Dasyproctus yesudasi, Binoy & Kumar, 2024

Binoy, C. & Kumar, P. Girish, 2024, Dasyproctus yesudasi sp. nov. (Hymenoptera, Crabronidae, Crabroninae), a new square-headed moustache wasp from south India, Zootaxa 5512 (1), pp. 136-150 : 138-140

Dasyproctus yesudasi sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:675B0D24-28CD-4A0B-BF8B-9E08AF4C36B5

( Figs 1–10 )

Materials Examined: Holotype ♂ India: Kerala, Kannur district, Madayipara (12°01’ N 75°15’ E, alt 41m above MSL), 01.ix.2018, Tessy Rajan collector, ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/WGRC/IR/INV.16512.

Diagnosis. The new species runs close to D. orientalis (Cameron) in the key to Indian species, and resembles it in having yellow markings on the pronotal collar and pronotal lobe; similar maculation on metasoma and similar sculpture on the head, mesosoma and metasoma. The new species differs in having yellow mesosomal maculation limited to the pronotal collar and pronotal lobe (pronotum, pronotal lobe, scutellum, and axilla yellow in D. orientalis ); clypeus apico-medially produced forward, truncate, slightly bevelled, median carina rudimentary (clypeus medially produced into sharp acute tooth, median carina conspicuous in D. orientalis ); metasoma immaculate except for a pale yellow macula on Gt 5 (metasoma with maculae on all terga except Gt 3 in D. orientalis ); hind tibia rufous with short macula basally (hind tibia yellow with a short brown patch basally in D. orientalis ). The new species also resembles D. tsunekii Binoy, Girish Kumar & Santhosh, 2021 in general morphology and colour, but can be differentiated by the following: median carina on clypeus rudimentary (median carina on clypeus indistinct or absent in D. tsunekii ); no longitudinal furrow indicated beyond IOC towards the middle of anterior ocellus (distinct longitudinal grove running from IOC towards anterior ocellus in D. tsunekii ); apical margin of clypeus truncate (apical margin of clypeus emarginate in D. tsunekii ).

Description: Holotype ♂ ( Figs 1–10 ). Body length 5.18 mm; fore wing length 2.92 mm.

Colour. Body matt black except the following: scape yellow, pedicel and remaining antennomeres brown with paler apical edge on pedicel and fu1, mandible dark brown, faintly reddish apically, pronotal collar with narrow yellow band (except medial black band), pronotal lobe yellow, all femora brown, fore and mid tibiae yellow with brown band ventrally reaching apex, hind tibia brown with short yellow patch basally, fore and mid tarsi yellowish brown with basitarsi paler, hind tarsi brown ( Fig. 1 ).

Pubescence. Thick silvery bristles on clypeus, comparatively shorter setae on scapal basin, longer and thinner white setae on frons and vertex above IOC, short white seate on gena; scattered long setae on pronotum, mesoscutum, mesopleuron and scutellum, propodeum with long white setae; legs with moderate setae; Gt1 with lesser setae, remainder of metasoma with more dense and stout brown setae.

Head. In dorsal view transverse ( Fig. 4 ); mandible bidentate with identical teeth; clypeus markedly setose with surface well-hidden below thick silvery bristles, apico-medially produced forward, slightly emarginate, truncate at apex, median carina rudimentary, almost reaching apical margin; antennal toruli almost touching one another and almost touching inner eye margin; scapal basin densely rugose-reticulate; IOC conspicuous medially, obsolete at inner margin of eye; distinct pitted longitudinal grove above IOC running towards anterior ocellus; frons matt, with well imprinted setigerous pits ( Fig. 2 ); vertex with similar sculpturing, pits obsolete at occiput level; gena with minute setigerous punctures ( Fig. 6 ); supra orbital furrow indistinct; POD 1.2 × OOD ( Fig. 5 ); scape with two carinae ventrally; relative lengths of scape: pedicel: flagellomeres I to XI= 19: 5: 5: 4: 4: 3: 3: 3: 3: 2: 2: 3: 4.

Mesosoma. Pronotum with conspicuous transverse fold dorsally and few rugulae laterally; pronotal collar with lateral corner angulate, medial notch distinct, conspicuous medio-posterior bordering ridge, anterior carina inconspicuous dorsally; mesoscutum and scutellum finely granulose, with scattered setigerous micropunctures; lateral mesoscutal margin carinate; scutellum with apical margin foveolate; metanotum rugose, not separated from propodeum ( Fig. 5 ); propodeum with coarse conspicuous rugae, interspaces shiny; hind femur basally angulate, as wide as basal width of Gt1; hind tibia with three stout spines; mesopleuron and mesosternum matt, with few scattered setigerous micropunctures ( Fig. 7 ); fore wing moderately setose and with brown tinge ( Fig. 10 ).

Metasoma. Petiolate, with Gt1 stout, width at stigmata smaller than width of hind femur; all terga matt black, and immaculate except Gt 5 ( Fig. 8 ); Gt1 3.3 × as long as wide, anterior third polished with well-marked striation, remainder matt with very few setigerous micropunctures dorsally; base of Gt2 finely alutaceous ( Fig. 9 ).

Female. Unknown.

Prey. Unknown.

Etymology. The species name is a genitive noun from the patronym Yesudas, after one of the greatest and most influential Indian singers, K.J. Yesudas often referred to as Gaanagandharvan (English translation: The Celestial Singer) who has recorded as many as 50,000 songs throughout his career, spanning six decades in several languages and dialects. The species is dedicated in his honour fondly remembering the timeless song Gori Tera Gaon Bada Pyara from the film Chitchor (1976).

Distribution. India: Kerala.

Figures

FIGURES 1–7. Dasyproctus yesudasi sp. nov. Holotype ♂. 1, habitus, lateral view; 2, head, frontal view; 3, clypeus, enlarged view; 4, head, dorsal view; 5, mesosoma, dorsal view; 6, head, lateral view; 7, mesosoma, lateral view.

FIGURES 8–10. Dasyproctus yesudasi sp. nov. Holotype ♂. 8, metasoma, lateral view; 9, Gt1 and Gt2, dorsal view; 10, fore wing.