Icaria artifex
Ropalidia artifex
Ropalidia artifex artifex
Ropalidia artifex fuscata
Pictorial key to species of the genus Ropalidia Guerin-Meneville, 1831 (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) from China, with description of one new species
Tan, Jiang-Li
Van Achterberg, Kees
Chen, Xue-Xin
ZooKeys
2014
391
1
35
4TBV8
http://species-id.net/wiki/Ropalidia_artifex
de Saussure, 1854
de Saussure
1854
Insecta
Vespidae
Ropalidia
CoL
Animalia
Ropalidia artifex
Hymenoptera
13
14
Arthropoda
species
artifex
Icaria artifexde Saussure, 1854: 236. Type locality: Java. Ropalidia artifex; Dover 1931: 257. Ropalidia artifex artifex; van der Vecht 1941: 110. Ropalidia artifex fuscata van der Vecht 1941: 136. Type locality: N. Sumatra.
Specimens examined. CHINA: 3 ♀ (NWUM), Yaoqu, Mengla, Yunnan, 28-30.ix.2010, JL Tan; 1 ♀ (NWUM), Longmen, Shangyong, Yunnan, 26.ix.2010, JL Tan; 1 ♀ (ZJUH), Jinghong Forestry Park, Yunnan, 31.vii.2003, J Lu (no. 20045916); 5 ♀ (ZJUH), Fugong, Yunnan, 24.viii.2003, Q Li (no. 20046662, -4, -6, -8, -70); 1 ♀ (ZJUH), Mt. Youle, Yunnan,17.iv.1981, JH He (no. 811876); 1 ♀ (ZJUH), Shuangjiang, Yunnan, 21.iv.1981, coll. JH He (no. 813609); 2 ♀ + 8 ♂ (ZJUH), Tongzhong, Shiwandashan, Guangxi, 3.xii.2001, ZF Xu (no. 20029971-4, -77-79, -80-82). INDONESIA: 2 ♀ (RMNH), W. Java: Djampang Tengah, 1634, M Walsh; 1 ♂ (RMNH), Udjung Kulon, Tjidaon, Java, 29.xi.1951, AMR Wegner. VIETNAM: 1 ♀ (RMNH), S. Vietnam: Dak Lak, Chu Yang Sin N.P., 50 km S. Buon Ma Thuot, Krong K'Mar, 550-600 m, 23-25.x.2005, near rainforest, C van Achterberg & R de Vries; 1 ♀ (RMNH), id., but 590-840 m, 22-26.x.2005, Malaise traps 13-23; 1 ♂ (RMNH), N. Vietnam: Viet Try, Thuong Cuu, near Thanh Son, 20°59'N, 105°8'E, 350-400 m, 12-16.x.1999, R de Vries. MYANMAR: 8 ♀ + 1 ♂ (RMNH), S. Shan state, Burma, 1500 m, Taunggyi, 1. viii-13.x.1934, R Malaise. Figure 1. Ropalidiaspp., habitus (♀). A Ropalidia artifex(de Saussure, 1854) B Ropalidia bicoloratavan der Vecht, 1962 C Ropalidia cyathiformis(Fabricius, 1804) D Ropalidia fasciata(Fabricius, 1804) E Ropalidia flavopicta(Smith, 1857) F Ropalidia hongkongensis(de Saussure, 1854)G Ropalidia malaiseivan der Vecht, 1962 H Ropalidia marginata(Lepeletier, 1793) I Ropalidia mathematica(Smith, 1860) J Ropalidia obscuraGusenleitner, 1996.
Remarks. Some specimens have the apical margin of the second metasomal tergite flattened, not convex as in typical specimens. In the species Ropalidia artifex, there are two subspecies e.g. Ropalidia artifex artifexand Ropalidia artifex fuscata van der Vecht 1941. Up to date, no distinct morphological differences between them were found, and it is hard to formally treat them as two distinct species ( van der Vecht 1962, Nguyen et al. 2006). The Chinese specimens belong all to Ropalidia artifex artifex.
Distribution. China (Yunnan, Guangxi); Borneo; Java; Myanmar; Malay Peninsula; Sumatra; Vietnam ( Kojima and Carpenter 1997and updated to 2006, Nguyen et al. 2006).