New records of potter wasps ( Hymenoptera : Vespidae : Eumeninae ) from Arunachal Pradesh , India : five genera and ten species

Potter wasps (or mason wasps) belong to the subfamily Eumeninae of the family Vespidae. It is a widely distributed subfamily which includes about 3,000 species in more than 150 genera (Brothers & Finnamore 1993). The adults are small to large (7-28 mm) and compact to elongate with a sessile to strongly petiolate metasoma. They are easily recognized by the following combination of characters: mesoscutum with a posterolateral projection known as parategula (Fig. 1); tarsal claws bifid; hind coxa with a longitudinal dorsal carina or folding (Fig. 2), often

developed into a lobe or tooth and forewing with three submarginal cells.All the known eumenine species are predators; most of them solitary mass provisioners, though some isolated species show primitive states of social behaviour and progressive provisioning.Adult feeds on nectar.

Materials and Methods
Samples were collected by sweep net, killed by ethyl acetate and preserved as dry specimens.The specimens were studied under Wild Heerbrugg Stereozoom microscope.All the studied specimens are deposited at Arunachal Pradesh Regional Centre of the Zoological Survey of India, Itanagar (APRC/ZSI).
Diagnosis: Female: Head yellow, a broad black band between the eyes on the vertex; occiput black; antenna reddish-brown; pronotum entirely and mesoscutum anteriorly yellow, the later posteriorly black; scutellum and postscutellum reddish-brown; propleuron black; mesopleuron, metapleuron and legs reddish-brown variegated with black; propodeum reddish-brown with a narrow medial vertical black line; the sutures between the scutellum, postscutellum and propodeum black; petiole and basal third of the second gastral segment reddishbrown, the former black at base and with a subapical black band, the middle of the later black, its posterior third and the remaining abdominal segments yellow.Wings deep flavohyaline.Frons and vertex of the head and thorax with close shallow punctures, petiole smooth, the rest of the abdomen with the surface finely longitudinally aciculate; clypeus pyriforme, its apex truncate; petiole broadening towards the apex and slightly flattened.
Male: Structure similar to female in general appearance but slighter, the fifth and sixth gastral segments at base and the whole of the seventh segment black.
Size: Female: 25-27 mm; male: 20-25 mm.Forewing length: female: 19.5mm; male: 17.5mm.Distribution: India (Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat,  Bingham, Fauna Brit. India, Hym., 1: 342, 343. 1991.Delta companiforme esuriens (Fabricius): Krombein, Smithsonian Contrib. Zool., 515: 6. 1992.Delta esuriens (Fabricius, 1787): Giordani Soika, Lavori-Soc.Ven. Sc. Nat.,17:62.Diagnosis: Female: Head yellow to brownish-yellow with following black markings: a broad band on vertex including upper half of frons extending behind vertex to outer side of temple and to occiput, a black mark on anterior tentorial pit extending to subantennal suture to dorsal side of antennal scrobe and touches to the black band on frons and vertex (this black markings highly variable and absent in some specimens); antennae light reddish (in some specimens a black mark present on scape dorsally and apical antennal segments more dark); pronotum and postscutellum yellow; propleuron and pronotal collar basally black or blackish-brown; mesopleuron yellow to brownish-yellow except mesepimeron brown to blackish-brown and mesosternum black; mesoscutum black except a large brown area posteriorly; scutellum, propodeum and legs light reddish (in some specimens fore coxa, all trochanters and mid and hind tarsal segments except basitarsus black); petiole light reddish except at base black, at apex a black band and then a yellow band; second gastral segment basally light reddish then a black band and remaining apical half yellow; all remaining gastral segments yellow, with their bases (when drown out) black.Wings flavohyaline with a narrow subapical dark infumation on forewing.Clypeus smooth, strongly convex, flattened in middle, its anterior margin transversely truncate at apex; frons, vertex and thorax with close fine but shallow punctures; gaster smooth, slightly shining.
Male: Structure similar to female in general appearance but slender.
Material examined: India: Arunachal Pradesh, Papumpare District, Itanagar, ZSI Colony, 27 0 5'-35 0 72'N  & 93 0 37'-30 0 72' Clypeus and frons up to the sinus of eyes, a line on the inner side of temple, pronotum, a large spot on mesopleuron, postscutellum except basal part, sides of propodeum, a narrow subapical band on petiole, posterior half of the second and following abdominal segments.The following reddish portions: antenna (sometimes a black mark on scape and blackish apical antennal segments), scutellum (sometimes yellow), legs, remaining parts of petiole and basal part of second abdominal segment.A small band on the petiole near to yellow apical band, on the middle of the second gastral segment, bases of the remaining gastral segments (usually not visible externally) black.
In some specimens fore coxa, all trochanters, mid and hind tarsal segments except basitarsus, black.Closely resembles to Delta companiforme esuriens (Fabricius) but with comparatively a broader clypeus, a longer petiole and darker wings.Male: Structure similar to female in general appearance but slender.
