IJRBAT, Special Issue (2), Vol-V, July 2017 ISSN No. 2347-517X (Online)

Taxonomic Study of Potter (: Vaspidae: Eumeninae) from Koradi Region Dist. Nagpur, India

C. R. Deshmukh Assistant Professor Departme nt Of Zoology Taywade College , Koradi, Dist. Nagpur Email- [email protected] Abstract Wasp is the diverse group of belonging to the order Hymenopte ra and the sub order . are solitary wasp which is mainly feed on nectar but the ir offspring are carnivorous the y mostly feed on pest insect like larvae , caterpillar. Adult wasp paralyzing pest insect and place in to the nest to serve as a food for their offspring this character making wasp valuable in horticulture for biological pest control. In pre sent work comprehensive survey was done during the year 2013-2015 for explore these beneficial creatures, six species of potte r wasp belong to three genera are recorded. Four wasp species from the genus , pyriforme (Fabricius, 1775) Delta conoideum (Gmelin, 1790)Delta esuriens(Fabricius, 1787) Deltadimidiatipenne (de Saussure, 1852), one species from genus , Rhynchium brunneum (Fabricius, 1793) and one species from genus Xenorhynchium,Xenorhynchium nitidulum (Fabricius, 1798) from the sub family Eumeninae of the family are recorded from the koradi region state Maharashtra, India Key words- Vespidae, Eumeninae, potter wasp, mason wasp, beneficial insect

Introduction remaining abdominal segments yellow. Wings Potter wasp or mason are cosmopolitan deep flavohyaline. Frons and ve rtex of the head insect be longing to the family Vespidae and and thorax with close shallow punctures, petiole subfamily Eume ninae it is wide ly distributed smooth, the rest of the abdome n with the surface subfamily which includes about 3,000 species fine ly longitudinally aciculate; clypeus pyriforme, more than 200 genera (Pickett and Carpenter, its apex truncate; petiole broadening towards the 2010). The potter wasps are recorded from apex and slightly flattened. Male are slightly various state of India, some important informative smaller than female. size Female 25-27mm; male contribution on potter wasp are available by (Van 20-25mm. de r vecht 1937, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1981). Roy Delta conoideum(Gmelin,1790) and Kundu 1985, Gupta 1995, 1997, 2003, 2007) Image no.-2 note worthy contribution of on Indian Diagnosis: Female –head ye llow except mandibles potter wasp. In present work comprehensive and antenna reddish, a broad transve rse band survey was done during the year 2013-2015 for across the apex be tween the top of the eyes black, explore these bene ficial creatures. black mark extends behind the vertex to occiput; Materials and methods thorax red with black patches on mesoscutum, The survey was conducted during the year 213- metapleuron and median area of propodeum, 2015 from various sites of Koradi region. Adult propleuron entirely black; legs pale reddish; potter wasps were collect from various weeds, gaster dark red with base of the second tergite grassland and houses with help of insect and a short transverse medially interrupted collecting net. Wasp nest also took to laboratory band on its middle above black. Forewing basally for observe the adult wasp eme rgence. The flavohyaline and apically fuscohyaline , with a specimens study under the stereo zoom slight purplish refringes. Head above tee antenna microscope ide ntified the species with the help of and thorax close ly and lightly punctured; clypeus reference. pyriforme, its ape x truncate; gaster smooth and Observation shining with the surface minutely aciculate. Male Delta pyriforme pyriforme (Fabricius, 1775) similar to female in general appearance but Image no. -1 smaller and slighter size female 23-26mm, male Diagnosis: Female- head yellow, a broad black 18-22mm transverse band between the eyes on the vertex; Delta esuriens (Fabricius, 1787) occiput mostly black; antenna reddish- brown; Image no.-3 pronotum entirely and mesoscutum anteriorly Head yellow to brownish with following black ye llow; tegula, parategula, scutellum and marking: a broad band on ve rtex including upper metanotum reddish brown; propleuron black; half of frons extending behind vertex to outer side mesopleuron, metapleuron, propodeum and legs of temple and to occiput, a black mark on anterior reddish brown with a narrow medial vertical black tentorial pit extending to subantennal suture to line; the structure be tween scutellum, dorsal side of antennal scrobe and touches to the metanotum and propodeum black; petiole and black band on frons and vertex (this black basal third of the second gastral se gme nt reddish marking highly variable and absent in some brown, the forme r black at base and with a species) ; antennae light reddish; pronotum and subapical black band, the middle of the later postscutellum yellow; propleuron and pronotal black, its posterior third and the visible part of the collar basally black or blackish-brown and SHRI SHIVAJI SCIENCE COLLEGE, NAGPUR 120 ICRTS-2017

