Arpactophilus pulawskii Amal & Girish Kumar, 2024

Amal, S., Kumar, P. Girish & Rameshkumar, A., 2024, First Record of the Genus Arpactophilus Smith, 1863 (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae: Pemphredoninae) outside Australasia with the Description of a New Species from Northeastern India, Zootaxa 5536 (2), pp. 345-350 : 346-349

Arpactophilus pulawskii Amal & Girish Kumar , sp. nov.

( Figs 1–11 )

Type materials. Holotype ♂, India: Nagaland, Khuzama district, Eden Garden (25°31’47”N, 94°07’45”E, 1,842 m), 6.xi.2021, A. Rameshkumar collector, ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/WGRC/IR-INV.27149.

Diagnosis. This new species differs from all other species in having the following combination of characters: head square-shaped in dorsal view, somewhat prognathic; clypeus with median area of apical margin deeply emarginate (inverted V-shaped), uplifted; eyes distinctly small, confined to lower half of head, not reaching level of anterior ocellus; crescent-shaped depression present on either side of lateral ocellus; top of vertex deeply impressed medially; and dorsal side of propodeum irregularly rugose.

Description. Holotype male ( Figs 1–11 ). Body length 6.98 mm; forewing length 4.83 mm.

Colour. Head ferruginous except lower vertex, upper frons, most of occiput (extending to middle region of hypostoma) brownish black. Lower frons, clypeus (margin brownish black), mandible (apical margins brownish black) pale brownish yellow. Mesosoma black except pronotal tubercle and tegula pale yellow. Legs yellowish brown. Metasoma black except apex of T3–T7 with ferruginous band, S2 with ferruginous markings and S3–S7 almost entirely ferruginous. Wings uniformly hyaline except costal cell of forewing flavo-hyaline, veins brown, stigma dark brown.

Head. Square-shaped in dorsal view, somewhat prognathic; clypeus with median area of apical margin deeply emarginate (inverted V-shaped) with two teeth-like projections at apex, uplifted; median carina complete, slightly extending towards lower front; mandible bidentate, teeth of almost equal length; eyes distinctly small, confined to lower half of head, not reaching level of anterior ocellus; lower frons sloping towards clypeus (invaginated medially); front imbricate, with minute sparse punctures; POL 2.8 × OOL; POL 4.4 × hind ocellar diameter; OOL 1.57 × hind ocellar diameter; lower vertex punctured as frons; upper vertex almost shiny; crescent-shaped depression present on either side of lateral ocellus on vertex; top of vertex deeply impressed medially; gena shiny as upper vertex; occipital carina and hypostomal carina absent. Antenna with pedicel distinctly longer than broad; basal flagellomeres and apical flagellomere longer than broad and remaining flagellomeres as long as broad to broader than long; length: width of scape: pedicel: F1: F2: F3: F4: F5: F6: F7: F8: F9: F10: F11 = 2.96: 1.81: 1.63: 1.38: 1.09: 1.02: 1: 1: 1: 0.98: 0.98: 0.98: 1.8.

Mesosoma. Median length of mesosoma 1.31 × as long as broad (including tegula) in dorsal view; pronotum anteromedially with few inconspicuous ridges, complete transverse carina present near mesoscutum; mesoscutum imbricate with minute punctures, parapsidal line present; scutellum, metanotum, and mesopleuron punctate as mesoscutum; scutellar groove distinct; episternal sulcus prominent, omaulus present, acetabular carina absent; dorsal surface of propodeum irregularly rugose; posterior surface of propodeum with narrow transverse ridges forming reticulation towards dorsal side; lateral surface of propodeum irregularly reticulate, striate towards metapleuron. Hind femur 2.95 × as long as its maximum width. Forewing with two submarginal cells.

Metasoma. Micro-imbricate with sparse punctures. S2 without bulging. S8 triangular, pointed at apex.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. India: Nagaland.

Etymology. The species is named in honor of Dr. Wojciech J. Pulawski, California Academy of Sciences, USA for his valuable contribution to the taxonomy of Crabronidae .

Figures

FIGURES 1–5. Arpactophilus pulawskii Amal & Girish Kumar sp. nov., holotype male. 1, Habitus, lateral view; 2, Head, ventral view; 3, Head, dorsal view; 4, Head, lateral view; 5, Antenna.

FIGURES 6–11. Arpactophilus pulawskii Amal & Girish Kumar sp. nov., holotype male. 6, Habitus, ventral view; 7, Habitus, dorsal view; 8, Head, frontal view; 9, Propodeum, dorsal view; 10, Mesosoma, lateral view; 11, Forewing.