Sceliphron destillatorium ( Illiger, 1807 )

Anagha, S., Kumar, P. Girish, Binoy, C., Mazumdar, P. C. & Sureshan, P. M., 2021, A review of the mud-dauber wasps of genus Sceliphron Klug (Hymenoptera Sphecidae) from India, Zootaxa 4969 (1), pp. 61-85 : 69-70

5. Sceliphron destillatorium ( Illiger, 1807)

( Figs 20–24 )

Pepsis destillatoria Illiger, 1807: 94 , sex not indicated. Holotype or syntypes: Europe: no specific locality (destroyed). Pulawski (2021) gives a list of the synonymy, which is not repeated here.

Diagnosis. Female. Frons pilose, distinctly punctate; clypeus apico–medially produced with median incision forming two lobes, these lobes followed by lateral incisions forming blunt lobes sublaterally ( Fig. 21 ); pronotal collar finely punctate with notch in middle; mesoscutum with more or less distinct, fine close striation, anteriorly almost transversely striate, becoming oblique posteriorly; scutellum and metanotum with longitudinal oblong striation; metanotum with broad yellowish brown band ( Fig. 22 ); propodeal enclosure with wavy striation, medially with shallow depression; mesepisternum shiny, with close and coarse fine punctures; propodeum side with distinct striation and punctures in interstices ( Fig. 23 ); metasoma black ( Fig. 24 ); tegula and petiole yellowish brown.

Male. Not seen during the present study. Similar to female in most aspects ( Kohl 1918).

Variability. The female specimens examined here differ in colour compared to the description of Schmid–Egger (2005). Tegula, band on metanotum, petiole, parts of legs are yellowish brown in the specimens examined, while lemon yellow according to Schmid–Egger.

Material Examined. India: Himachal Pradesh: Shimla Dist. , 1♀, May 1971, Coll. Unknown, ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/ WGRC /I. R.–INV. 14897 .

Distribution. India (new country record): Himachal Pradesh. Elsewhere: Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; Austria; Bulgaria; China; Croatia; Czech Republic; France; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Iran; Iraq; Israel; Italy; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kyrgyzstan; Macedonia; Montenegro; Morrocco; Poland; Portugal; Romania; Russia; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Switzerland; Syria; Tajikistan; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Ukraine; Uzbekistan ( Pulawski 2021).

Figures

FIGURES 20–24. Sceliphron destillatorium (Illiger), ♀. 20. Habitus, lateral view; 21. Head, frontal view; 22. Mesosoma, dorsal view; 23. Mesosoma, lateral view; 24. Metasoma, dorsal view.