Corynopus Lepeletier and Brullé, 1835

Saini, Varun & Dey, Debjani, 2024, First record of subgenus Corynopus Lepeletier and Brullé, 1835 (Genus Rhopalum Stephens, Hymenoptera: Crabronidae: Crabronini) from India: a new species and a key to Asian species of the subgenus, Zootaxa 5507 (3), pp. 467-477 : 468-469

Key to the Asian species of subgenus Corynopus Lepeletier and Brullé

(Female of R. ataiyal and males of R. coarctatum koreense , R. xinjangense , R. babe and R. chettalicum sp. nov. are unknown)

1. Female............................................................................................. 2

- Male.............................................................................................. 11

2. Median lobe of clypeus rounded at apex................................................................... 3

- Median lobe of clypeus varying but not rounded apically...................................................... 6

3. Interantennal process much longer and pointed (Fig. 49 of Tsuneki 1974); tergum II narrow and reddish; clypeus slightly more narrowly rounded apically.............................................. R. coarctatum chosenense Tsuneki, 1974

- Interantennal process shorter and rounded; other characters varying............................................. 4

4. Clypeus median lobe elongated, narrow towards apex ( Fig. 4 of Marshakov 1976); femur I all black, trochanter I black, trochanters II and III yellow; tergum I short, 1.5× longer than wide ( Fig. 7 of Marshakov 1976)................................................................................................... R. kawabatai Marshakov, 1976

- Clypeus tridentate, central tooth rounded; other characters varying.............................................. 5

5. Fore and mid legs yellow except coxae brown, upper surface of femora and trochanters brown; hind leg reddish brown; tergum I elongate, 4.3× longer than wide ( Figs 5–6 of Terayama et al. 2019)...................... R. babe Terayama et al., 2019

- Femur I black with yellow spot at apex; trochanters I and II yellow; hind tibia rusty red at apex, slightly widened; body slender; tergum I short, 3.0× longer than wide................................................ R. beaumonti Móczár, 1957

6. Median lobe of clypeus truncate or slightly emarginated apically................................................ 7

- Median lobe of clypeus slightly to conspicuously pointed at apex............................................... 9

7. Posterior lateral corner of propleuron with very small tooth; petiole almost as long as hind tibia ( Fig. 2 of Li and Xue 1998).......................................................................... R. xinjiangense Li and Xue, 1998

- Posterior lateral corner of propleuron without small tooth; petiole varying........................................ 8

8. Scape and flagellum all black, pedicel dorsally so; fore femur all black, fore tibia with dorsal black spot; mid tibia with basal yellow ring; tergum I shorter than hind femur ( Fig. 4b of Ratzlaff et al. 2016); pygidial plate without basomedian gibbosity................................................................................. R. gracile Wesmael, 1852

- Antennal scape yellow except medial black spot, pedicel all and flagellum ventrally yellow; fore femur with large apical yellow spot, fore tibia completely yellow; mid tibia yellow except black spot dorsally; tergum I longer than hind femur ( Figs 1 & 2 ); pygidial plate with prominent basomedian gibbosity ( Figs 14 & 15 )............... R. chettalicum Saini and Dey , sp. nov.

9. Interantennal protuberance absent; abdominal petiole shorter than hind tibia ( Fig. 9 of Li and Xue 1998); pygidial area narrow basally ( Fig. 8 of Li and Xue 1998)............................................. R. gonopleurale Li and Xue, 1998

- Interantennal protuberance present; other characters varying.................................................. 10

10. Posterior lateral corner of propleuron with short, small obtuse angle; interantennal process simple, not dilated apically; pygidial plate narrower basally; hind tibia yellow basally, apical half bright reddish....... R. coarctatum coarctatum ( Scopoli, 1763)

- Posterior lateral corner of propleuron without obtuse angle; interantennal process dilated and conical apically (Fig. 47 of Tsuneki 1974); pygidial plate slightly broader basally (Fig. 48 of Tsuneki 1974); hind tibia pale yellow basally, slightly reddish apically................................................................ R. coarctatum koreense Tsuneki, 1974

11. Occipital tooth indistinct, occipital carina gradually lowering towards apex, not reaching buccal cavity; no space between compound eyes and antennal sockets; antennae contiguous basally; interantennal protuberance tongue-shaped (Fig. 35 of Tsuneki 1982); antennomere IV and V slightly excavated beneath, VI markedly so (Fig. 36 of Tsuneki 1982)............................................................................................... R. ataiyal Tsuneki, 1982

- Occipital carina with or without tooth; other characters varying................................................ 12

12. Median lobe of clypeus truncate or sub-truncate apically..................................................... 13

- Median lobe of clypeus rounded or with small tooth apically.................................................. 15

13. Clypeus sub-truncate apically; tibia III with yellow basal ring or distinct reddish-brown ring; basitarsi I–III usual; antennomeres IV and V notched beneath......................................................... R. beaumonti Móczár, 1957

- Clypeus truncate apically; other characters varying.......................................................... 14

14. Tibia III basally light yellow, medially dark brown, apically rusty yellow; fore basitarsus wide; antennomeres II–VIII dark yellow, V–VIII notched beneath; interantennal tubercle notched........................ R. kawabatai Marshakov, 1976

- Tibia III black with yellow basal ring, without reddish apically; mid tarsal segments conspicuously expanded, basitarsus I and III slightly enlarged; flagellum dark brown to black; interantennal tubercle without notch........ R. gracile Wesmael, 1852

15. Anterior clypeal margin broad, with small tooth medially; antennomeres IV and V longer than other segments and notched beneath; fore basitarsus broad................................................. R. gonopleurale Li and Xue, 1998

- Anterior clypeal margin narrow and rounded; other characters varying.......................................... 16

16. Antennomere V notched beneath; antennomeres VI–VII, IX and XI white; occipital carina markedly produced into sharp toothshaped projection; mid basitarsus broadened to tooth-like projection............ R. coarctatum coarctatum ( Scopoli, 1763)

- Antennomeres III and IV notched beneath, all segments black; occipital carina less produced into triangular process; mid basitarsus without tooth-like projection.................................... R. coarctatum chosenense Tsuneki, 1974

Figures

FIGURES 3–8. Rhopalum (Corynopus) chettalicum sp. nov. Holotype ♀. 3. Head, frontal view; 4. Head, dorsal view; 5. Head, lateral view; 6. Clypeus; 7. Antenna; 8. Head, ventral view.

FIGURES 1–2. Rhopalum (Corynopus) chettalicum sp. nov. Holotype ♀. 1. Habitus, lateral view; 2. Habitus, ventral view.

FIGURES 12–15. Rhopalum (Corynopus) chettalicum sp. nov. Holotype ♀. 12. Metasoma, lateral view; 13. Tergum I; 14–15. Pygidial plate, dorsal & lateral view.

FIGURES 9–11. Rhopalum (Corynopus) chettalicum sp. nov. Holotype ♀. 9. Mesosoma, dorsal view; 10. Mesosoma, lateral view; 11. Propodeum.