Dicranorhina georgei Mawadda, Girish Kumar & Sureshan, 2019

Mawadda, N. V. Ayisha, Kumar, P. Girish, Sureshan, P. M. & Rajan, Tessy, 2019, A taxonomic review of the genus Dicranorhina Shuckard (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae: Crabroninae) from the Indian subcontinent with the description of three new species from Southern Western Ghats, Zootaxa 4629 (1), pp. 109-121 : 115-117

Dicranorhina georgei Mawadda, Girish Kumar & Sureshan sp. nov.

( Figs. 17–29 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:450582E0-CDB8-47FA-B9F8-88151DF89983

Diagnosis. Within Dicranorhina , this new species can be separated from all other species by the following character combination: Forewing with recurrent vein 1and 2 not united anteriorly ( Fig. 23 ). Hind femur near the base beneath with a distinct tooth ( Fig. 27 ). Interocular distance at vertex 1.30 × as long as F1. Setae on anterior sides of mesoscutum silvery ( Fig. 25 ).

Description. Holotype ♀ ( Fig. 17 ). Head. Head width 1.17 × its median height in frontal view ( Fig. 18 ); clypeus not tripartite, apex of clypeus broadly quadrate with distinct flattened inverted V-shaped incision medially ( Fig. 19 ); basal area of clypeus medially raised with distinct median carina which extends beyond basal half; apical margin of clypeus behind glabrous area with few gross piliferous punctures medially; distance between antennal toruli 0.33 × distance between antennal torulus and inner eye margin; posterior ocelli opaque, scar-like and oval-shaped ( Fig. 21 ), its maximum diameter 1.33 × POL; POL 0.14 × OOL; distinct glossy median fovea present above posterior ocelli on vertex as in Fig. 21 ; interocular distance at vertex 0.47 × interocular distance at clypeus, 1.3 × as long as F1. Antenna ( Fig. 22 ) with scape 3.14 × as long as wide, F1 4.32 × as long as wide, 1.16 × as long as F2; F2 as long as F3.

Mesosoma ( Figs 25, 26 ). Pronotal collar transversely striated, with deep transverse grove anteriorly, thick and roundly swollen at lateral areas; but medially obliquely inclined and then raised anteriorly; median length of mesoscutum 0.68 × as long as its maximum width, with a depression at medioanterior area, anterior margin strongly emarginated in middle; mesoscutum with two weak submedian and two lateral carina up to ¼ of mesoscutum basally; scutellum convex; propodeal dorsum transversely, finely and closely rugosostriate, striae laterally stronger and sparser; forewing ( Fig.23 ) with recurrent vein 1 and 2 not united anteriorly, distinctly separated; hind femur near base beneath with distinct tooth ( Fig. 27 ).

Metasoma. T1 1.10 × as long as its maximum width, 1.07 × as long as T2 ( Fig. 28 ); T2 0.60 × as long as its maximum width; T7 somewhat largely densely and subcontiguously punctured, but punctures slightly sparser towards base; pygidial plate as in figure 29.

Colouration. Black, with following ferruginous markings; clypeus except apical and basal portion dark brown; mandible except at apical margin black, basally lightly brownish; scape, pedicel and F2-F5 (F1, F6 blackish brown and remaining segments black), pronotum, mark on both sides of mesoscutum anteriorly, tegula, metapleuron, propodeum except median part of dorsal side and posterior side, T1 (except apical margin black) and S1 and T6. Legs mostly ferruginous to reddish brown with following black markings: black mark on outer side of fore femur, base of mid and hind coxae, outer sides of mid and hind trochanters and femora, large mark on apical half of hind tibia, mid and hind tibial spurs. Wings hyaline, fore wing with stigma strongly and adjacent areas lightly infumated. Body setae silvery, dense on lower frons, clypeus, dorsal base and posterior aspect of propodeum. Short setae on apical part of pygidial area yellowish brown.

Size (measured from head to second tergite). 7.95 mm.

♂. Unknown.

Material examined. Holotype ♀, INDIA: Kerala, Kozhikode district, Kakkadampoyil (11.3362°N, 76.1102°E), 21.i.2018, yellow pan trap collection, Coll. George Mathew, ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/ WGRC /IR/INV/11600.

Distribution. India: Kerala.

Etymology. The species is named after Dr. George Mathew, Professor and Head of the Department, Department of Zoology, St. Joseph’s College, Devagiri, Kozhikode, who collected the holotype.

Discussion. In Tsuneki (1983), females of this new species key out as D. varicornis ( Cameron, 1904) in having antenna extensively ferruginous and hind femur near base beneath with distinct tooth. But, it differs from D. varicornis in having: (1) setae on anterior sides of mesoscutum silvery (in D. varicornis , setae on anterior sides of mesoscutum golden); (2) propodeum ferruginous except median area of dorsal and posterior sides black (in D. varicornis , propodeum entirely black); (3) scape, pedicel and F2-F5 ferruginous (F1, F6 blackish brown and remaining segments black) (in D. varicornis , scape, F2-F4 and part of F5 ferruginous). This new species differs from D. ruficornis ( Cameron, 1889) in having: (1) hind femur near base beneath with distinct tooth (in D. ruficornis , hind femur near base beneath without distinct tooth or at most with slight thickening); (2) forewing with recurrent vein 1 and 2 not united anteriorly (in D. ruficornis , recurrent vein 1 and 2 united anteriorly; (3) interocular distance at vertex 1.3 × as long as F1 (in D. ruficornis , interocular distance at vertex equal to length of F1).

This species differs from D. sreeramani Mawadda, Girish Kumar & Sureshan sp. nov. in having (1) hind femur near base beneath with distinct tooth (in D. sreeramani hind femur near base beneath without tooth).

Figures

FIGURES 17–24. Dicranorhina georgei sp. nov., holotype ♀.17. Body in profile; 18. Head, frontal view; 19. Clypeus; 20. Left mandible; 21. Area around ocelli; 22. Antenna; 23. Forewing; 24. Hindwing.

FIGURES 25–32. Dicranorhina spp. 25–29. Dicranorhina georgei sp. nov., holotype ♀. 25. Head and Mesosoma, dorsal view; 26. Mesosoma, lateral view; 27. Hind tibia; 28. Metasoma, dorsal view; 29. Pygidium. 30–32. Dicranorhina sreeramani sp. nov., holotype ♀. 30. Body in profile; 31. Head, frontal view; 32. Clypeus.