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).