Dasyproctus geethae Binoy & Girish Kumar, 2021

Binoy, C., Kumar, P. Girish & Santhosh, S., 2021, A new species of square-headed wasp Dasyproctus Lepeletier & Brullé (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae: Crabronini) from India, with notes on its biology, Zootaxa 4920 (2), pp. 223-234 : 224-227

Dasyproctus geethae Binoy & Girish Kumar , sp. nov.

( Figs 1–25 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:414B390A-6289-47F6-B298-E80190F2EE14

Materials Examined: Holotype ♀ India: Kerala, Kozhikode district, Elathur (11°20ʹ37ʺN 75°43ʹ6.74ʺE, 23m), 08.vii.2020, Coll. C. Binoy, ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/ WGRC /IR/INV.14741 . Paratypes: 2 ³, 2 ♀ (same locality as ho-lotype, all collected by C. Binoy). 1³, 03.viii.2020, ZSIK Regd. No. ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/ WGRC /IR/INV.14742 ; 1♀, 12.vii.2020, ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/ WGRC /IR/INV.14743 ; 1♀, 21.viii.2020, ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/ WGRC /IR/ INV.14856; 1³, 01.ix.2020, ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/ WGRC /IR/INV.14857 .

Diagnosis. The female of Dasyproctus geethae runs to Dasyproctus pentheri Leclercq, 1956 in the key to Asian and Oceanic Dasyproctus ( Leclercq 2015) due to the overall appearance and texture of the body. It resembles the widespread D. pentheri in the punctation of head, mesosoma and metasoma; robustness of first metasomal tergum; conspicuous interocular carina dividing the frons, followed by a regular, concave and vaguely foveolate excavation and carina from one orbit to the other; maculation pattern on metasomal terga and well-imprinted supra-orbital fossa smaller than median ocellus. However, D. geethae sp. nov. differs from D. pentheri in having: clypeus with two well produced lobes apico-medially and pointed lateral process, no median indentations (in D. pentheri , clypeus quadridentate with a median indentation formed by an overhanging prolongation of median carina); with macula of Gt 2 elongated and similar to macula of Gt 3 and Gt 4 (in D. pentheri , macula of Gt 2 is rounded and smaller than maculae of Gt 3 –Gt 5); punctation on mesopleuron similar to that of the head, mesosoma and metasoma (in D. pentheri , punctation of mesopleuron is obsolete); POD almost equal to OOD (in D. pentheri POD is distinctly shorter than OOD); pronotum anterolaterally distinctly rugose with vertical wrinkles (in D. pentheri , pronotum has no large vertical wrinkles anterolaterally); Gt 1 with anterior third distinctly and conspicuously rugose (in D. pentheri, Gt 1 uniformly sculptured with widely separated pits and alutaceous interspaces); length of Gt 1 distinctly less than 2×, its greatest width, 1.4× Gt 2 (in D. pentheri , length of Gt 1 roughly 2× its greatest width, not greatly exceeding the length of Gt 2). In the key to males of Dasyproctus from Asia and Oceania ( Leclercq 2015), the male of D. geethae sp. nov. runs to the couplet separating D. pentheri and D. percarus Leclercq. It resembles D. pentheri in having Gt 5 –Gt 6 with wide bands and punctation on head and mesosoma and a sturdy, short Gt 1. The male differs from D. pentheri in having pronotum with distinct rugae anterior to the collar (in D. pentheri pronotum without rugae or wrinkles anteriorly); Gt 2 finely punctured (in D. pentheri Gt 2 impunctate). The male of D. geethae sp. nov. resembles D. percarus in having Gt 2 punctate and pronotum with distinct rugae anterior to the collar. However, the new species differs in that: Gt 2 –Gt 6 maculated (in D. percarus all terga immaculate); Gt 1 short and sturdy (in D. percarus Gt 1 slenderer); punctation moderate on head and mesosoma (in D. percarus punctation on head and mesosoma is conspicuous and dense with reticulate interspaces).

