Ropalidia, Guerin-Meneville, 1831

Gawas, Sandesh M., Kumar, P. Girish, Gupta, Ankita & Sureshan, P. M., 2019, Checklist of vespid wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) of Goa, India, with new records and a key to species, Zootaxa 4585 (2), pp. 269-294 : 289-290

Key to the species of genus Ropalidia occurring in Goa, India

(modified from Kojima et al. 2007)

1. Propodeum with paired basal carinae, propodeal orifice narrow dorsally ( Figs 117, 118, 119 ).......................... 2 - Propodeum without paired basal carinae, propodeal orifice round dorsally ( Figs 120, 121, 122 )....................... 4 2. Propodeum with strong punctures between basal carinae; striations lateral to carinae strong ( Fig. 119 )... tamila Gusenleitner - Propodeum with weak transverse striations and scattered shallow punctures between basal carinae; striations lateral to carinae weak ( Figs 117, 118 )................................................................................... 3 3. Broad yellow apical band on second tergum, band width in the middle more than one-fourth the length of second tergum ( Fig. 123 )............................................................................... brevita Das and Gupta

- Narrow yellow apical band on second tergum, band width in the middle less than one-fifth the length of second tergum ( Fig. 124 )............................................................................... marginata (Lepeletier)

4. Basal angle of second submarginal cell less than 90° ( Fig. 125 )...................................... stigma (Smith)

- Basal angle of second submarginal cell more than 90° ( Fig. 126 )................................................ 5

5. Large propodeal valvula with semicircular or rounded-triangle border covering the majority of the part of propodeal teeth in lateral view ( Fig. 127 )................................................................ jacobsoni (du Buysson)

- Small propodeal valvula barely covering the propodeal teeth ( Fig. 128 )......................... cyathiformis (Fabricius)

Figures

FIGURES 117–128. 117–122 Propodeum. 117, Ropalidia brevita; 118, Ropalidia marginata; 119, Ropalidia tamila; 120, Ropalidia stigma; 121, Ropalidia jacobsoni; 122, Ropalidia cyathiformis. 123–124 Metasoma, lateral view. 123, Ropalidia brevita; 124, Ropalidia marginata. 125–126 Fore wing. 125, Ropalidia stigma; 126, Ropalidia cyathiformis. 127–128 Propodeal valvula. 127, Ropalidia jacobsoni; 128, Ropalidia cyathiformis.