IJRBAT, Special Issue (2), Vol-V, July 2017 ISSN No. 2347-517X (Online) mesopleuron yellow to brownish-yellow except strongly raised above the level of adjoining areas mesepimeron brown to blakish-brown and of propodeum, the flattened dorsal surface mesosternum black; mesoscutum black except a approximately rectangular and about as long as large brown area posteriorly; scutellum, the vertically sloping posterior surface; propodeum and legs reddish; petiole light reddish propodeum with prominent lateral angles, the except at base black, at apex black band and the n concave declivity rathe r sharply separated from ye llow band; second gastral se gments yellow, with dorsal and lateral areas. Male Antennal hook long their bases black. Wings flavohyaline with a and curved, somewhat dilated and flattened in narrow subapical dark infumation on forewing. apical half, with rounded apex, in curved position Male structure similar to female in ge neral it almost reaches the apex of ninth antennal appearance but slender. Size female 14-20 mm; segment; S7 rather strongly excavated, the male 14-17 mm. concave area fine ly, granulately punctuate and (de Saussure, 1852) borde red by an arcuate and blunt ridge; Image no.-4 parameral spine elongate. Colour is same as Diagnosis Fe male- body obscure dull red with female except base of clypeus and ventral side of following black marking; vertex, extending to scape whitish-ye llow, all flage llar segments brown occiput usually at the apex of antennae, ventrally, lowe r part of ocular sinus brown. Size: propleuron, mesopleuron except two red patches, Female14-15mm, Male 14-15mm. metapleuron except a red patch on upper Summary metapleuron, mesoscutum, base of petiole, apical The present paper includes the taxonomic study half of second tergite and whole of the remaining of potter wasp family Vaspidae from koradi tergites. Wings ferruginous, with apical half of region. It consist six species belong to three forewing fucous having a purple reflection. genera. Four wasp species from the genus Clypeus smooth, oval, convex, anterior margin Delta), one species from genus Rhynchium, and transverse; abdomen smooth and shiny. Male are one species from genus Xenorhynchium, are similar to female in gene ral appearance except the recorded from the koradi region state clypeus and the lowe r half of frons ye llow, smaller Maharashtra, India and slighter size female 24-27mm, male 22- Reference 25mm. Bluthgen, P. (1961) Ergebnisse de r Deutschen Rhynchium brunneum (Fabricius, 1793) Afghanistan-Expedition 1956 der Image no.-5 Landessammlungen fur Naturkunde Diagnosis: Female – Brownish-red with the Karlsruhe. Beitrage zur Naturkundlichen following black marks; a spot on interantennal Forschung in Sudwestschland 19:277-287. space, a vertical line on lowe r frons, around ocelli, Fabricius, J.C.F. (1775) Systema Entomologiae, occiput, a large triangular mark on mesoscutum Sistens Insectorum Classes, Ordine s, in front, a transverse line along its apex, Ge nera, Species, Adiectis Synonymie s, propleuron, mesopleuron, me tapleuron, Locis, Descriptionibus, propodeum in the middle and lateral sides below, Observationibus.Flensburgi &Lipsiae, basal two thirds of the first and the basal half of 32+832. second abdominal tergite, first and second Fabricius, J.C.F. (1787) Mantissa Insectrum, abdominal sternites, base of third abdominal Sistens Species Nupe r Detectas 1. Hafniae, sternites. Le gs brownish-red with variegated I-XXX+1-384. black markings. The black markings are highly Fabricius, J.C.F. (1793) Entomologia variable. Wings yellowish hyaline , deeper and Systematicca Emendate e t aucta. darke r towards base. Clypeus strongly convex, Secundum, Classes, Ordines, Genera, pyriform, the apical third with a broad medial Species, Adiectis Synonymis, Locis, ve rtical groove , the extreme apex truncate or Observationibus, Descriptionibus 2. slightly incised; mesoscutum posteriorly and Hafniae, viii+519. scutellum impunctate; metanotum somewhat Fabricius, J.C.F. (1798) Supplementum compressed medially. Male structure similar to entomologiae systematicae . .Hafniae female in gene ral appearance but clypeus and (2)+572pp scape in front light fulvous red to bright yellow; Gupta, S.K. (1995) Hymenoptera, Zoological midfemur basally emarginated. Size Female : 17- survey of India. Himalaya Ecosystem 20mm; Male: 12-15 series, Utter Pradesh. Part 1:81-89. Xenorhynchium nitidulum (Fabricius, 1798) Gupta, S.K. (1997) Hymenoptera, in Fauna of Image no.-6 Nanda Devi Biosphe re Reserve : Fauna of Diagnosis: Fe male –Body black with lower part of conservation areas 9. Zoological survey of ocular sinus brown; wings deep fuscous with a India: 97-104. purple reflection broadly along costal margin of Gupta, S.K. (2003) Hymenoptera: Aculeata, in forewing, the rest fusco-hyaline. Clypeus founa of conse rvation Area no 16, some pyriform, bisinuate at apical half, apex broadly selected founa of AsolaBhatti wildlife emarginated and angularly incised, sides on sanctuary, zoological survey of India: 27- either side of apex oblique ; labrum triangularly 30. pointed at apex; tegula enlarged laterally, Gupta, S.K. (2007) Insecta: Hymenoptera exceeding parategula posteriorly; postscutellum Aculeata. zoological survey of India, Faunal SHRI SHIVAJI SCIENCE COLLEGE, NAGPUR 121 ICRTS-2017

