the body of R. b. brunneum are highly variable. On mesoscutum: A small triangular mark in front can be extended to become a large mark at the centre, and a narrow transverse line along the apex can be also extended to become a large line at the central part. Therefore two marks can join at the centre. On Metasoma: from basal third to basal two thirds of metasomal tergite I and II, metasomal sternite II from almost to entirely black, metasomal sternite III-VI in females and metasomal sternite III-VII in males from basal third to basal two thirds. Marks on metasoma are also from light to dark black colouration.

A female collected at Dong Minh commune, Tien Hai district, Thai Binh province has the mandible different from that of all of the other specimens of R. brunneum and also of the other Rhynchium species ( Figs. 3-4 ). This means that this specimen can be of a new species. But at present time only a specimen of the female is available it is arranged under the nominotypical species R. brunneum and the future studies should include it.

Figures

Figures 1-6. 1-5 - Rhynchium brunneum brunneum (Fabricius, 1793): 1-2 - Female - Habitus; 3-4 - Mandible; 5 - Male - Head front view; 6 - Rhynchium haemorrhoidale haemorrhoidale (Fabricius, 1775): Female - Habitus.