Antepipona biguttata ( Fabricius, 1787 )

Kumar, Girish P., Carpenter, James M. & Sureshan, Pavittu M., 2016, A taxonomic review of the genus Antepipona de Saussure, 1855 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae) from India, Zootaxa 4150 (5), pp. 501-536 : 504-507

3. Antepipona biguttata ( Fabricius, 1787)

( Figs 1–12 )

Vespa biguttata Fabricius 1787: 291 , “China” (Ƌ, UZMC); Olivier 1792: 689; Fabricius 1793: 272; 1804: 267; de Saussure 1853: 265 (unidentified species); 1855: 277 (? synonym of Odynerus bipustulatus de Saussure, 1855 ); Dalla Torre 1894: 139 (cat.); 1904: 66 (cat.); Schulz 1912: 83, 100 (types examined; 2 specimens belonging to 2 species of Odynerus ; no descriptive notes).

Odynerus biguttatus: Schulz 1912: 100 ; Liu 1936: 106 (cat.).

Odontodynerus biguttatus: van der Vecht 1959: 241 , fig 3 (redescription of type); Iwata 1964: 344 (ethology).

Antepipona biguttata: van der Vecht & Fischer 1972: 71 (cat.); Madl 1995: 398 (Thailand); Kim & Yamane 2003: 288, figs 1– 8 (syn.: A. biguttata takaoensis ; China; spec. from Korea); Gusenleitner 2006a: 690 (India: Karnataka, Meghalaya); 2011: 1360 (Laos); Nguyen et al. 2014: 8 (list).

Antepipona injucunda Giordani Soika 1973: 104 , ♀, Ƌ, “ China; Wa-sha-toui, Kwan-tung” (ZMB); Giordani Soika 1982: 205, 207 (key), 222 (syn. of A. biguttata ).

Antepipona biguttata biguttata: Giordani Soika 1982: 205 , 207 (key), 221, figs 16–22 (syn.: A. injucunda ; China; Vietnam; Myanmar; Malaysia; India); Gusenleitner 1988: 179 (Thailand); Lambert 2004: 555 (key).

Antepipona biguttata takaoensis Giordani Soika 1982: 207 (key), 224, ♀, Ƌ, “ Formosa: Takao” (holotype, ♀, MSNV); Kim & Yamane 2003: 287, 288 (syn. of nominotypical subspecies); Lambert 2004: 555 (key).

Anterhynchium ovalis: Yamane & Wang 1996: 62 . Misidentification.

Antepipona excelsa keralensis Lambert 2004: 562 –564 , ♀, holotype (ZSIK), examined. Syn. nov.

Diagnosis. ♀. Clypeus as wide as long, with two longitudinal carinae originating from middle ( Fig. 2 ); metanotal teeth bigger, distance between teeth about as equal as distance between each tooth and lateral metanotal margin; head and mesosoma moderately punctate ( Fig. 4 ); curved transverse carina on either side of posterior portion of propodeum ( Fig. 5 ); anterior face of pronotum with horizontal series of punctures on middle third, close to each other and separated by subtle carinae ( Fig. 3 ); characteristic pattern of yellow bands on body ( Fig. 1 ).

Colour. Body black with yellow markings. Yellow regions: base of mandibles; large transverse mark on base and pair of small spots at apex of clypeus, apical marks sometimes absent; mark from base of clypeus to front along inner margin of eye up to top of eye emargination; large quadrangular spot on front above antenna; long mark on temple towards vertex; ventral side of scape; pair of triangular mark on horizontal part of pronotum, sometime fused at middle; subcircular spot on mesopleuron; tegula except at centre brown or black; parategula; pair of large spots at scutellum and small spots on metanotum; longitudinal band on propodeum laterally; mark on mid coxa; apical half of fore and mid femur ventrally; all tibia at outer side; narrow band at apex on T1, wider at middle; wider band at apex of T2, S2, which greatly enlarged at middle and on sides; two spots on either side of base of T2 laterally; T3 with narrow apical band, enlarged at sides, sometimes thin median part disappearing; T4 with narrow, almost regular apical band, sometimes abbreviated to sides; T5 with semicircular stain at middle of apical margin. Legs yellowish brown to brown except yellow at outer side of hind basitarsus.

Ƌ. Similar to ♀ except that clypeus slightly concave at base and more deeply emarginated at apex ( Fig. 8 ); apical antennal article large, arcuate, gradually tapered from base to apex, which almost reaching base of 10th article ( Fig. 9 ). Colour differing from ♀ in having clypeus entirely yellow; mandible almost entirely yellow except brown at inner margin; yellow mark at lower front inverted triangular shaped and touching to base of clypeus ( Fig. 7 ).

Size (H+M+T1+T2). ♀ 6–7 mm; Ƌ 6–7 mm.

