Scolia flaviceps quettaensis, ( Cameron, 1908 )

Ali, Ahsan, Kumar, Neelima R., Bharti, Umesh & Castagnet, Jean Baptiste, 2024, The first record of Scolia flaviceps quettaensis (Cameron, 1908) (Hymenoptera: Scoliidae) from India, Records of the Zoological Survey of India 124 (1), pp. 33-38 : 34-37

Scolia flaviceps quettaensis, ( Cameron, 1908) ( Fig. 1 – 4 )

Scolia quettaensis, Cameron, 1908: 136 .

Syn. Scolia erythrocephala schmidti, Betrem, 1927: 289 , Syn. Vobalayca flavifrons quettaensis ( Cameron, 1908) , Schulten, 2007: 392.

Material examined: 1 female, India, Union Territory of Ladakh, Kargil, Megawatt (near police line, Kargil district of Ladakh ), 34.5580556°N, 76.1486111°E, 2837 m, 26-vi-2020, coll. Ahsan Ali. 1 female and 1 male, Iran, Khuzestan, Haft-Tappeh , 30-vii-1965, coll. Castagnet Jean-Baptiste. 1 female, Pakistan, Pendjab, Sargodha , 12- vii-1972, coll. Castagnet Jean-Baptiste.

Description of the female: Length 20-27 mm.

Head: Clypeus densely punctate on sides, with the anterior half vertically striated in the middle, and the posterior half smooth and shiny, without punctuation. Frontal spatium largely punctate: close and dense along frontal lamina, more spaced, quite dense and deep in the middle. The frontal fissure is quite distinct and deep to the end of the frontal spatium, indistinct on the front. Punctuation on the front is quite fine, shallow, and relatively dense in front of the median ocellus, more spaced on the sides. Vertex is almost entirely smooth, with fine and sparse punctuation.

Thorax: Pronotum with fairly dense and regular punctuation, slightly finer along mesoscutum ( Figure 1 ). Parapsidal furrows of mesoscutum are deep and indicated ( Figure 1 ). Mesoscutum densely punctate, with smooth and shiny central surface in a “V” shape ( Figure 1 ). Scutellum and metanotum are densely punctate and fairly regular over their entire surface ( Figure 1 ). The dorso-median area of the propodeum is about three times wider than the high, with dense, fine, and close punctuation, usually with narrow smooth and shiny lines in the middle. The dorsolateral area of the propodeum with large smooth and shiny surface, the rest is densely and finely punctate. Postero-median area of the propodeum is almost entirely punctate. The callosity of the pronotum is flat, with fairly dense and shallow punctuation. Upper plate of mesopleurum with a prominent tubercle, with dense, close punctuation, without punctuation behind the tubercle. The lower plate of the mesopleurum is densely punctuated along the mesopleural crest, with little or no punctuation on the sides. The upper plate of metapleurum is fairly densely punctuated on its upper half, the rest smooth and shiny. The lower plate of metapleurum is almost entirely smooth and shiny. The lateral carina of the propodeum extended beyond the spiracle.

Gaster: T1 with median tubercle ( Figure 3 ) and with coarse punctuation fairly sparse on the basal part, gradually becoming finer and denser towards the apex ( Figure 3 ). The punctuation of T2 is quite dense but spaced at the base and middle, finer and denser towards the apex ( Figure 3 ). T3-T4 with similar punctuation but more space in the middle. S1 is mostly smooth and shiny, raised in the middle with a row of arched punctuation along the central elevation. S2 without tubercle and with a relatively gentle slope.

Colouration: Head marked with yellow on the front, vertex and temporal, thorax and gaster reddish with black or orange or mixed pilosity ( Figures 1- 4 ). T3 and T4 are marked with broad yellow bands ( Figures 2, 3 ). The sides of S3 are generally faintly marked with yellow, sometimes also S4 ( Figures 2, 4 ). Wings are usually bicoloured, yellow hyaline in cells, darkened on the outside, and sometimes wings entirely darkened ( Figure 2 ).

Description of the male: Length 18-23 mm.

Head: Clypeus coarsely and densely punctate on sides and rear, partly smooth and shiny in the middle, with spaced punctuation. The frontal spatium is entirely punctate, punctuation very dense, fine, and shallow. The frontal

1 2 3 4

fissura is quite indistinct and reaches the anterior ocellus. Front and vertex with dense, fairly fine, and shallow punctuation, anterior to the anterior ocellus with smooth and shiny surface.

Thorax: Pronotum bears dense, fairly fine, and shallow punctuation. Mesoscutum bears dense, quite coarse, and deep punctuation, sparser towards the rear in the middle. Scutellum and metanotum with dense, quite coarse, and deep punctuation. The upper plate of metapleurum on its upper half is quite densely punctate, the rest smooth and shiny. Lateral carina of propodeum exceeding spiracle. Dorso-lateral area of propodeum with dense, quite fine, and deep punctuation on sides and rear, anterior part with large smooth and shiny area. The dorso-median area of propodeum bears dense, quite fine, and deep punctuation, centre with a small unpunctuated line.

Gaster: T1 with weak median tubercle and densely and finely punctuated. T2-T6 densely and finely punctate, sparser towards the rear in the middle. S2 without tubercle, with a fairly gentle slope.

Colouration: The head and antennae are reddish, marked with yellow on the front, vertex, and temporal. Thorax reddish marked with yellow on the pronotum. Gaster and pilosity reddish, T3-T4 marked with broad yellow band covering almost the entire surface, often also T5. S3-S5 is often marked with yellow laterally. Wings bicoloured, yellow hyaline in cells, darkened elsewhere.

Measurements of the female in millimetres: Body length

23.022. Head length 3.097. Thorax length 7.811. Gaster length 12.159.

Distribution in India: Ladakh, Kargil district ( Figure 5 ).

Distribution elsewhere: Iran (Busheh), Pakistan (Quetta), Oman ( Muscat) ( Betrem, 1935), United Arab Emirates (Hatta) ( Schulten, 2007).

Ecology: The material collected was observed visiting the inflorescences of Medicago falcata Linneaus, 1753 ( Fabaceae ) ( Figure 6 ).

Remarks

Current geopolitical context in Iran and Pakistan, few distribution data available for this subspecies are provided. As the male of this taxon has not yet been found in India, the description given for the male is based on material from Iran.

Ahsan Ali et al.,

Figures

Figure 5. QGIS map and Google Earth map showed the location of the specimen collection site.

Figure 6. Medicago falcata Linneaus, 1753 (Fabaceae).

Figures 1–4. Female of Scolia flaviceps quettaensis (Cameron, 1908) 1. Head and thorax of female, 2. Lateral view of females, 3. Gaster, 4. Frontal view of head.