Antepipona tytides ( Cameron, 1904 )

Kumar, Girish P., Carpenter, James M. & Sureshan, Pavittu M., 2016, A taxonomic review of the genus Antepipona de Saussure, 1855 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae) from India, Zootaxa 4150 (5), pp. 501-536 : 531

20. Antepipona tytides ( Cameron, 1904)

( Figs 93–96 )

Odynerus tytides Cameron 1904: 309 , Ƌ, ♀, “ Darjeeling , India ” ( BMNH); Giordani Soika 1941: 264 (in subgenus Rhynchium , Burma).

Antepipona tytides: Giordani Soika 1975: 390 , figs 3, 5 (compared to A. bhutanensis n. sp.); Giordani Soika, 1982: 205, 208 (key), 250 (Nepal; India; Burma); 1986: 129 (China); Lambert 2004: 555 (key); Gusenleitner 2011: 1360 (tydides [!]; Laos).

Diagnosis. ♀. Posterior side of propodeum dull, with visible and numerous striae, with some punctures in between striae; metanotal teeth closer to lateral margins; base of S2 bulging; anterior face of pronotum smooth at middle with faint transverse impression, sides with dense punctures ( Fig. 95 ); apical emargination of clypeus almost semicircular, apical teeth sharp ( Fig. 94 ); temple well developed, about as long as upper lobes of eyes in dorsal view; transverse carina on pronotum present only at sides and on shoulders; metanotal teeth strong, far from each other than metanotal sides; S2 bulging at base, forming well distinguishable anterior face, separated from ventral face by fold; punctures on clypeus dense, thick and somewhat elongated longitudinally forming striations; head and mesosoma with punctures small, dense, interspaces carinate ( Figs 94, 96 ); black species with red spots ( Fig. 93 ).

Colour. Body black with dark red markings. Dark red: medially interrupted band at base of clypeus; ventral side of scape; spot above interantennal space; narrow line along inner orbits of lower lobes of eyes up to ocular sinus; an elongated mark on temple towards vertex; band on pronotum; spot on mesopleuron; band on scutellum sometimes divided into two spots; tegula; parategula; apex of all femora; all tibia and tarsi almost entirely; an apical band, wider at middle and abruptly enlarged on sides, on T1; almost regular apical band on T2 and S2; sometimes traces of spot present on either sides of T2 basally; narrow apical bands on T3–T5 and S3–S5, sometimes absent; T6 almost entirely, sometimes completely absent; spot on S6, sometimes absent. Wings strongly infumated.

Ƌ. Clypeus wider than long, wide and deeply emarginated at apex; apical antennal article small, weakly curved, its apex reaching half of eleventh article. Colour as in ♀, but T3, T4, T7 and S3–S7 entirely black.

Size (H+M+T1+T2). ♀, 9–10 mm; Ƌ, 9–9.5 mm.

Material examined. INDIA: Manipur, Ukhrul district, Litan , 1♀, 12.xii.1992, Coll. A.R. Lahiri & Party, NZC No. 16230/H3 . Meghalaya, East Khasi Hills district, Shillong , 1♀, date of collection unknown, Coll. LaTouche, NZC No. 16231/H3 ; East Garo Hills district, Rongra , 2♀, 24.ix.1975, Coll. N. Muraleedharan & Party, NZC Nos. 16232/H3, 16233/H3 ; East Khasi Hills district, Shillong , 1♀, 22.iii.1991, Coll. A.K. Sanyal & Party, NZC No. 16234/H3.

Distribution. India: Manipur, Meghalaya, Sikkim, West Bengal; Nepal; China; Myanmar; Laos.

Figures

FIGURES 91 – 96. 91, 92. Antepipona sibilans (Cameron), Ƌ. 91. Clypeus. 92. Apical antennal articles. 93 – 96. A. tytides (Cameron), ♀. 93. Body, profile. 94. Head, frontal view. 95. Anterior face of pronotum. 96. Mesosoma, dorsal view.