Material examined. Holotype of Antepipona excelsa keralensis , ♀, “ INDIA: Kerala, Parambikulam ”, Regd. No. ZSI/ WGRC /I.R. – INV.1922; ZSIC 1.0103 ( Figs 10–12 ) ( ZSIK). INDIA: Arunachal Pradesh, Papumpare district, Naharlagun , 1Ƌ, 25.viii.1998, Coll. A.R. Lahiri & Party, NZC No. 16113/H3 ; Lower Dibang Valley district, Roing , 1♀, 20.ix.2002, Coll. M. Sil & Party, NZC No. 16114/H3 . Bihar, Katihar district, Bhogaon , 1Ƌ, 1♀, 3.x.1908, Coll. C.A. Paiva, NZC Nos. 368/H3, 385/H3 . Kerala: Palakkad district, Silent Valley , 1♀, 1Ƌ, 15.i.1980, Coll. K.R. Rao & Party, NZC Nos. 16115/H3, 16116/H3 ; Kannur district, Thekkumbad , 1♀, 7.xi.2002, Coll. K.C. Gopi & Party, NZC No. 16117/H3 ; Palakkad district, Chittoor , 1♀, 10.ix.2010, Coll. K. Rajmohana & Party, NZC No. 16118/H3 ; Kozhikode district, Nanminda , 4♀, 3Ƌ, 5.xi.2011 & 6.x.2014, Coll. P. Girish Kumar, NZC Nos. 16119/H3–16125/H3 . Manipur, exact locality, date of collection and name of collector unknown, 1♀, NZC No. 16126/H3 ; Imphal Valley , 1♀, 31.viii.1945, Coll. M.L. Roonwal, NZC No. 16127/H3 ; Imphal West district, Kangchup , 1♀, 9.x.1976, Coll. Unknown, NZC No. 16128/H3; Erioshemba, 1♀, 11.x.1976, Coll. S. Jankan, NZC No. 16129/H3 . Odisha, Puri district, Satpara , 1♀, 18.ix.1913, Coll. N. Annandale, NZC No. 379/H3 . Sikkim, exact locality unknown, 4♀, July 1897, Coll. Dudgeon, NZC Nos. 16130/H3–16133/H3 ; East Sikkim district, Ranipool , 1♀, 22.v.1994, Coll. B.C. Das & Party, NZC No. 16134/H3 ; East Sikkim district, Rangpo , 1♀, 14.ix.1978, Coll. A.N.T. Joseph & Party, NZC No. 16171/H3 . Tamil Nadu, Nilgiri district, Devala, 1Ƌ, v.1961, Coll. P.S. Nathan, NZC No. 16135/H3; Nilgiri Hills , Mango Range , 3 800’, 1♀, v.1949, Coll. P.S. Nathan ( AMNH) . Tripura, West Tripura district, Agartala , 1♀, 10.xii.1977, Coll. M. Muraleedharan & Party, NZC No. 16136/H3 ; North Tripura district, Dharmanagar , 1Ƌ, 1.v.1978, Coll. J.K. Jonathan & Party, NZC No. 16137/H3 ; Gomati district, Udaipur , 1Ƌ, 14.v.1978, Coll. A. Issar, NZC No. 16138/H3 ; South Tripura district, Garjee , 2♀, 15.v.1978, Coll. J.K. Jonathan & Party, NZC No. 16139/H3, 16140/H3 ; South Tripura district, Belonia , 1Ƌ, 15–18.v.1978, Coll. J.K. Jonathan & Party, NZC No. 16141/H3 ; Khowai district, Teliamura , 4♀, 1Ƌ, 18–20.v.1978, Coll. J.K. Jonathan & Party, NZC Nos. 16142/H3–16146/H3 ; West Tripura district, Baramura , 1♀, 22.v.1978, Coll. A. Issar, NZC No. 16147/H3 ; Dhalai district, Ambassa , 11Ƌ, 1♀, 25.v.1978, Coll. J.K. Jonathan & Party, NZC Nos. 16148/H3– 16159/H3 ; Dhalai district, Ambassa , 4Ƌ, 1♀, 25.v.1978, Coll. A. Issar, NZC Nos. 16160/H3–16164/H3 ; West Tripura district, Pulinpur , 1♀, 10.v.1992, Coll. J.K. Jonathan & Party, NZC No. 16165/H3 ; Khowai district, Teliamura , 1Ƌ, 20.v.1978, Coll. J.K. Jonathan & Party, NZC No. 16454/H3 . Uttar Pradesh, Balrampur district, Jaitapur , 1Ƌ, 9.x.2000, Coll. S.I. Kazmi & Party, NZC No. 16166/H3 . West Bengal, S–24 Parganas district, Lakshmikantapur , 1Ƌ, 15.x.1965, Coll. Unknown, NZC No. 16167/H3 ; Purulia district, Ajodhya Hill , 1♀, 3.xi.1985, Coll. M. Dutta & Party, NZC No. 16168/H3 ; Bardhhaman district, Kaichar, 1♀, 5.ix.1986, Coll. K.K. Ray & Party, NZC No. 16169/H3; S–24 Parganas district , Sunderbans Biosphere Reserve, Pakhirala, 1Ƌ, 3.viii.2013, Coll. Gaurav Sharma & Party, NZC No. 16170/H3.

Distribution. India: * Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, * Bihar, Karnataka, Kerala, Manipur, Meghalaya, * Odisha, * Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, * Tripura, * Uttar Pradesh, * West Bengal; China; Korea; Laos; Malaysia; Myanmar; Taiwan; Thailand; Vietnam.

Ethology. In this study we observed an interesting behavior, i.e., parasitic association of strepsipteran insects, for the first time in the genus Antepipona . Female strepsipteran parasites were observed under the metasomal terga segment of Antepipona biguttata in one ♀ specimen from Manipur ( Fig. 10 ). The ♀ strepsipteran endoparasites are larviform, leg–less and wing–less, without eyes, antennae and external genitalia. In fig 10 the ♀ strepsipteran parasite is seen as partially projecting out from wasp’s metasoma.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Antepipona biguttata (Fabricius), ♀. 1. Body, profile. 2. Head, frontal view. 3. Pronotum, showing anterior face of propodeum. 4. Head and mesosoma, dorsal view. 5. Propodeum. 6. Strepsipteran parasitation on wasp.

FIGURES 7 – 12. 7 – 9. Antepipona biguttata (Fabricius), Ƌ. 7. Head, frontal view. 8. Clypeus. 9. Apical antennal articles. 10 – 12. A. excelsa keralensis Lambert, holotype, ♀. 10. Body, profile. 11. Head, frontal view. 12. Metasoma.