Episyron vagabundum ( Smith, 1858 )

Anju, K., Kumar, P. Girish & Thejass, P., 2024, Review of the spider wasp genus Episyron Schiødte, 1837 (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) from India, with description of three new species, Zootaxa 5405 (4), pp. 562-576 : 574

Episyron vagabundum ( Smith, 1858)

Pompilus vagabundus Smith, 1858: 92–93 . Lectotype (♀); Sarawak, Borneo (Oxford Museum);? Bingham, 1897: 153, ♀ ♂, Burma, Tenasserim; Dalla Torre, 1897: 331 (catalogue); Junco 1960: 52 (list).

Pompilus capitosus Smith, 1879: 147 . Holotype, ♀, Burma, deposited in British Museum of Natural History, London; Bingham 1897: 153–164, ♀ ♂, Burma, Tenasserim; Dalla Torre 1897: 278; Junco 1960: 48. A junior subjective synonym of Pompilus vagabundus Smith, 1858 according to Wahis 1980: 308.

Pompilus arrogans : Bingham 1897: 152 partim, ♀, Tenasserim.

Episyron vagabundus : Banks 1934: 88, ♀ ♂; Banks 1938: 248, ♀ ♂; Junco 1963: 491; Baltazar 1966: 320.

Diagnosis. Female. Black, pruinose; following yellow markings: a line on anterior margin of clypeus, line along inner orbit except at top, scape of antennae in front, posterior margin of pronotum, minute spot on tegulae and mesoscutum, spot on base of hind tibiae, and transverse fascia at base of T2, T3 and T5; flagellum of antennae below and hind tibiae red; head and mesosoma with silvery and silky pile; head broader than mesosoma; clypeus subconvex, its anterior margin arched; propodeum rounded posteriorly, gradually sloping to the apex and slightly depressed in middle; tibiae and tarsi spinose, fore tarsi haired; inner spur of mid and hind tibiae nearly as long as hind basitarsus; and wings hyaline, broadly infuscated at apex, veins fuscous, marginal cell as long as SMC2 and SMC3 combined, SMC2 twice the width of SMC3 ( Smith 1858, 1879; Bingham 1897; Banks 1934; Wahis 1980).

Male. A trifle smaller than female; and clypeus has a large pale spot on each side, not connected below.

Distribution. India: Maharashtra, Sikkim. Elsewhere: Indonesia; Japan; Malaysia; Myanmar; Philippines; Singapore; Thailand ( Bingham 1897; Wahis 1980).

Note. The markings are highly variable in this species resulting their identification difficult to some extent. As variation, the clypeus may be without coloured line, scutellum may be marked with yellow, the femora and tibiae of all legs may red, yellow fascia on the metasoma except on T2 may be entirely lacking and spines of legs may be light red or pale in some members ( Bingham 1897; Banks 1934; Wahis 1980).