Spilomena attenboroughi Tessy, Sureshan et Binoy, 2021

Rajan, Tessy, Kumar, P. Girish, Sureshan, P. M. & Binoy, C., 2021, A review of the genus Spilomena Shuckard (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) with the description of six new species from India, Zootaxa 5068 (2), pp. 263-276 : 265-266

Spilomena attenboroughi Tessy, Sureshan et Binoy , sp. nov.

( Figs 1–8 )

Type material: Holotype, ♂, India: Kerala, Kozhikode dt., Kinalur (11°27’38’’N & 75°49’43’’E, Alt. 42 m), 17.vii.2020, Coll. C. Binoy, ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/ WGRC /IR/INV/17150.

Diagnosis. Spilomena attenboroughi sp. nov. differs from its congeners by the following combination of characters: metasoma yellowish brown; clypeus pale ivory;.; relative length to breadth of scape = 28:8; relative length to breadth of stigma = 45:16; anterior carina of pronotal collar conspicuous, deeply emarginate; recurrent vein of fore wing nearly interstitial with first transverse cubital vein; propodeal dorsum transversely striate, with two longitudinal carinae medially, posterior surface with irregular transverse ridges, lateral surface finely aciculate.

Description. Holotype ♂. Body length 3.5 mm; fore wing length 2.3 mm.

Colour. Head and mesosoma largely black; metasoma yellowish brown; clypeus and pronotal lobe pale ivory; mandible (except apical tip brown), antenna, tegula and legs yellow, fore wing veins and stigma brown.

Vestiture. T3–T7 with setigerous punctures; remaining body with sparse vestiture.

Head. Clypeus shiny, without appressed setae, markedly convex ( Fig. 2 ); interantennal tubercle inconspicuous, not distinctly pointed, extending into median carina up to mid frons; mandible bidentate, inner mandibular tooth short and blunt; relative length to breadth of scape = 30:7; lower frons imbricate, upper frons and vertex reticulate without setigerous micropunctures; inner eye margin slightly concave; gena imbricate with no micropunctures.

Mesosoma. Pronotum reticulate, laterally with irregular rugae; anterior carina of pronotal collar conspicuous and deeply emarginate; mesoscutum reticulate with setigerous punctures; admedian line and parapsidal line lacking; scutellum reticulate with setigerous punctures, anterior groove of scutellum broad, crenulate; metanotum reticulate, irregularly transversely rugose laterally; mesopleuron reticulate with scattered setigerous punctures posteriorly ( Fig. 4 ); metapleuron with irregular ridges; recurrent vein of fore wing nearly interstitial with first transverse cubital vein; stigma elongate, relative length to breadth = 45:16; propodeal dorsum transversely striate, with two longitudinal carinae medially ( Fig. 5 ), posterior surface with irregular transverse ridges, lateral surface finely aciculate.

Metasoma. Integument shiny; T3–T7 with scattered setigerous punctures on entire surface.

Female. Unknown.

Etymology. The specific epithet is a commemorative, genitive noun from the patronym Attenborough after the naturalist and broadcaster, Sir David Frederick Attenborough who has made the world’s natural history accessible and understandable to millions with his outstanding documentaries.

Distribution. India: Kerala.

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Spilomena attenboroughi Tessy, Sureshan & Binoy, sp. nov., Holotype ♂. 1. Habitus, lateral view; 2. Head, frontal view; 3. Head and mesosoma (in part), dorsal view; 4. Mesosoma, lateral view; 5. Propodeum, dorsal view; 6. Metasoma, dorsal view; 7. Fore wing; 8. Hind wing.