Episyron Schiødte, 1837

Anju, K., Kumar, P. Girish & Thejass, P., 2024, Review of the spider wasp genus Episyron Schiødte, 1837 (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) from India, with description of three new species, Zootaxa 5405 (4), pp. 562-576 : 563-564

Genus Episyron Schiødte, 1837

Episyron Schiødte, 1837: 341 . Type species: Sphex rufipes Linnaeus, 1758 , by monotypy.

Diagnosis. Ground colour black; dense brown, grey, or bluish white lanceolate scales or setae largely covering pronotum, scutellum, metanotum, mesopleura, metapleura, propodeum, dorsum of hind coxa and T1; clypeus large, upper margin somewhat sinuous; mandibles bidentate in female, unidentate in male; malar space, if any, shorter than half of pedicel; apex of apical flagellomere obliquely truncated with smooth area; metapostnotum strongly developed, constricted on the median line and just in front of spiracles, posterior margin arcuately expanded between the constrictions; posterolateral portion of propodeum smooth; protarsus with comb, tarsomere 2 with 1–2 midspines; all claws in both sexes bifid; fore wing with three SMC; anal lobe of hind wing fairly large, about half the length of submedian cell; metasoma stouter in female than male; female pygidium without bristles ( Evans 1949; Loktionov & Lelej 2015; Kim 2022).

Biology. Members are found to be ectoparasitoids of the spider family Araneidae ( Wasbauer & Kimsey 1985) .

Distribution. All major zoogeographic regions ( Kim 2022).

Key to species of Episyron Schiødte occurring in India

( E. zebra ( Cameron, 1891) excluded due to lack of sufficient details in description).

1. T3 almost entirely reddish brown or yellow................................................................. 2

- T3 either entirely black or black with yellow markings........................................................ 3

2. Clypeus very convex, its anterior margin boldly arcuate and turned downwards; propodeum gradually sloping to apex; metasoma black with basal three segments and base of fourth ferruginous red....................... E. fenestratum ( Smith, 1855)

- Clypeus moderately convex, transversally rectangular; propodeum with a steep slope to apex; metasoma black with third and fourth segments yellow.......................................................... E. infestum ( Bingham, 1896)

3. Primary colour of hind tibia red.......................................................................... 4

- Primary colour of hind tibia black........................................................................ 5

4. Propodeum gradually sloping to apex; hind tibia dorsally with a yellowish white spot....... E. vagabundum ( Smith, 1858)

- Propodeum with a steep slope to apex ( Fig. 34 ); hind tibia dorsally without any coloured spot ( Fig. 39 )......................................................................... E. rufotibius Anju, Girish Kumar & Thejass , sp. nov.

5. Clypeus entirely black ( Fig. 19 ); hind tibia black without any marking ( Fig. 27 ); tibial spurs black ( Fig. 27 ); numerous long black setae on T6, almost uniformly distributed ( Fig. 25 )...... E. nigrocalcarius Anju, Girish Kumar & Thejass , sp. nov.

- Clypeus black with pale yellow markings; hind tibia black with pale yellow fascia in dorsal face basally; tibial spurs pale yellow; long black setae on T6 moderate, concentrated laterally................................................. 6

6. Head not wider than mesosoma; SMC3 distinctly smaller than SMC2; crossvein 2m-cu of forewing nearly straight....................................................................................... E. arrogans ( Smith, 1873)

- Head wider than mesosoma; SMC2 and SMC3 almost equal in size ( Fig. 12 ); crossvein 2m-cu distinctly curved basally ( Fig. 12 ).................................................... E. keralaensis Anju, Girish Kumar & Thejass , sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURES 29–36. Episyron rufotibius Anju, Girish Kumar & Thejass, sp. nov. Holotype, ♀. 29, habitus, lateral view; 30, habitus, dorsal view; 31, head, frontal view; 32, head, dorsal view; 33, head, lateral view; 34, mesosoma, lateral view; 35, mesosoma, dorsal view; 36, metasoma, lateral view. Scale bar: 29, 30—1 mm; 36—0.5 mm; 31, 32, 33, 34, 35—0.25 mm.

FIGURES 37–40. Episyron rufotibius Anju, Girish Kumar & Thejass, sp. nov. Holotype, ♀. 37, metasoma, dorsal view; 38, metasoma, ventral view; 39, hind tibia; 40, wings. Scale bar: 40—0.75 mm; 37, 38, 39—0.5 mm.

FIGURES 17–24. Episyron nigrocalcarius Anju, Girish Kumar & Thejass, sp. nov. Holotype, ♀. 17, habitus, lateral view; 18, habitus, dorsal view; 19, head, frontal view; 20, head, dorsal view; 21, head, lateral view; 22, mesosoma, lateral view; 23, mesosoma, dorsal view; 24, metasoma, lateral view. Scale bar: 17, 18—1 mm; 22, 23, 24—0.5 mm; 19, 20, 21—0.25 mm.

FIGURES 25–28. Episyron nigrocalcarius Anju, Girish Kumar & Thejass, sp. nov. Holotype, ♀.25, metasoma, dorsal view; 26, metasoma, ventral view; 27, hind tibia; 28, wings. Scale bar: 28—1 mm; 27—0.75 mm; 25, 26—0.5 mm.

FIGURES 9–12. Episyron keralaensis Anju, Girish Kumar & Thejass, sp. nov. Holotype, ♀. 9, metasoma, dorsal view; 10, metasoma, ventral view; 11, hind tibia; 12, wings. Scale bar: 11, 12—0.75 mm; 9, 10—0.5 mm.