Spilomena reticularis 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 : 269

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

( Figs 21–28 )

Type material: Holotype, ♀, India: Kerala, Kozhikode dt., Elathur (11°20’30.48’’N & 75°44’24.36’’E, Alt. 23 m), 29.iii.2021, Coll. C. Binoy, ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/ WGRC /IR/INV/17291.

Diagnosis. Spilomena reticularis sp. nov. differs from its congeners by the following combination of characters: mesopleuron, mesoscutum and gena finely reticulate; relative length to breadth of scape = 14:3; relative length to breadth of stigma = 22:9; propodeal dorsum rugose, with transverse ridges laterally; propodeal enclosure with delimiting furrow; posterior surface with irregular ridges and median longitudinal carina.

Description. Holotype ♀. Body length 2.9 mm; fore wing length 1.8 mm.

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

Vestiture. Scattered setigerous micropunctures on mesosoma; T5–T7 with setigerous punctures; remainder of body with sparse vestiture.

Head. Clypeus dull, without appressed setae, slightly convex ( Fig. 22 ); interantennal tubercle inconspicuous, not distinctly pointed, extending into short median carina at most reaching lower frons; mandible bidentate, inner mandibular tooth short and blunt; relative length to breadth of scape = 14:3; lower frons imbricate; upper frons and vertex reticulate, without setigerous micropunctures; inner eye margin straight; gena reticulate without punctures.

Mesosoma. Pronotum coriaceous, laterally with longitudinal rugae; anterior carina of pronotal collar conspicuous and slightly emarginate; mesoscutum reticulate without scattered setigerous punctures; admedian line and parapsidal line lacking; scutellum reticulate, without setigerous punctures, anterior groove of scutellum broader and crenulate; metanotum reticulate, irregularly transversely rugose laterally; mesopleuron finely reticulate, with several well defined punctures ( Fig. 24 ); metapleuron finely aciculate; stigma elongate, relative length to breadth = 22:9; recurrent vein of fore wing received well within first submarginal cell; propodeal dorsum rugose, with transverse ridges laterally; propodeal enclosure with delimiting furrow ( Fig. 25 ); posterior surface with irregular ridges and median longitudinal carina.

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

Male. Unknown.

Etymology. The species epithet is after the finely reticulate mesopleuron.

Distribution. India: Kerala.

Figures

FIGURES 21–28. Spilomena reticularis Tessy, Sureshan & Binoy, sp. nov., Holotype ♀. 21. Habitus, lateral view; 22. Head, frontal view; 23. Head and mesosoma (in part), dorsal view; 24. Mesosoma, lateral view; 25. Propodeum, dorsal view; 26. Metasoma, dorsal view; 27. Fore wing; 28. Hind wing.