Philanthus, Fabricius, 1790

Kumar, P. Girish, Monks, Joseph & Sheikh, Altaf Hussain, 2021, Additions to the knowledge on the genus Philanthus Fabricius, 1790 (Hymenoptera Crabronidae: Philanthinae) from the Indian subcontinent, Zootaxa 4999 (1), pp. 1-21 : 2-3

Key to the Indian subcontinent species of Philanthus

1. First metasomal segment petiolate or subpetiolate; first metasomal tergum 1.3–2.5 × as long as broad in dorsal view....... 2

- First metasomal segment sessile; first metasomal tergum 0.8–1.0 × as long as broad in dorsal view..................... 6

2. Sides of middle part of clypeus with stout black teeth. ♀ ................................... dentatus Cameron, 1902

- Sides of middle part of clypeus without such stout black teeth.................................................. 3

3. Petiole entirely red. ♀, ♂ ........................................................ pulcherrimus F. Smith, 1856

- Petiole either entirely black or black with small or broad lateral oval yellow spots, sometimes meeting and forming submarginal band............................................................................................... 4

4. Petiole black with broad lateral oval yellow spots, sometimes meeting and forming submarginal band; second tergum with broad yellow basal band. ♂ ......................................................... punjabensis Nurse, 1902

- Petiole either entirely black or black with small yellow submarginal spots; second tergum without broad yellow basal band.. ................................................................................................... 5

5. Second tergum almost entirely black except oval yellow to ferruginous submarginal spot on side. ♂ ................................................................................................... nepalensis Bingham, 1908

- Second tergum almost entirely ferruginous except narrow submarginal interrupted yellow band and narrow apical black band. ♀, ♂ .................................................................. notatulus concinnus Bingham, 1896

6. Propodeal enclosure closely punctate and setose throughout.................................................... 7

- Propodeal enclosure partly or largely impunctate and asetose.................................................. 10

7. Frons with characteristic tridentate yellow marking. ♀, ♂ .............................. triangulum ( Fabricius, 1775)

- Frons without such tridentate yellow marking, either with two oval spots or crescentic mark.......................... 8

8. Second tergum without ferruginous markings. ♀, ♂ ......................................... basalis F. Smith, 1856

- Second tergum with ferruginous markings.................................................................. 9

9. Second flagellar segment more than three times as long as its apical width; sixth metasomal tergum in female narrowly emarginate at apex; first and second metasomal terga broadly black at apex. ♀ .................... ordinarius Bingham, 1896

- Second flagellar segment only slightly more than twice as long as its apical width; sixth metasomal tergum in female broadly rounded at apex; first and second metasomal terga narrowly black at apex. ♀, ♂ ............... sumptuosus Turner, 1917

10. Second, third and fourth metasomal terga black with transverse yellowish white lines on the apical or subapical margins. ♀, ♂ ............................................................................ ramakrishnae Turner, 1918

- Second, third and fourth metasomal terga ferruginous, with or without yellow markings but without transverse yellowish white lines on the apical or subapical margins................................................................... 11

11. Mesoscutum with one pair of longitudinal yellow bands anteriorly on lateral margin, sometimes absent; first metasomal tergum with small yellow spot on each side or spot sometimes absent; wings conspicuously yellowish hyaline. ♂ .............................................................................................. depredator F. Smith, 1856

- Mesoscutum with two pairs of longitudinal yellow bands; first metasomal tergum with either broad yellow band medially or broad median yellow spot on each side; wings slightly yellowish hyaline........................................ 12

12. Basal three metasomal terga with apical margins ferruginous; first tergum with broad yellow band medially. ♂ .......................................................................................... sulphureus F. Smith, 1856

- Metasomal terga ferruginous with large lateral yellow spots on basal 4 segments; first tergum with broad median yellow spot on each side. ♀, ♂ .......................................................... elegantissimus Dalla Torre, 1897