Parancistrocerus loharbandensis Girish Kumar & Carpenter

P. Girish Kumar, J. M. Carpenter & P. M. Sureshan, 2016, A taxonomic review of the genus Parancistrocerus Bequaert (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae) from the Indian subcontinent with the description of three new species, Halteres 7 (1), pp. 36-156 : 147-149

9. Parancistrocerus loharbandensis Girish Kumar & Carpenter sp. n.

(Figs. 22-27)

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Description: Holotype female (Fig. 22): Head: 1.04x as wide as long in frontal view (Fig. 23); clypeus (Fig. 24) strongly convex, apex with two teeth, not sharp, area in between them moderately incised, distance between teeth more than (1.17x) distance between antennal toruli, maximum width of clypeus 1.06x its length medially, with small punctures; frons, vertex and tempora with punctures small, deep and almost uniformly arranged; POL 1.15x OOL; distance between anterior ocellus and posterior ocelli 1.14x as long as diameter of anterior ocellus; distance between two posterior ocelli 2.37x as long as diameter of posterior ocellus; ocellar triangle not strongly protruded; cephalic foveae present as two closely arranged pits, diameter of each pit slightly larger than that of surrounding punctures; tempora 0.63x as wide as eye in profile (measured through ocular sinus); interocular distance 1.71x greater on vertex than at clypeus; occipital carina not complete, evanescing at vertex (Fig. 25). Antennal sockets 3.75x farther from each other than from eyes; scape 4.67x as long as F1; F1 1.04x as long as F2, 1.17x as long as wide; flagellomeres widening towards apex except clava.

Mesosoma: Median area of anterior face of pronotum with two deeply impressed foveae mesally; lateral sides of anterior face of pronotum with few scattered punctures; pronotal carina absent dorsally, present laterally; posterior face and lateral sides of pronotum, mesoscutum and scutellum strongly and closely punctate, diameter of punctures, on average, larger than distance between punctures; scutellum with deep transverse groove at anterior margin; median length of mesoscutum 1.05x as long as its maximum width; metanotum with strong, large punctures, interspaces carinate; mesopleuron closely punctured except large area of epicnemium and posterior margin smooth; epicnemial carina present; upper metapleuron with few strong transverse striations and large, deep pits; lower metapleuron with single vertical row of deep pits, interspaces carinate. Dorsal face of propodeum forming horizontal area behind midline of metanotum (Fig. 26); posterior face of propodeum weakly concave, with strong median carina; area separating dorso-lateral face of propodeum from posterior face carinate and becoming lamellate on either side behind metanotum; posterior face of propodeum finely striate; dorso-lateral sides of propodeum with large punctures, interspaces strongly carinate; lateral sides of propodeum smooth except upper portion with moderately strong punctures, interspaces mostly carinate; submarginal carina strongly projecting as a lobe above propodeal valvula. Tegula smooth with minute punctures, not evenly rounded posteriorly, emarginate adjoining parategula and shorter than apex of latter posteriorly; forewing with pterostigma 4.14x length of prestigma, first and second recurrent veins received in second submarginal cell.

Metasoma (Fig. 27): T1 with regular, strong transverse carina separating vertical face from dorsal face; vertical anterior face of T1 distinctly shorter than dorsal horizontal face; vertical face of T1 almost smooth with few weak scattered punctures; dorsal face of T1 with almost regular apical yellow band, about 3 irregular rows of punctures at yellow band; dorsal face of T1 1.57x as wide as its median length; T2 with weak wavy apical yellow band, about 3-4 irregular rows of punctures at median area of yellow band; T2 1.23x as wide as its median length; maximum width of T2 slightly larger (1.11x) than that of T1; T2 not reflexed at apex, with apical margin normal, not prolonged in middle; S2 convex at base, very weakly depressed after.

Colour description: Body black with yellow and brown ferruginous markings. Yellow markings: spot at base of mandibles; clypeus except a black spot at middle and brown outer border; ocular sinus; small mark on tempora; lower side of scape; wide band on dorsal surface of pronotum; speck on top of mesepisternum; tegula (except median brown area); parategula; metanotum; apical mark on fore and mid femora; mark on all tibiae; almost regular apical band on T1, T2 & S2; band on S2 narrower than T2. Brown ferruginous markings: lower face of basal funicles; tegulae (excluding yellow portions); all tarsi. Wings almost hyaline, fore wing with subapical fuscous cloud. Body with short silvery white pubescence.

Length (H+M+T1+T2): 6.5 mm.

Male: Unknown.

Material examined: Holotype female, INDIA: Assam, Cachar Dist., Loharband , 3.x.1975, Coll. N. Muraleedharan & Party, ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/WGRS/I.R-INV.6958 .

Distribution: India: Assam.

Etymology: The species name is after its collection locality.

Discussion: This new species comes close to P. androcles androcles (Meade Waldo, 1910) in having: dorsal face of propodeum forming a horizontal area behind midline of metanotum; vertical anterior face of T1 distinctly shorter than dorsal horizontal face; S2 convex at base, very weakly depressed after; T2 not reflexed at apex, with apical margin normal, not prolonged in middle. However, this new species differs from P. androcles androcles in having: (1) Occipital carina not complete, evanescing at vertex (in P. androcles androcles, occipital carina complete); (2) Interspaces between punctures on mesopleuron and posterior portion of mesoscutum carinate (in P. androcles androcles, interspaces between punctures on mesopleuron and posterior portion of mesoscutum not carinate); (3) Body punctures stronger than that of alternative species; (4) In female, cephalic foveae as two close set pits (in P. androcles androcles females, cephalic foveae as single large deep pit).