Diagnosis: Female: Body obscure dull red with following black markings: vertex, extending to occiput usually at the apex of antennae, propleuron, mesopleuron except two red patches, metapleuron except a red patch on upper metapleuron, mesoscutum, base of petiole, apical half of second tergite and whole of the remaining tergites.Wings ferruginous, with apical half of forewing fuscous having a purple reflection.Clypeus smooth, oval, convex, anterior margin transverse; abdomen smooth and shiny.
Male: Beside from the usual sexual dimorphism of Vespidae structure similar to female in general appearance except the clypeus and the lower half of frons yellow, smaller and slighter.
Diagnosis: Female: Head yellow except mandibles and antenna reddish, a broad transverse band across the apex between the tops of the eyes black, black mark extends behind the vertex to occiput; thorax dark red with black patches on mesoscutum, metapleuron and median area of propodeum, propleuron entirely black; legs pale reddish; gaster dark red with base of the second tergite and a short transverse medially interrupted band on its Diagnosis: Female: Black.The following yellow markings: Clypeus, interantennal space, inner orbit, ocular sinus, a line behind the eyes, pronotum in front, two curved spots and two parallel longitudinal lines on mesoscutum, a broad outer border to the tegula, a spot on each side of the scutellum, a broad line on the posterior margin of postscutellum, a broad vertical mark on mesopleuron, sides of dorsum of propodeum (with median Maltese cross-shaped black mark), two small lateral spots at the base of the petiole, two about the middle and a subapical band of the same above, two large pyriforme spots near the base of second gastral segment, two minute lateral spots on second gastral sternites, subapical interrupted bands on the posterior margins of second and the following segments.Legs black, variegated with yellow.Wings fuscohyaline.Clypeus smooth, pyriforme, the apex sharply truncated; frons, vertex and thorax with fine shallow punctures, petiole and gaster smooth.
Male: Beside from the usual sexual dimorphism of Vespidae structure similar to female in general appearance but slighter, with last abdominal segment entirely black.Depth of yellow markings varies in different individuals.
Material examined: India: Arunachal Pradesh, Papumpare District, Itanagar, ZSI Office, 27 0 5'-35 0 72'N & 93 0 37'-30 0 72'E, coll.G. Srinivasan: 1 F, 3.xi.2005Diagnosis: Female: Black with the following yellow marks: a spot between the antenna, an obscure very short line behind the eyes at top, a narrow interrupted line on the pronotum, a mark on the postscutellum, a narrow line on the apical margins of the petiole and the segment of the abdomen.Legs black variegated with yellow.Wings fuscohyaline with coppery reflections.Head, thorax and abdomen finely and densely punctured, obscurely pubescent; clypeus convex, apex deeply emarginate.
Male: Structure similar to female in general appearance but clypeus yellow.
Diagnosis: Female: Black with the following yellow markings: clypeus, interantennal space extends up to anterior ocellus, ocular sinus, elongated mark on temple, antennal scape ventrally, large area of pronotum except posterior angle, two parallel lines of mesoscutum, two marks on scutellum, a band on postscutellum posteriorly, tegula except a black spot on middle, parategula, a spot at the base of the mesopleuron, a spot above and a large spot below, on each side of propodeum, propodeal valvulae, two spots on apex of petiole above, two linear subapical marks on petiole ventrally, an interrupted band on the posterior half of second abdominal tergite, a broad mark basally on second abdominal sternite, remaining gastral tergites.Legs black variegated with yellow, wings fuscohyaline.Head and thorax sparsely punctured except at side of frons closely punctured; abdomen densely pruinose; clypeus broadly pyriforme, convex, the apex sharply incised; propodeum with a broad median longitudinal furrow with two sharp teeth on each side of it at apex.Size: Female: 21-23 mm.Forewing length: Female: 16 mm.
Material examined: India: Arunachal Pradesh, Papumpare District, Itanagar, ZSI Colony, 27 0 5'-35 0 72'N & 93 0 37'-30 0 72'E, coll.G. Srinivasan: Diagnosis: Female: Brownish-red with the following black marks: a spot on interantennal space, a vertical line on lower frons, around ocelli, occiput, a large triangular mark on mesoscutum in front, a transverse line along its apex, propleuron, mesopleuron (except brownish-red below tegula), metapleuron, propodeum in the middle and lateral sides below, basal two thirds of the first and the basal half of second abdominal tergite, first and second abdominal sternites, base of third abdominal sternite.Legs brownish-red with variegated black markings.The  Diagnosis: Female: Black with the following yellow markings: clypeus (except a large black spot), a spot above it, the emargination of eyes, a stripe behind them, a squarish spot on each side of the pronotum nearly meeting in the middle, a spot on the mesopleuron, tegula (except a fuscous spot at centre), a spot on the lateral angles of scutellum, postscutellum, propodeum (except a broad black line at the middle), narrow subapical transverse bands on the margins of first to fifth abdominal segments, a free spot on each side of the basal abdominal segment, a round spot on the sides of the second segment.Legs reddish brown variegated with yellow.Wings hyaline with infumation on costal margin.Clypeus very broad, grooved at apex, ending in two distinct teeth; propodeum more slopping, less concave posteriorly, sides rounded; abdomen very sparsely punctured, nearly glabrous.