Discoelius vasukii Pannure and Carpenter, 2017

Kumar, P. Girish, Sureshan, P. M. & Manju, P., 2018, New record of the genus Discoelius Latreille (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae) from Kerala, Records of the Zoological Survey of India 118 (2), pp. 208-208 : 208

Discoelius vasukii Pannure and Carpenter, 2017 ( Figures 1-12 )

2017. Discoelius vasukii Pannure and Carpenter , 583-586, Holotype ♀, Valparai, Tamil Nadu (Department of Entomology, University of Agricultural Sciences , Gandhi Krishi Vignan Kendra , Bengaluru ).

Diagnosis: Female. Clypeus with truncate anterior margin and straight basal margin; posterior face of propodeum strongly reticulate with a high median carina running whole length of propodeum from a short and nearly rounded propodeal fovea; T2 with a narrow median apical lamella, T3 and T4 without apical lamellae; antennal scape depressed with dense punctation; pronotal carina complete and raised; mesoscutum with median longitudinal carina between notauli in anterior one-third of disc; notauli well developed, especially wide and deep towards posterior portion of mesoscutum, obscure and diverging near pronotum; parapsidal line weak; tegula much longer than broad with few scattered punctures except at middle and with distinct emargination on its posterior inner margin where it adjoins parategula, outer margin weakly rounded and posterior lobe narrowly defined; scuto-scutellar suture crenate; T1 coarsely punctate dorsally.

Colour description: Body completely black. Mandible, scape below in part, tegula, propodeal valvula, apex of tibia and all tarsi with brownish tinge. Body covered with dense erect white setae.

Body length (H+M+T1+T2): 11.5 mm; Forewing length:

9.80 mm.

Male: Unknown.

Material examined: India: Kerala, Palakkad district, Nelliampathy; Victoria forest , 27.ii.2017, Coll. P. Girish Kumar, Regd. No. ZSI/ WGRC /I.R-INV.9319 .

Distribution: India: Tamil Nadu ( Pannure et al., 2017), Kerala (new record).

Ethology: Symbiotic association with mites is observed in the wasp specimen. All the cavities of mesosoma housed with mites.

Figures

Figures 1-6. Discoelius vasukii Pannure & Carpenter, female. 1. Body profile; 2. Head, frontal view; 3. Clypeus and mandible; 4. Antenna; 5. Head and mesosoma, dorsal view; 6. Propodeum.

Figures 7-12. Discoelius vasukii Pannure & Carpenter, female. 7. Propodeum, lateral view; 8. Apical half of forwing; 9. T1, dorsal view; 10. T2 and remaining metasomal segments; 11. mesosomal cavities housing mites; 12. Collection locality.