Paraleptomenes rufoniger Giordani Soika, 1994

Kumar, Girish P., Carpenter, James M. & Sharma, Gaurav, 2014, A review of the genus Paraleptomenes Giordani Soika, 1970 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae: Odynerini) from the Indian subcontinent, with the description of a new species from the eastern Himalayas, Zootaxa 3802 (1), pp. 131-143 : 140-142

6. Paraleptomenes rufoniger Giordani Soika, 1994

( Figs 19–24 )

Paraleptomenes rufoniger Giordani Soika 1994: 124 (key), 131, ♀, “ Sikkim: Chumtang, 5120 ft.” (RMNH).

Description. Male (hitherto unknown). Head. 1.13x as wide as long in front view ( Fig. 20 ); clypeus convex, pyriform, broadly and shallowly emarginate at apex, maximum width 1.22x length medially; mandibles on inner side with four sharp teeth; maxillary palp 6-segmented; labial palp 4-segmented; interantennal space almost smooth; frons closely, strongly and rugosely punctured, interspaces weakly carinate; ocular sinus with weak punctures; area between the antennal toruli and inner eye margin almost smooth; POL 0.90x as long as OOL; diameter of anterior ocellus as long as the distance between anterior ocellus and posterior ocelli; vertex and upper half of temple strongly punctured; tempora 0.50x as wide as eye in profile (measured through its ocular sinus); interocular distance 1.76x greater on vertex than at clypeus; occipital carina strong, complete and narrowed ventrally. Antenna 8.50x farther from each other than from eyes; last antennal article ( Fig. 21 ) slender, finger-like, almost reaching the base of the 11th article.

Mesosoma. Dorsal surface of mesosoma convex in profile view ( Fig. 19 ); anterior face of pronotum with two almost coalesced fovea, punctate laterally, interspaces weakly carinate, lower side of anterior face of pronotum smooth without punctures; pronotal carina weak towards middle, at middle carina absent, strong laterally and reaching the lateral margin of pronotum; posterior face and lateral sides of pronotum (except lateral corner with few transverse striations), mesoscutum and scutellum strongly, closely and rugosely punctate, interspaces carinate ( Fig. 22 ); median length of mesoscutum 0.91x its maximum width; scutellum convex except first row of scutellar sculpture deeply impressed; metanotum oblique, with weak rugose punctures; propleuron almost smooth; mesopleuron rugosely punctured except large area of epicnemium and posterior margin smooth; epicnemial carina distinct; upper metapleuron with strong transverse striations, lower metapleuron with weak transverse striations. Propodeum vertical; concavo-truncate posteriorly; dorsolateral area with large sized, deep, rugoso-reticulate punctures, interspaces carinate; posterior half of concave area of propodeum smooth with a distinct median carina; lateral sides of propodeum with strong rugoso-reticulate punctures towards posterior margins and weaker punctures towards metapleuron; submarginal carina projecting as a rounded lobe above propodeal valvula; propodeal valvula broadly rounded. Tegula not evenly rounded posteriorly, emarginate adjoining parategula; parategula exceeding tegula at apex; axillary fossa broadly rounded. Fore wing with prestigma 0.46x pterostigma.

Metasoma ( Fig. 23 ). T1 without transverse carina, 0.71x as wide as T 2 in dorsal view; T1, T2 & S2 with narrow crenulate apical lamellae; the narrow basal part of S1 smooth, posterior transverse area of S1 with rather strong irregular striations; transverse groove on T1 preapically very broad and deep, in profile view, dorsal side very strongly depressed and quite clearly separated from anterior face; punctures of T1, T2 & S2 considerably smaller than those of pronotum or mesoscutum; T2 normal, without hump; dorsal face of T1 closely punctate, diameter of punctures on average greater than the distance between punctures, ventral face with sparse punctures; S2 with diameter of punctures on average less than the distance between punctures; visible part of T3–T5 closely punctate and visible part of S3–S5 less closely punctate; genitalia as figure 24.

Colour. Body black with yellow and brown markings. Yellow markings are as follows: base of mandibles, clypeus entirely, a vertical spot above clypeus in interantennal space extending to lower frons, at emargination of eyes, a line behind eyes on tempora, scape ventrally, a large band on dorsal side of pronotum, tegula (except brownish yellow at middle), parategula, two spots on either side of scutellum; a band on metanotum, a spot on mesepisternum, transverse band on apical margins of T1, T2 & S2; a spot at the apex of fore and middle femora and all tibiae and tarsi. Brown markings are as follows: Mandible except at basal yellow mark and lower side of apical flagellomeres. Wings infuscate, stigma fuscous.

Size (H+M+T1+T2): Male 6.5 mm.

Female. Clypeus of female with large punctures, in part elongated in the longitudinal direction, carina well developed; posterior surface of propodeum not smooth medially, entirely punctate with punctures more or less large. Other characters are as those of male. Colour similar to male except clypeus black with two large yellow spots at base.

Size (H+M+T1+T2). Female. 7–7.5 mm.

Material examined. INDIA. Arunachal Pradesh, Tawang distr., Lumla, 1♂, 1.x.2009, Coll. Kailash Chandra & Party, NZC No. 14717/H3.

Distribution. India (*Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim).

Remarks. The male of this species is described here for the first time. No female specimen was available for our studies; hence the description of the female was taken from Giordani Soika, 1994.

Figures

FIGURES 19 – 24. Paraleptomenes rufoniger Giordani Soika, ♂. 19. Body profile; 20. Head, frontal view; 21. Antenna; 22. Head and mesosoma, dorsal view; 23. Metasoma, dorsal view; 24. Genitalia.