Description. Both male and female of D. geethae Binoy & Girish Kumar , sp. nov. are easily associated by the following characters: Colour. black with pronotal collar (except medial notch) and prepectus yellow, axilla and two almost contiguous spots on anterior half of scutellum yellow; metasomal terga with yellow maculae. Head. Mandible tridentate, with inner tooth smallest; clypeus markedly setose with surface concealed by thick silvery bristles; gena with moderate silvery white setae; POD almost equal to OOD; well imprinted supra-orbital furrow, almost circular, narrower than diameter of an ocellus ( Figs 5 & 19 ); head, mesosoma and metasoma uniformly punctate with matt interspaces and presence of a distinct, concave excavated and foveolate interocular furrow ( Figs 3 & 17 ); frons and vertex along occiput with scattered erect dirty white setae arising from pits. Mesosoma. Mesosoma with dirty white scattered pubescence; propodeum with longer white setae; metasoma setose with dirty white setae; mesopleuron and mesosternum with distinct setigerous punctures ( Figs 8 & 15 ). Metasoma. Gt 1 distinctly rugose anteriorly ( Figs 11 & 20 ).

FEMALE. Holotype ♀ ( Figs 1–14 , 24 ). Body length 9.90 mm; fore wing 6.93 mm.

Colour. Body matt black with the following variously coloured parts. Scape and pedicel bright yellow, mandible medio-basally pale yellowish brown, apically and ventrally black, labial palpus pale yellowish brown. Pronotal collar, pronotal lobe, and an oblique patch beneath, fore and mid femora basally and apically yellow with median black patch, hind femur black with apical yellow spot, all tibiae externally yellow, internally brownish black, all basitarsi pale yellow, remaining tarsomeres dark brown, arolium black, tegula brownish yellow, veins deep brown, Gt 1 –Gt 4 maculate with macula on Gt 1 small, oval, rest longer, similar bright yellow patches laterally ( Fig. 12 ); anterior 2/3 rds of Gt 5 completely bright yellow, remainder black; sterna black with posterior margins paler ( Fig. 13 ).

Head. As seen from above transverse, 2.01× as wide as long ( Fig. 5 ); clypeus apico-medially produced into pair of distinct diverging lobes and pair of lateral pointed processes, median carina well defined on the lamina, almost reaching apical margin, obsolete at apex ( Figs 4 & 24 ); antennal toruli almost touching the inner ocular margin but separated from one another, scapal basins moderately excavated, divided medially by longitudinal furrow (that meets dorsally the interocular foveolate furrow) separating it into separate setose compartments ( Fig. 3 ); frons matt, with scattered well imprinted setaceous pits, fine longitudinal median furrow running from interocular furrow onto the median ocellus, fine remnant of the same along ocellar triangle beyond posterior ocelli, not reaching occiput; vertex similarly sculptured, slightly convex beyond ocellar triangle; occipital carina conspicuous, complete, clearly reaching hypostomal carina; POD 1.2× OOD ( Fig. 5 ); scape with two carinae ventrally; relative lengths of antennal scape: pedicel: flagellomeres I to X (last) = 8.5: 4: 4: 3.2: 2.3: 1.9: 2.1: 2: 1.8: 1.5: 1.1: 3.6.

Mesosoma. Pronotum anteriorly much lower than mesoscutum, with three conspicuous transverse carinae and several finer striae; mesoscutum and scutellum rather matt, with well-impressed punctures; lateral mesoscutal margins carinate, posterior margin finely sinuate; apical margin of scutellum coarsely foveolate; metanotum rugose with coarse longitudinal rugae, laterally deeply excavated ( Fig. 6 ); hind femur medially enlarged, as wide as the basal width of Gt 1; hind tibia with five stout brown thorny serrations (six thorny serrations in D. pentheri ( Leclercq 1956)) ( Fig. 8 ); fore wing moderately setose, with brown tinge ( Fig. 9 ); propodeal enclosure with fine rugae, mostly longitudinal but superficial and evanescent on more granulose background; propodeum outside enclosure shiny with several incomplete longitudinal carinae arising from anterior margin, surface finely pitted anteriorly, posteriorly finely rugose, densely setose, submedian carina converging posteriorly onto petiolar sulcus ( Fig. 10 ).

Metasoma. Subsessile with Gt 1 robust; all terga matt black with bright yellow maculae; Gt 1 1.26× as long as wide, anterior third distinctly rugose, remainder alutaceous with well-impressed setigerous pits ( Fig. 11 ); pygidial plate present, medially excavated, pale yellowish brown with thick yellow bristles ( Fig. 14 ).

MALE. Paratype ³ ( Figs 1–14 , 24 ). Body size 5.47 mm; fore wing 3.46 mm.

