Crossocerus (Thao) nitidicorpus indicus Saini & Dey, 2022

Saini, Varun & Dey, Debjani, 2022, First record of subgenus Thao Tsuneki, 1982 (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae Crabronini) from India: a new subspecies and a key to all subspecies of Crossocerus (Thao) nitidicorpus Tsuneki, Zootaxa 5159 (1), pp. 117-124 : 119-123

Crossocerus (Thao) nitidicorpus indicus Saini & Dey , subsp. nov.

( Figs 1–15 )

Diagnosis. This new subspecies close to C. nitidicorpus nitidicorpus Tsuneki, 1968 and C. nitidicorpus weddagalae Leclercq, 1986 . It shares characters with both subspecies (antennomeres III-IV 2.0× as long as broad at apex and dorsal yellow stripe on pronotal collar). It shares some characters with C. nitidicorpus nitidicorpus (median lobe of clypeus tridentate and median furrow on posterior surface of propodeum) and some with C. nitidicorpus weddagalae (yellow coloration on trochanters; femora I-II black, with small yellow spot at apex). The new subspecies differs from both subspecies by body length (10.5–11 mm), median notch on pronotal collar, median lobe of clypeus, colouration and punctation on body.

Description

FEMALE. Holotype ♀. BL= 10.5–11.0 mm; FWL= 7.43–7.47 mm; PPL= 0.71–0.75 mm

Colour pattern and pubescence. Body bluish-black except the following yellow: scape ventrally, dorsal stripe on pronotal collar, pronotal lobe, postscutellum laterally, trochanter I basally and apically, trochanter II except ventral spot, trochanter III completely, tibia III basally with short dorsal stripe, apical spot on coxae I-II, coxa III ventrally, tergum I basally, sternum I largely, sternum II near basal region and medially; posterior margin of tergum V and pygidial plate posteriorly up to mid length orange-yellowish; pedicel, flagellum, mandible, wing base, wing veins and pterostigma, dark brown; tegula, light brown ( Figs 1–3 ).

Head. Shiny, sub-quadrilateral, shiny, very finely punctate dorsally, length 0.6× of width; orbital fovea distinct, elliptical, rounded apically, close to compound eyes ( Fig. 4 ); area near ocelli slightly impressed; inner margins of compound eyes convergent below; frontal furrow narrow and shiny, with conspicuous longitudinal sulcus ( Figs 4 & 6 ); scapal basin shiny and concave; inner orbit of compound eye near scapal basin with dense silvery pubescence; clypeus broad, sub-hexagonal, covered with dense silvery pubescence, with median longitudinal carina near apex of median lobe, apical margin of clypeus tridentate, median tooth short and blunt, lateral teeth short and rounded ( Fig. 8 ); vertex without longitudinal furrow; gena shiny, dorsally with dense silvery setae, depressed near outer orbit of compound eye ( Fig. 5 ); occipital carina slightly protruding, not reaching hypostomal carina, ending without tooth; mandible tridentate apically, inner margin without tooth; antennal sockets contiguous, scape without carina, POD equal to 0.35 × of OOD; antennomeres III-IV 2.0× as long as broad at apex ( Fig. 7 ), antennomeres I: II: III: IV: V: VI: VII: VIII: IX: X: XI and XII= 5.9: 1.5: 1.8: 1.9: 1.5: 1.3: 1.4: 1.3: 1.3: 1.4: 1.3 and 1.8.

Mesosoma . Shiny; pronotum slightly notched medially, rounded laterally, posterior margin with shallow transverse area dorsally; scutum shiny, finely and sparsely punctate dorsally, with well-defined notaulus, parapsidal and admedian lines; scutellum shiny, finely punctate, prescutellar sulcus without foveae; metanotum smooth and shiny; pre- and postmetanotal sulci with distinct foveae ( Fig. 9 ); mesopleuron very finely, sparsely punctate, with elongate silvery setae dorsally; epicnemial sulcus with large distinct foveae; precoxal tubercle absent; mesopleural suture with small foveae up to its middle, not reaching wing base; mesosternum with elongate silvery pubescence; metapleuron smooth and shiny; omaulus distinct, continuous with acetabular carina ( Fig. 10 ); propodeum shiny, its anterior margin with distinct transverse carina and well-defined foveae, dorsal surface pentagonal, shiny and very finely punctate, longitudinal furrow of dorsal surface shallow, dorsal and posterior surfaces separated by foveae, posterior surface dorsally with elongate silvery setae, with longitudinal furrow, lateral propodeal carina starting from propodeal apex and not reaching mid length of propodeum, dorso-lateral surface of propodeum covered with elongate silvery pubescence, lateral surface of propodeum shiny, with transverse fine striation ( Fig. 11 ); fore and mid femora flattened ventrally, prosternal tubercles in front of fore coxa acutely dentate, hindtibia abruptly swollen apically, with short spines dorsally ( Figs 1–2 ).

Metasoma. Gaster sub-petiolate, tergum I slightly nodose apically, with longitudinal carina basally ( Fig. 12 ); tergum II with round hollow depression at base ( Fig. 13 ); tergum II longer than wide, terga III-V wider than long; all terga shiny, impunctate, dorsally covered with short pubescence; all sterna shiny and covered with short setae ( Fig. 14 ); pygidial plate an isosceles triangle, elongate, shiny, microsculptured, slightly concave basally, laterally carinate ( Fig. 15 ).

MALE. Unknown.

Distribution. India (Uttarakhand).

Etymology. The species is named after the type locality country, i.e. India

Variability. Paratype pronotal collar with large macula; postscutellum laterally with macula.

Material Examined. Holotype ♀, India: Uttarakhand: Uttarkashi (31°04ꞌ31ꞌꞌ N, 78°11ꞌ12ꞌꞌ E, 2100 m a.s.l.), 16.vi.1994, coll. anonymous (NPC-IARI) . Paratypes: ♀, same data as on holotype ; ♀, Uttarakhand: Uttarkashi, Jakhol (31°07ꞌ05ꞌꞌ N, 78°15ꞌ06ꞌꞌ E, 2525 m a.s.l.), 06.vii.1996, coll. anonymous (NPC-IARI) .

Figures

FIGURES 1–3. Crossocerus (Thao) nitidicorpus indicus Saini & Dey, subsp. nov. Holotype ♀. 1. Habitus, lateral view; 2. Habitus, dorsal view; 3. Habitus, ventral view.

FIGURES 4–8. Crossocerus (Thao) nitidicorpus indicus Saini & Dey, subsp. nov. Holotype ♀. 4. Head, dorsal view; 5. Head, lateral view; 6. Head, frontal view; 7. Antenna; 8. Clypeus.

FIGURES 9–11. Crossocerus (Thao) nitidicorpus indicus Saini & Dey, subsp. nov. Holotype ♀. 9. Mesosoma, dorsal view; 10. Mesosoma, lateral view; 11. Propodeum.

FIGURES 12–15. Crossocerus (Thao) nitidicorpus indicus Saini & Dey, subsp. nov. Holotype ♀. 12. Metasoma, lateral view; 13. Metasoma, dorsal view; 14. Metasoma, ventral view; 15. Pygidial plate.