Liacos erythrosoma (Burmeister, 1854)

Figs 4A–B, 5C–D, 7G, 10B, 11G, 14B, 15G, 18B, 19G, 22B, 23G, 26B, 27G, 30B, 31G, 34B, 35G, 38B, 39I, 40I, 41I, 42I

Scolia erythrosoma Burmeister, 1854: 15 (holotype MLUH, ♂, type locality = Padang, Sumatra, Indonesia).

Scolia (Scolia) penangensis de Saussure, 1855: 39 (holotype ♀, type locality = Penang, Malaysia).

Liacos (Triliacos) fulvo picta [sic] Cameron, 1892: 2 (holotype Oxford Museum, ♀, type locality = Barrackpore, India).

Liacos erythrosoma f. rufocoronata Micha, 1927: 58 (holotype ZMB, ♀, type locality = Penang, Malaysia).

Liacos erythrosoma f. vulpes Micha, 1927: 59 (holotype ZMB, ♂, type locality = Kambang, Sumatra, Indonesia).

Liacos erythrosoma sikkimensis Micha, 1927: 59 (syntypes ZMB, ♀, ♂, type localities = Sikkim and Assam, India; Myanmar).

Liacos erythrosoma borneensis Micha, 1927: 59 (syntypes ZMB, ♀, ♂, type locality = Kalimantan, Borneo, Indonesia).

Liacos erythrosoma hainana Micha, 1927: 60 (holotype ZMB, ♀, type locality = Hainan, China).

Liacos erythrosoma formosana Micha, 1927: 61 (holotype ♀, type locality = Gangkou, Taiwan).

Liacos erythrosoma aurantiaca Micha, 1927: 62 (syntypes ZMB, ♀, ♂, type locality = Nicobar, India).

Scolia (Liacos) erythrosoma f. chosensis Uchida, 1934: 241 (holotype ♀, type locality = Suigen, South Korea).

Scolia (Liacos) erythrosoma sikkimensis var. michai Betrem, 1941: 123 (unavailable infrasubspecific name).

Liacos (Triliacos) analis (Fabricius, 1804) – de Saussure & Sichel 1864: 34.

Liacos (Triliacos) erythrosoma – de Saussure & Sichel 1864: 35.

Liacos (Triliacos) dimidiata (Guérin-Méneville, 1838) – Magretti 1892: 235

Liacos erythrosoma fulvopicta – Micha 1927: 63.

Scolia (Liacos) erythrosoma – Betrem 1928: 168.

Scolia (Liacos) erythrosoma sikkimensis – Betrem 1928: 168 (non Scolia (Discolia) sikkimensis Bingham, 1896).

Scolia (Liacos) erythrosoma sikkimensis var. hainana – Betrem 1928: 169.

Scolia (Liacos) erythrosoma formosana – Betrem 1928: 171.

Scolia (Liacos) erythrosoma aurantiaca – Betrem 1928: 171.

Scolia (Liacos) erythrosoma fulvopicta – Betrem 1928: 171.

Liacos erythrosoma chosensis – Tsuneki 1972: 20.

Material examined

CHINA – Hong Kong • 1 ♀; Pak Sha O; 22°26′59″ N, 114°19′04″ E; alt. 70 m; 6 Aug.–5 Sep. 2009; C. Barthélémy leg.; Malaise trap, ref.: M065.C.Hy.3; CBC • 1 ♀; Mang Kung Wo; 22°22′06″ N, 114°15′12″ E; 60 m; 18 Aug.–1 Sep. 2018; C. Barthélémy leg.; Malaise trap, ref.: M362.C.Hy.11; CBC • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 1–15 Sep. 2018; C. Barthélémy leg.; Malaise trap, ref.: M365.C.Hy.2; CBC • 1 ♂; Pak Sha O; 22°26′59″ N, 114°19′04″ E; alt. 70 m; 21 May 2009; C. Barthélémy leg.; hand net, ref.: 0338.C.Hy.1; CBC • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; 29 Sep. 2018; C. Barthélémy leg.; hand net, ref.: 0669.C.Hy.2; CBC • 1 ♂; Sha Lo Tong; 22°28′54″ N, 114°10′49″ E; alt. 160 m; 31 Jun. 2017; C. Barthélémy leg.; hand net, ref.: 0635.B.Hy.3; CBC • 3 ♂♂; Tai Lung Farm; TLFES .

Description

Female

STANDARD RATIOS (n = 3). L: 17.7–22.1 mm (mean = 20.06 mm); CR: 1.13–1.29 (mean = 1.20); OOR: 0.62–0.71 (mean = 0.67); CLR: 0.41–0.42 (mean = 0.41); MER: 1.20–1.41 (mean = 1.31); OMR: 1.03– 1.15 (mean = 1.10); FRR: 1.52–1.59 (mean = 1.55); MSR: 0.69–0.75 (mean = 0.75); TER: 1.53–1.81 (mean = 1.63).

