4. Antepipona bipustulata (de Saussure, 1855)

(Figs 13–24)

Odynerus bipustulatus de Saussure 1855: 277, Ƌ, ♀, pl. XII fig 10 (syn.:? Vespa biguttata Fabricius; in subgenus Odynerus division Epsilon)—locality? (MP); Smith 1857: 85 (cat., “China”); de Saussure 1863: 226 (Indes); Dalla Torre 1894: 56 (cat.); Bingham 1897: 362 (key), 369, fig 108 (India: Delhi, Allahabad, Agra, Barrackpore; Burma: Tenasserim); Rothney 1903: 107 (Barrackpore, Bengal, common); Dalla Torre 1904: 41 (in subgenus Lionotus; cat.); Annandale 1912: 39 (India, Parésnath, 4000–4400 ft); von Schulthess 1914: 266 (in subgenus Lionotus; Ceylon; Java; Sumatra); 1927: 81 (in subgenus Lionotus; Sumatra); Dover 1929: 45 (Singapore); 1931: 255 (Malaya); Bischoff 1932: 739 (Sumatra).

Antepipona bipustulata: Giordani Soika 1982: 205, 210 (key), 228, fig 29 (China; India; Myanmar; Thailand; Malaysia; Indonesia: Sumatra; Java, Riau Archipelago); Gusenleitner 1988: 180 (Thailand) ; Lambert 2004: 558 (key); Gusenleitner 2011: 1360 (Laos); Nugroho et al. 2012: 79 (list).

Diagnosis. ♀. (Figs 13–19): Outer margin of posterior lobe of tegulae not strongly concave, posterior lobe bends slightly towards base, and its apex almost equal to parategula (Fig. 16); parategula arched (Fig. 16); S2 convex at base to apex, where it creates fold followed by slight depression (Fig. 19); width between clypeal teeth equal to interantennal space (Fig. 14); clypeal apex slightly emarginated, with apical teeth short, but acute (Fig. 15); carina of anterior face of pronotum well developed on sides and on shoulders and absent on dorsal surface; anterior face of pronotum with two cross impressions at middle, surrounded by smooth area or some small punctures; its sides with very large and thick punctures; metanotal teeth triangular, separated by distance which not much greater than that which separates them from lateral margins of metanotum; posterior face of propodeum without superior transverse carina (Fig. 17).

Colour. Body black, with ventral face of apical antennal articles sometimes ferruginous, and tarsi brown– ferruginous. Yellow markings: V–shaped mark at base of mandible; band at base of clypeus, sometimes interrupted at middle; sometimes marks at apex of clypeus; spot on front; strip along inner orbit up to ocular sinus; ventral face of scape; long mark on temple; medially interrupted broad band on dorsal surface of pronotum; large round spot on mesepisternum; two spots on scutellum; two spots, sometimes combined into one band, on metanotum; outer half of dorsal and posterior face of propodeum; tegulae, except black or brown mark at middle; parategulae; stains on fore and mid coxae; large spots on outer face of fore and mid femora; outer face of all tibiae; T1 with an apical band, abbreviated at sides and sometimes two isolated spots on sides; T2 with an apical band and two lateral spots at base; S2 with band similar to that of T2; T3 and S3 with short marks to sides of apical margin; T4 with an apical band abbreviated at sides; T5 sometimes with small median apical band; spot at middle of T6. Wings subhyaline; fore wing with dark infumation on marginal cell.

Ƌ (Figs 20–24): Clypeus slightly wider than long, with apical semicircular emargination, apical teeth triangular, acute (Fig. 22). Apical antennal article of medium length, slightly arched, its apex reaching to base of 11th article (Fig. 23). Yellow too: mandible, clypeus entirely; yellow mark on front extends towards interantennal space; apical bands on T4–T6 and mark on sides of S4. Apical tergite black or brown. Other characters similar to that of ♀.

Size (H+M+T1+T2). ♀, 7.5–8.5 mm; Ƌ, 6–7 mm.

Material examined. INDIA: Arunachal Pradesh, Papumpare district, Itanagar, 1Ƌ, 22.v.1998, Coll. A.R. Lahiri & Party, NZC No. 16310/H3 ; Tawang district, Tang, 1♀, 27.x.2007, Coll. G. Srinivasan & Party, NZC No. 16311/H3 . Chhattisgarh, Jashpur district, Narayanpur, 1♀, 15.xi.2011, Coll. Mandal & Party, NZC No. 16312/H3 ; Jashpur district, Bend, 1Ƌ, 21.xi.2011, Coll. Mandal & Party, NZC No. 16313/H3 ; Jashpur district, Badalkhol, 1♀, 1Ƌ, 27.v.2012, Coll. A. Raha & Party, NZC Nos. 16314/H3, 16315/H3 . Meghalaya, East Garo Hills district, Dainadubi, 2Ƌ, 8–13.v.1979, Coll. S.B. Roy & Party, NZC Nos. 16316/H3, 16317/H3 . Nagaland, Tuensang district, Longkhim, 1Ƌ, 23.ix.1994, Coll. B. Mitra & Party, NZC No. 16318/H3 . Tripura, South Tripura district, Garjee, 2♀, 13.v.1978, Coll. J.K. Jonathan & Party, NZC Nos. 16319/H3, 16320/H3 ; Khowai district, Teliamura, 1♀, 4Ƌ, 18–20.v.1978, Coll. J.K. Jonathan & Party, NZC Nos. 16321/H3–16325/H3 ; Dhalai district, Ambassa, 4Ƌ, 24–25.v.1978, Coll. J.K. Jonathan & Party, NZC Nos. 16326/H3–16329/H3 . West Bengal, Kolkata, 1♀, date of collection and name of collector unknown, NZC No. 16330/H3; Kolkata, 1♀, 14.viii.1904, Coll. Brunetti, NZC No. 16331/H3 ; Darjeeling district, Sukna, 2Ƌ, 1.vii.1908, Coll. N. Annandale, NZC Nos. 367/H3, 370/H3; N–24 Parganas district, Duttapukur, 1♀, 6.xii.1986, Coll. A.N.T. Joseph & Party, NZC No. 16332/H3 ; Nadia district, Taherpur, 1♀, 16.xi.2014, Coll. P.C. Mazumdar, NZC No. 16333/H3.

Distribution. India: * Arunachal Pradesh, * Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Jharkhand, * Meghalaya, * Nagaland, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, * Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal; Sri Lanka; Myanmar; China; Thailand; Laos; Malaysia; Singapore; Indonesia: Sumatra (including Riau Islands), Java.