IJRBAT, Special Issue (2), Vol-V, July 2017 ISSN No. 2347-517X (Online)

Dive rsity Western Doon Shiwaliks, Special Van Der Vecht, J. (1937) Description and records publications, 35-39. of oriental and Papuan solitary Vaspidae. Gusenleitner, J. (2006) Uber Aufsammlungen von Treubia 16: 261-293. Faltenwespen in Indian (Hymenoptera, Van Der Vecht, J. (1959) On arcuatus Vespidae) Linze r Biologischen Beitrage (Fabricius) and some allied Indo-Australian 38(1):677-695. wasps( Hymenoptera, Vespidae ). Picke tt, K.M., Carpe nter, (2010) Simultaneous Zoologische Verhandelingen Leide n 41: 1- analysis and the origin of eusociality in the 71. Vespidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera). Arthr. Van Der Vecht, J. (1961) Evolution in a group of System. Phylog. 68:3-33. Indo-Australian Eumenes. Evolution 15: Ray, K.K. (2003) Insect: Hyme noptera: Aculeata. 468-477. Zoological survey of India, Fauna of Sikkim, Van Der Ve cht, J. (1963) Studies on Indo- state fauna series 9(4):507-517. Australian and East Asiatic Eumenidae Roy, S.B., Kundu, B.G. (1985) Fauna of Zoologische Verhandelingen Leiden Namdhapa, Arunachal predesh, India 42(24):255-259. (Insecta: Hyme noptera). Zoological survey Van De r Vecht, J. (1981) Studies in Indo- of India 82(1-4):221-229. Australian solitary wasps. Proceedings koninklijke nede rlandse akademie van Wetenschappen C 84(4):443-464.

Delta pyriforme pyriforme (Image no. 1) Delta conoideum (Image no. 2)

Delta esuriens (Image no. 3) Delta dimidiatipenne (Image no. 4)

Rhynchium brunneum (Image no. 5) Xe norhynchium nitidulum(Image no. 6)

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SHRI SHIVAJI SCIENCE COLLEGE, NAGPUR 122 ICRTS-2017