Sceliphron coromandelicum ( Lepeletier, 1845 )

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 : 64

2. Sceliphron coromandelicum ( Lepeletier, 1845)

( Figs 1–9 )

Pelopaeus coromandelicus Lepeletier, 1845: 306 , ♀ (as Coromandelicus, incorrect original capitalization). Holotype or syntypes: ♀, India: Coromandel Coast: no specific locality (M. Spinola collection (MRSN)).

Diagnosis. Female. Frons distinctly pilose, sculpture not visible due to pilosity; clypeus incised apico-medially, forming two lobes, yellowish brown macula on upper clypeal margin ( Fig. 2 ); pronotal collar dorsally with yellowish brown band, medially notched; mesoscutum distinctly transversely striate; scutellum with longitudinal oblong striation; metanotum with faint transverse striation; propodeal enclosure transversely striate with shallow longitudinal depression medially, posterior surface of propodeum sometimes with small yellowish brown spot ( Fig. 4 ); mesepisternum and propodeum side with fine striation, yellowish brown spot below tegula on upper mesopleuron ( Fig. 5 ); metasoma black with fine setae ( Fig. 6 ); petiole yellow or yellowish brown.

Male. Similar to female.

Variability. The specimens examined here differ in colour compared to the description of Hensen (1987). Maculae on upper clypeal margin; ventral surface of scape; and band on pronotum are yellowish brown rather than yellow as mentioned by Hensen.

Material examined. India: Andaman Islands: South Andaman Dist., Port Blair. 1♀, 4.iii.2020, Coll.A.K Dubey, ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/ WGRC /I. R.–INV. 15285. Bihar: Purnia Dist. , 1♀, Date of collection unknown, Coll. Unknown, NZC Regd. No. 14890/H3. Delhi: North Delhi Dist., Delhi University Campus, 1♀, 15.viii.1977, Coll. Anita, NZC Regd. No. 14891/H3. Goa: North Goa Dist., Salim Ali BS, 1♀, 14.v.2018, Coll. P. Girish Kumar and Party, ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/ WGRC /I. R.–INV. 14046. Himachal Pradesh: Kangra Dist. , Kangra Valley , 1♀, March1899, Coll. Dudgeon, NZC Regd. No. 14892/H3. Karnataka: Banglore Dist. , G.K. V. K Dok, 1♀, Date of collection. unknown, Coll. N.K.K. Kumab, NZC Regd. No. 14893/H3; Shimoga Dist. , Agumbe, 1♂, 27.xii.2019, Coll. P. Girish Kumar, ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/ WGRC /I. R.–INV. 14047. Kerala: Ernakulam Dist. , Thattekad BS, 1♀, 05.ii.2017, Coll. P. Girish Kumar, ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/ WGRC /I. R.–INV. 8693 ; Kozhikode Dist., Nambikulam, 3♀, Aug. 2018 – May 2019, Coll. Sandra Lishikumar, ZSIK Regd. Nos. ZSI/ WGRC /I. R.–INV. 12454–12456; Thiruvananthapuram Dist. , Paruthippara, 1♀, 18.xi.2018, Coll. N. V. Ayisha Mawadda, ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/ WGRC /I. R.–INV. 14034 ; Kannur Dist., Aralam, 1♂, 16.iii.2019, Coll. P. Girish Kumar, ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/ WGRC /I. R.–INV. 14035. Maharashtra: Satara Dist., Panchgani, 1♀ and 1♂, Date of collection unknown, Coll. E. Flatter and J. Fernandez, NZC Regd. Nos. 14894/H3 and 14895/H3. Odisha: Mayurbhanj Dist. , Burrapani, 1♀, 06.iv.1923, R. P. Mullins, NZC Regd. No. 14896/H3; Keonjhar Dist. , Jajpur Road Temple, 1♀, 19.viii.1972, S.K. Mitra and Party, NZC Regd. No. 14897/ H3. Punjab: Jalandhar Dist. , 2♀, 05.iv.1905, Coll. Unknown, NZC Regd. Nos. 14898/H3 and 14899/H3. Sikkim: 1♀, August1897, Coll. Dudgeon, NZC Regd. No. 14900/H3. Tamil Nadu: Cuddalore Dist. , Pichavaram Mangrove Island , 1♀, 29.i.1981, Coll. M. Srinivas and Party, NZC Regd. No. 14901/H3. Uttarakhand: Dehradun Dist. , Sahastra Dhara Hills, 1♀, 24.6.1964, Coll. R. K. Bhatnagar, NZC Regd. No. 14902/H3; Dehradun Dist. , Mussorie, 1♀, 29.v.1965, Coll. T. D. Soota, NZC Regd. No. 15626/H3; Dehradun Dist. , Kalsi, 5♂, Coll. P. Girish Kumar; 18.vii.2019, ZSIK Regd. Nos. ZSI/ WGRC /I. R.–INV. 14039–14043. Uttar Pradesh: Bareilly Dist. , 1♀, 01.ix.1905, Coll. Brunetti, NZC Regd. No. 14903/H3. West Bengal: Kolkata, Southern Avenue , 1♀ and 7♂, 26.vii.2011 and 04.iv.2012, Coll. P. Girish Kumar, NZC Regd. Nos. 14904/H3–14908/H3 and 14910/H3–14912/H3; Nadia Dist. , Chakdah, 1♀, 10.x.2012, C. R. Satpati and Party, NZC Regd. No. 14909/H3 .

Distribution. India: Andaman Islands (new union territory record), Assam, Bihar, Delhi (new state record), Goa (new state record), Himachal Pradesh (new state record), Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Odisha, Pondicherry, Punjab (new state record), Sikkim (new state record), Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand (new state record), Uttar Pradesh (new state record), West Bengal. Elsewhere: Bangladesh; Cambodia; Laos; Malaysia; Myanmar; Sri Lanka; Thailand ( Hensen 1987; Dollfuss 2016; Pulawski 2021).

Figures

FIGURES 1–9. Sceliphron coromandelicum (Lepeletier), 1–7 ♀. 1. Habitus, lateral view; 2. Head, frontal view; 3. Fore wing; 4. Mesosoma, dorsal view; 5. Mesosoma, lateral view; 6. Metasoma, dorsal view; 7. Apical metasomal sterna; 8–9 ♂. 8. Head, frontal view; 9. Metasoma, dorsal view.