Anterhynchium ( Anterhynchium ) mellyi (de Saussure, 1852 )

Dang, Hoa Thi, Tran, Duong Dinh, Nguyen, Anh Duc & Nguyen, Lien Thi Phuong, 2025, Review of the genus Anterhynchium de Saussure (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae) from Vietnam, with the description of a new species and a key to the Oriental species, Zootaxa 5716 (4), pp. 541-557 : 542-544

Anterhynchium ( Anterhynchium) mellyi (de Saussure, 1852)

( Figs 1 , 7A )

Rygchium mellyi de Saussure, 1852: 116 , female. Syntypes, females, “Les Indes, La Chine” [currently known as South Asia and Southeast Asia ( Les Indes), China ( La Chine)], deposited in MNHN and MHN, not examined.

Anterhynchium ( Anterhynchium) mellyi : Nguyen et al. 2014: 8; Nguyen 2015: 136 .

Diagnosis. This species can be differentiated from other congeners in the subgenus Anterhynchium by the following combination of characteristics: basal two thirds of tergum II with distinct punctations, except in middle, interspaces between punctures larger than puncture diameter; female clypeus about 1.07 × as wide as long, with week punctures; male clypeus as wide as high, mandible with two distinct teeth on inner side, basal tooth deeply emarginate at inner margin; digitus almost triangular apically, with left margin gradually concave from base to apex, with apical part nearly point, with dense and long setae on its surface and left margin and several short setae on right margin; penis valve in profile with apical part strongly produced into a sharply pointed lobe; all metasomal segments black.

Description of male genitalia ( Figs 1A–E ). Genitalia were taken from specimens from Dak Lak. Tergum VIII widest at middle length, about 1.9 × as long as wide (at widest part), with a narrow part at apex short ( Fig. 1A ). Parameral spine without setae. Volsella flattened, spatulate, wide on inner aspect, and without setae at top ( Fig. 1B ). Digitus almost triangular apically, with left margin gradually concave from base to apex, with apical part nearly point, with dense and long setae on its surface and left margin and several short setae on right margin, about 3.5 × as long as wide (at widest part) ( Fig. 1C ). Penis valve long ( Figs 1D, E ), about 1.4 × as long as basal apodeme, in profile apical part strongly produced into a sharply pointed lobe ( Fig. 1E ); middle rod shorter than basal apodeme.

Material examined. VIETNAM. Vinh Phuc: 1 ♂, Ngoc Thanh, Me Linh, 22.VIII.2000, L.T.P. Nguyen ; Dak Lak: 1 ♂, Buon Don, Yok Don NP station, 12°52’19.1”N 107°48’25.9”E, 191 m, L.T.P. Nguyen (specimen with male genitalia dissected) (all deposited in IB) .

Distribution. Pakistan; India: Assam, Karnataka, Kerala, Meghalaya, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal; China: Yunnan, Fujian, Hong Kong; Myanmar; Thailand; Vietnam: Vinh Phuc, Dak Lak.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Anterhynchium mellyi, male, genitalia. A. Sternum VIII. B. Inner aspect of paramere with volsella and digitus. C. Digitus. D. Aedeagus, ventral view. E. Aedeagus, lateral view. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 7. Anterhynchium spp., males, head, frontalview.A. A.mellyi. B. A.punctatum. C. A.flavolineatum. D.A.conformalum sp. nov. (paratype) Scale bar = 1mm.