Spilomena fulvopleuris Tessy, Sureshan et Binoy, 2021

Rajan, Tessy, Kumar, P. Girish, Sureshan, P. M. & Binoy, C., 2021, A review of the genus Spilomena Shuckard (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) with the description of six new species from India, Zootaxa 5068 (2), pp. 263-276 : 266-267

Spilomena fulvopleuris Tessy, Sureshan et Binoy , sp. nov.

( Figs 9–16 )

Type material: Holotype, ♂, India: Kerala, Kozhikode dt., Elathur (11°20’30.48’’N & 75°44’24.36’’E, Alt. 23 m), 21.ii.2021, Coll. C. Binoy, ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/ WGRC /IR/INV/17152.

Diagnosis. Spilomena fulvopleuris sp. nov. differs from its congeners by the following combination of characters: mesoscutum laterally and mesopleuron ferruginous; relative length to breadth of scape = 20:3; pronotum coriaceous with irregular rugae; propodeum entirely transversely striated without median carina or smooth area.

Description. Holotype ♀. Body length 4.6 mm; fore wing length 3.3 mm.

Colour. Head and mesosoma largely black; apical margin of clypeus, antennae, femora, tibiae and tarsi pale yellow; mandible (except apical tip brown), tegula, pronotal lobe, all coxae and trochanters whitish; mesoscutum laterally and mesopleuron ferruginous; fore wing veins, stigma and metasoma brown.

Vestiture. T2–T6 with setigerous micropunctures posteriorly; ventral margin of T6 with apical suberect setae; remaining body with sparse vestiture.

Head. Clypeus dull, without any appressed setae, markedly convex ( Fig. 10 ); interantennal tubercle inconspicuous, not distinctly pointed, extending into median carina up to mid frons; mandible bidentate apically, inner mandibular tooth short, relative length to breadth of scape = 20:3; lower frons imbricate, upper frons and vertex reticulate with setigerous punctures; inner eye margin straight; gena imbricate, without any punctures.

Mesosoma. Pronotum coriaceous with irregular rugae, lateral surface with longitudinal rugae; anterior carina of pronotal collar conspicuous and straight; mesoscutum reticulate, with dense micropunctures; admedian line and parapsidal line lacking; scutellum reticulate; anterior groove of scutellum crenulate; metanotum reticulate, longitudinal rugose laterally; mesopleuron reticulate, with scattered setigerous punctures posteriorly ( Fig. 12 ); metapleuron with irregular ridges; stigma elongate, relative length to breadth = 50:14; recurrent vein of fore wing interstitial with first transverse cubital vein; propodeum entirely transversely striate, without median carina or smooth area ( Fig. 13 ).

Metasoma. T1 & T2 shiny and impunctate; T3–T6 with scattered setigerous punctures on entire surface; dense brush of short setae at apex of T6.

Male. Unknown.

Etymology. The species epithet is after the yellowish brown colouration on the mesopleural region.

Distribution. India: Kerala.

Figures

FIGURES 9–16. Spilomena fulvopleuris Tessy, Sureshan & Binoy, sp. nov., Holotype ♀. 9. Habitus, lateral view; 10. Head, frontal view; 11. Head and mesosoma (in part), dorsal view; 12. Mesosoma, lateral view; 13. Propodeum, dorsal view; 14. Metasoma, dorsal view; 15. Fore wing; 16. Hind wing.