Antepipona pruthii Giordani Soika, 1882

Kumar, Girish P., Carpenter, James M. & Sureshan, Pavittu M., 2016, A taxonomic review of the genus Antepipona de Saussure, 1855 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae) from India, Zootaxa 4150 (5), pp. 501-536 : 522

16. Antepipona pruthii Giordani Soika, 1882

( Figs 59–66 )

Antepipona pruthii Giordani Soika 1982: 205 , 208 (key), 248, figs 51–52, Ƌ, “ Kashmir: Daksum , 7500 ft . ” ( RMNH); also from “ Srinagar ” and “ India: Punjab, Bhuban , 6000 ft . , Murree Hills ” [= Pakistan: Punjab Province, Bhuban , 6000 ft., Murree Hills]; Lambert 2004: 556 (key); Gusenleitner 2013: 124 , figs 9–10 (♀; Pakistan).

Diagnosis. Ƌ. Apex of clypeus deeply emarginated, semicircular, with punctures large and dense ( Fig. 61 ); apical antennal article almost straight, its apex not reaching to base of eleventh article ( Fig. 62 ); punctures on T3 bigger than that of T2; punctures on T4 and T5 fine and sparse; S5 and S6, sometimes on S4 also, with several long brownish yellow hairs especially at base; pronotal carina present only on lateral side and shoulder; posterior face of propodeum with two short transverse upper carina.

Colour. Body black, with apical antennal segments ferruginous. Yellow are: mandible; clypeus; ventral side of scape; triangular mark on front; bands on inner margin of lower lobe of eye up to bottom of ocular sinus; an oval mark on temple; large and regular band on dorsal face of pronotum; round spot on mesepisternum; wide band on scutellum, rarely interrupted at middle; band on metanotum, sometimes highly reduced to two spots on metanotal teeth or completely absent; spot on dorsal face of propodeum, rarely highly reduced or completely absent; tegula; parategula; small spot on fore coxa; large spots on mid and hind coxa; femur, except more or less extended black area at base; all tibiae and tarsi; bands, widened at middle and on sides, on T1, T2 and S2; basal lateral spots on T2; narrow band apical, sometimes interrupted at middle and slightly enlarged at sides, on T3; apical bands wider, restricted and more or less abbreviated to sides, on T4–T6; sometimes two spots at base of S2.

Size (H+M+T1+T2). 6–7 mm.

♀. Unknown.

Material examined. INDIA: Himachal Pradesh, Solan , 1Ƌ, 14–17.vi.1979, Coll. V.K. Gupta & Party, NZC No. 16371/H3 . Uttarakhand, Almora district, Ranikhet, 1Ƌ, 13.x.1978, Coll. V.K. Gupta & Party, NZC No. 16372/ H3; Nainital district , Naukuchiatal, 1Ƌ, 5.x.2004, Coll. M. Ghosh & Party, NZC No. 16373/H3 . West Bengal, Darjeeling district, Mirik , 1Ƌ, 24.vi.1979, Coll. P. Halder & Party, NZC No. 16374/H3.

Distribution. India: * Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, * Uttarakhand, West Bengal; Pakistan.

Figures

FIGURES 55 – 60. 55 – 58. Antepipona ovalis (de Saussure), Ƌ. 55. Clypeus. 56. Apical antennal articles. 57. Pronotum. 58. Propodeum. 59, 60. A. pruthii Giordani Soika, Ƌ. 59. Body, profile. 60. Head, frontal view.

FIGURES 61 – 66. Antepipona pruthii Giordani Soika, Ƌ. 61. Clypeus. 62. Apical antennal articles. 63. Mesosoma, dorsal view. 64. Metasoma, dorsal view. 65. Propodeum. 66. S 2.