Parapolybia takasagona Sonan, 1944

Saito-Morooka, Fuki, Nguyen, Lien T. P. & Kojima, Jun-Ichi, 2015, Review of the paper wasps of the Parapolybia indica species-group (Hymenoptera: Vespidae, Polistinae) in eastern parts of Asia, Zootaxa 3947 (2), pp. 215-235 : 223

Parapolybia takasagona Sonan, 1944

( Figs 33–35 , 78 )

Parapolybia takasagona Sonan 1944: 344 , ♀, ♂ “Taipei, Tamaru, Rato” (holotype, ♀ from “Tamaru (Rato)”, TARI); Starr 1992, 112, figs. 28b, 30 (syn.: nodosa van der Vecht, 1966); Yamane et al. 1995: 75 (redescription of the type; synonym of Parapolybia indica (de Saussure, 1854)).

Diagnosis. This species similar to P. i nd i ca, P. nana sp. nov., P. crocea sp. nov., but differs in nodulated T1.

Material examined. HOLOTYPE of P. takasagona Sonan 1944 , 1 ♀ Tamaru, Rato [= Tianwan, in Datong Township, Yilan County, 24°39'N, 121°27.5'E, 1090 m], 30.viii.1923, J. Sonan [ TARI]; PARATYPES of P. takasagona , 3 ♀ 5 ♂, [3 ♂, Kobayashi, Rato (=? no modern name, 24°39'N, 121°30.5'E, 670 m, Datong Township, Yilan County), 28.viii.1923, J. Sonan; 1 ♀, Taiheizan (Taipingshan or Taiping Mountain, Yilan County, 24°30'N, 121°32'E, 1900 m), ii.1930, S. Minowa; 1 ♀, Kobayashi, Rato, 29.viii.1923, J. Sonan; 1 ♀, Arisan (= Alishan, 23°32'N, 120°48'E), 2.v.1917, T. Shiraki; 1 ♂, Taiheizan, 26.viii.1923, J. Sonan] [ TARI]. Other material. 3 ♂ ( TARI), Lienhuachih, 650 m, Nantou Hsien, xii.1984, K.S. Lin & K.C. Chou; 2 ♀ ( NTM; both identified as “ Parapolybia indica ” by Sk. Yamane in 1994), 159 K, Central Cross Highway, Hualien, [9.ix.1989, C.C. Chiou; 12.viii.1989, J.T. Chao]; 1 ♀ ( NTM), Yangmingshan [25°09'N, 121°33'E, 450–550 m], Taipei, 31.v.1994, H.Y. Wang.

Description. FEMALE. Body length 14.0–15.0 mm (holotype, 14.0 mm); fore wing length 12.0– 13.5 mm (holotype, 13.0 mm).

MALE. Body length 12.0–13.0 mm; fore wing length 10.0– 11.5 mm. Male antenna length 9.0 mm; F11 about 0.8 mm long, 1.8 × as long as F10.

Distribution. Taiwan.

Remarks. Starr (1992), having examined the holotype of P. takasagona , concluded that P. takasagona was a valid species and the senior synonym of Parapolybia nodosa van der Vecht, 1966; this synonymy, however, has not been accepted (see Yamane et al. 1995; Kojima et al. 2011). Yamane et al. (1995) examined the holotype of P. takasagona and concluded that P. takasagona was a junior synonym of P. indica (de Saussure 1854). Their synonymy, however, as pointed out by Kojima et al. (2011), was not based on a robust taxonomic considaration. Not only based on differences in coloration ( Fig. 78 ) but also morphological differences [less developed female gena ( Fig. 33 ), club-shaped T1 ( Figs. 34–35 )], we have concluded that P. takasagona is a good species and might be endemic to Taiwan.

Figures

FIGURES 31 – 40. Parapolybia fulvenerva, P. crocea sp. nov., P. takasagona and P. tinctipennis. 31 – 32. Setae of wings. 31. Paraplybia fulvinerva. 32. P. crocea sp. nov. 33 – 35. Parapolybia takasagona, ♀. 33. Head, lateral view. 34, 35. T 1 (34. Lateral view, 35. Dorsal view). 36 – 40. Parapolybia tinctipennis, ♀. 36, 37. Head (36. Frontal view, 37. Lateral view). 38. Ocelli, dorsal view. 39, 40. T 1 (39. Lateral view, 40. Dorsal view). Scale 1 mm.

FIGURES 76 – 84. 76. Parapolybia bioculata. 77. P. fulvinerva. 78. P. takasagona. 79. P. tinctipennis. 80. P. flava sp. nov. 81. P. nana sp. nov. 82. P. nana sp. nov. 83. P. indica. 84. P. crocea sp. nov. 76 – 81. ♀, dorsal view. 82 – 84. Vertex, ♀, dorsal view. An arrow indicating flat area behind ocelli.