HEAD. Head mostly sparsely punctate with denser punctation on frontal lamina and scrobe (Fig. 15G); frontal spatium well defined by posterior furrow, frontal fissura distinct between anterior of frontal spatium and anterior ocellus (Fig. 15G).

MESOSOMA. Dorsum of mesosoma with scapulae, anterior of mesoscutum, scutellum, metanotum and dorsomedian area of propodeum densely punctate (Fig. 23G); disc of mesoscutum sparsely punctate to largely impunctate (Fig. 23G); dorsolateral area of propodeum anteriorly impunctate, posteriorly densely punctate (Fig. 27G). Mesopleuron mostly densely punctate except near anterior and posterior margins, becoming less so around mesopleural crest; upper plate of metapleuron densely punctate near upper margin, otherwise impunctate; lower plate of metapleuron densely punctate anteroventrally, becoming impunctate near upper and posterior margins; lateral panel of propodeum densely and sub contiguously punctate above lateral carina, otherwise sparsely and minutely punctate. Scutellum with median longitudinal groove, metanotum without median longitudinal carina (Fig. 27G). Dorso-median area of propodeum without distinct tubercule medially (Fig. 27G).

METASOMA. Metasoma with strong angle between anterior and ventral faces of S 2 in lateral view (Fig. 31G); tergites becoming more densely punctate posteriorly than anteriorly (Fig. 35G). T2 with basal elevation distinct (gradulus) (Fig. 35G).

WINGS. Fore wing with three submarginal cells and two recurrent veins; second recurrent vein merging with first before reaching submarginal cells. Fore wing galbrous except along the costal vein being dense setae.

COLOUR AND VESTITURE. Head and mesosoma black (Figs 7G, 11G); metasoma with T1 varying from entirely black to red with transverse black apical band, T2 red anteriorly with varying amounts of black posteriorly and laterally, remaining tergites red (Figs 11G, 23G); S1 black, remaining sternites more or less red with varying amounts of median black patches, particularly on S2 (Figs 7G, 31G). Vestiture black on head, mesosoma and basal segments of metasoma (apical fringes of segment 2 may be red) (Figs 7G, 11G, 23G, 35G), red on apical segments of metasoma (black vestiture may be present on black patches of integument). Wings dark brown with purple reflections.

Male

Male as female, except head somewhat more punctate, particularly densely on frontal spatium; more or less distinct transverse carina running between ocular sinuses behind posterior margin of frontal spatium (Fig. 18B). Disc of mesoscutum sparsely but strongly punctate (Fig. 26B). Occiput bearing short, dense, whitish hair. Mesosoma also with fringes of short, dense, whitish pile present posterolaterally on scutellum and metanotum (Fig. 26B), and at posterolateral corners and laterally on propodeum.

STANDARD RATIOS (n = 5). L: 14–21.2 mm (mean = 16.9 mm); CR: 1.15–1.20 (mean = 1.17); OOR: 1.04–1.24 (mean = 1.15); CLR: 0.60–0.64 (mean = 0.62); MER: 1.27–1.40 (mean = 1.32); OMR: 0.89– 0.99 (mean = 0.96); FRR: 1.46–1.81 (mean = 1.67); MSR: 0.72–0.80 (mean = 0.75); TER: 1.55–1.74 (mean = 1.62).

GENITALIA. Ventral side of paramere with a few setae on the lateral side (Fig. 40I) and dense setae on basal part, dorsal side with sparse long setae on most of its surface (Figs 39I, 41I); volsella and cuspis volsellaris with sparse setae on entire surfaces (Figs 40I, 42I); volsella bearing a few sensory cones on basal margin (Fig. 42I), no lamella on inner margin (Fig. 39I). External margin of paramere not angled medially (lateral side parallel), flattened apically (Figs 39I, 40I), volsella acute apically (Fig. 39I); aedeagus with 10 teeth, the first two apical teeth much reduced, serrated margin straight, convex apically (Fig. 42I).

Distribution (Fig. 3A–B)

Indonesia (Sumatra, Kalimantan); Singapore; Malaysia (Sarawak); China (Anhui, Beijing, Guangdong, Hainan, Hebei, * Hong Kong, Jiangsu, Taiwan, Yunnan,); India (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Kerala, Manipur, Sikkim, West Bengal); Thailand; Nepal; Bhutan; Japan; Myanmar (Tenasserim). [Bingham 1897; Betrem 1928, 1941; Gupta & Jonathan 2003; Terayama & Nagase 2007; TIGER project 2008; Nidup et al. 2017; Liu et al. 2021b].

Notes

This species can readily be distinguished from all other scoliids in Hong Kong by its wing venation with the second recurrent vein present but merging with the first. Subspecies of Liacos erythrosoma have been distinguished by the extent of red coloration on the metasoma (Betrem 1941; Gupta & Jonathan 2003). Specimens from Hong Kong show a wide range of variation in the amount of red integument on the basal tergites and sternites, and in the corresponding extent of red vestiture. The recognition of distinct subspecies seems unwarranted.