Colour. Body matt black with the following colour pattern: scape yellow with dorso-basal brown streak, extending to middle of scape; pedicel brown; tegulae brown; scapal basin rugose-reticulate with lesser setosity and smaller bristles; mandible entirely brownish black; hind tibia liver brown with dorso-medial yellow streak; Gt 1 immaculate; Gt 2 –Gt 4 with a maculation on lateral sides; Gt 5 –Gt 6 with yellow band medially.

Head. As seen from above transverse, 1.57× as wide as long ( Fig. 19 ); well imprinted punctation, pits wider than that in females; POD 1.05× OOD; antennae slender with flagellomeres ventrally keeled; clypeus medially produced, weakly bilobed ( Figs 18 & 25 ); conspicuous and deep punctures on head; scapal basins moderately excavated, not divided as in female; relative lengths of antennal scape: pedicel: flagellomeres I to XI (last) = 5.5: 0.9: 1.4: 1.2: 1.2: 1.0: 0.9: 0.8: 0.8: 0.8: 0.7: 1.5.

Mesosoma. Pronotum anteriorly much lower than mesoscutum, no conspicuous carinae anteriorly; pronotal collar medially notched, with conspicuous anterior and posterior bordering carinae, lateral corners slightly angulate ( Figs 16 & 19 ); pronoto-mesoscutal and mesoscuto-scutellar grooves smooth; posterior margin of mesoscutum sinuate; axillae small; metanotum with irregular areolate rugae; propodeum smooth with radiating several longitudinal and cross rugae; hind femur almost as wide as the basal width of Gt 1; propodeal enclosure with fine rugae, mostly longitudinal ( Fig. 20 ).

Metasoma. Subsessile with Gt 1 robust, 1.83× as long as wide ( Figs 20 & 21 ); all terga matt black with small bright yellow maculae on Gt 2 –Gt 6; sterna black with posterior margins paler; Gt 2 with anterior smooth band, remain-der matt with impressed pits ( Fig. 21 ); epipygium small, posteriorly pitted ( Fig. 22 ); gonostyli with appressed and a pair of long spines apically ( Fig. 23 ).

Prey. Adult Diptera belonging to the families Dolichopodidae ( Sciapodinae , Condylostylus sp.) ( Fig. 50 ), Hybotidae ( Hybotinae , Syneches sp.) ( Fig. 51 ), Lauxaniidae ( Homoneurinae , Homoneura sp.) ( Fig. 52 ), and Stratiomyidae ( Sarginae , Microchrysa sp.) ( Fig. 53 ).

Etymology. The species is named after first author’s mother, Mrs. Geetha Rajeevan, who helped in the collection of the type specimen and also encouraged and helped the first author during the study of the developmental stages of the new species.

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Dasyproctus geethae Binoy & Girish Kumar, sp. nov. Holotype ♀. 1. Habitus, lateral view; 2. Head, lateral view; 3. Head, frontal view; 4. Clypeus; 5. Head and pronotal collar, dorsal view; 6. Mesosoma, dorsal view; 7. Head and pronotum, lateral view; 8. Mesosoma, lateral view.

FIGURES 9–14. Dasyproctus geethae Binoy & Girish Kumar, sp. nov. Holotype ♀. 9. Fore wing; 10. Propodeum, dorsal view; 11. Metasoma, dorsal view; 12. Metasoma, dorsal view; 13. Metasomal sternites, ventral view; 14. Pygidium, dorsal view.

FIGURES 15–23. Dasyproctus geethae Binoy & Girish Kumar, sp. nov. Paratype ³. 15. Habitus, lateral view; 16. Head and pronotal collar, lateral view; 17. Head, frontal view; 18. Clypeus; 19. Head and mesosoma, dorsal view; 20. Propodeum, dorsal view; 21. Metasoma, lateral view; 22. Last metasomal tergites (Epipygium), dorsal view; 23. Last metasomal sternites (Gonostyli), in ventral view.

FIGURES 24–25. Schematic diagram showing sex differentiation in shape of clypeus in D. geethae sp. nov. 24. Female clypeus; 25. Male clypeus.

FIGURES 50–53. Prey of Dasyproctus geethae Binoy & Girish Kumar, sp. nov. 50. Family Dolichopodidiae: Sciapodinae (Condylostylus sp.); 51. Family Hybotidae: Hybotinae (Syneches sp.); 52. Family Lauxaniidae: Homoneurinae (Homoneura sp.); 53. Family Stratiomyidae: Sarginae (Microchrysa sp.).