Paraleptomenes Giordani Soika, 1970

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 : 132

Genus Paraleptomenes Giordani Soika, 1970

Paraleptomenes Giordani Soika 1970: 79 . Type species: Paraleptomenes nurseanus Giordani Soika, 1970 , by original designation.

Diagnosis. Anterior face of the pronotum with two coalesced foveae, pronotal face punctate laterally; metanotum without tubercles; propodeum with submarginal carina produced into pointed lamella apically and valvula enlarged and free posteriorly from submarginal carina; fore wing with second submarginal cell not petiolate; mid tibia with one spur; first metasomal segment subsessile, in dorsal view narrower than second, wider apically than basally; T1 not transversely carinate; T2 ridged basally, not forming acarinarium; T2 not reflexed apically.

Distribution. Primarily Oriental Region.

Key to species and subspecies from the Indian subcontinent (modified from Giordani Soika 1994)

1. Scutellum nearly flat; metanotum almost horizontal (See TAV. V; page 82 of Giordani Soika, 1970); T1 elongate, almost hemi- spherical, about 1.5x wider than long; maximum width of T2 equal to about 1.5x that of T1; punctation of T2 almost unchanged in the vicinity of the apical margin............................... P. nurseanus Giordani Soika, 1970 ...2

- Scutellum convex; metanotum very oblique ( Figs 1 , 7 , 13, 15, 19); other characters variable......................... 3

2. Fundamental colour of T1 red....................................... P. nurseanus nurseanus Giordani Soika, 1970

- Fundamental colour of T1 black..................................... P. nurseanus montanus Giordani Soika, 1994

3. Maximum width of T1 about equal to its median length (0.90–1.10x)............... P. miniatus (de Saussure, 1855) … 4

- Maximum width of T1 distinctly greater than its median length (1.25–1.50x)..................................... 6

4. Fundamental colour of T1 red ferruginous (Fig. 18).......................... P. miniatus miniatus (de Saussure, 1855)

- Fundamental colour of T1 black........................................................................ 5

5. Pronotum, scutellum, metanotum and mesepisternum with yellow spots; clypeus in female partly yellow....................................................................................... P. miniatus mephitis ( Cameron, 1901)

- Thorax black except for two small yellow spots on metanotum; clypeus in female entirely black......................................................................................... P. miniatus nigrithorax Giordani Soika, 1994

6. Punctation of T2 very coarse ( Fig. 11 ), punctures are much larger than those of pronotum or mesoscutum; T2 with three broad humps, one in the middle and two lateral pre-apically........................... P. humbertianus (de Saussure, 1867)

- Punctation of T2 not very coarse ( Figs 3 , 23 ), punctures are considerably smaller than those of pronotum or mesoscutum; T2 normal without humps................................................................................ 7

7. Transverse groove on T1 pre-apically very broad and deep ( Fig. 23 ); clypeus of female with large punctures, in part elongated in the longitudinal direction.................................................. P. rufoniger Giordani Soika, 1994

- Transverse groove on T1 pre-apically not very broad and deep as above ( Fig. 3 ); clypeus of female without large punctures..................................................................................................... 8

8. Last antennal article of male expanded towards the apex, not finger-like and not straight ( Fig. 5 ); mesepisternum without yel- low mark........................................................................ P. darugiriensis sp. nov.

- Last antennal article of male small, slender, finger-like and almost straight; mesepisternum with yellow mark...................................................................................... P. communis Giordani Soika, 1994

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Paraleptomenes darugiriensis sp. nov. 1 – 3. Holotype, ♀. 1. Body profile; 2. Head, frontal view; 3. Metasoma, dorsal view. 4 – 6 Paratype, ♂. 4. Head, frontal view; 5. Antenna; 6. Genitalia.

FIGURES 7 – 12. Paraleptomenes humbertianus (de Saussure). 7 – 11. Female. 7. Body profile; 8. Head, frontal view; 9. Propodeum; 10. T 1, dorsal view; 11. Metasoma, dorsal view. 12. Male. Head, frontal view.

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.