Punjab Univ. J. Zool., Vol. 32 (1), pp. 155-158, 2017 ISSN 1016-1597(Print) ISSN2313-8556 (online)

Short Communication

New record of the malignum (Kohl, 1906) (: ) from Vietnam with the first information on its nesting biology

Phong Huy Pham1 and Hoa Thi Dang2

1Graduate University of Science and Technology, Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road, Hanoi, Vietnam 2Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road, Hanoi, Vietnam

(Article history: Received: February 19, 2017; Revised: May 20, 2017)

Abstract Chalybion malignum is a new record to the sphecid fauna of Vietnam. The first information on nesting biology, description, and distributional notes are also provided. Key Words: Chalybion malignum, Hymenoptera, nesting biology, new record, Vietnam,

To cite this article: PHAM, P.H. AND DAND, H.T., 2017. New record of the mud dauber wasp Chalybion malignum (Kohl, 1906) (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae) from Vietnam with the first information on its nesting biology. Punjab Univ. J. Zool., 32(1): 155-158.

INTRODUCTION MATERIALS AND METHODS

ommonly called , The specimens studied in the present Chalybion Dahlbom, a genus of wasps paper were collected using trap nests set up in C belonging to the family Sphecidae, is Tam Dao Town (21º26.5’N 105º37’E, alt. 400 distributed worldwide, and most of its species m), Tam Dao district, and Me Linh Station for occur in the Old World. Pulawski (2016) listed 47 Biodiversity (21º23’N 105º42’E, alt. 50 m), Me species and 9 subspecies of the genus, of which Linh district, Vinh Phuc province and Phu Luong 14 species are known to occur in the Oriental district (21o48’N 105o44.5’E, alt. 73 m), Thai Region. Species Chalybion Dahlbom 1843 Nguyen province, and nets in Cuc normally build mud nests in preexisting cavities Phuong National Park, Yen Thuy district, Hoa and crevices or reuse mud nests of other Binh. The adult specimens are deposited in the species of wasps such as and Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources Trypoxylon and provision their nests with (IEBR), Vietnam Academy of Science and paralyzed (Bohart and Menke, 1976). Technology (VAST), Hanoi, Vietnam. Five species of Chalybion, namely, C. The morphological characters were bengalense (Dahlbom, 1845), C. dolichothorax observed and described from pinned and dried (Kohl, 1918), C. japonicum (Gribodo, 1882), C. specimens with the aid of a stereoscopic gracile Hensen, 1988 and C. sumatranum (Kohl, microscope. The terminology follows Bohart and 1884) have been recorded from Vietnam so far Menke (1976). The name of the species is (Tano and Kurokawa, 2015; Pham et al., 2015), determined based on the reference of Hensen and no information on nesting biology of C. (1988). Photographic images were taken using a malignum has been published until today. stereomicroscope with a camera. The acronyms In the present paper, C. malignum is of the museums/institutions are as follows: recorded to the Vietnamese sphecid fauna; NHMW: Naturhistorisches Museum, Zoologische information on description, distribution, and Abtheilung, View nesting biology is also provided. DEI: Deutschen Entomologischen Institutes

158-PUJZ-71021220/17/0155-0158 Copyright 2017, Dept. Zool., P.U., Lahore, Pakistan *Corresponding author: [email protected] 156 P.H.PHAM AND H.T.DANG

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Female (Fig. 1a): Body length 17.2 - 22.3 mm, forewing length 13.5 - 15.2 mm. Body Chalybion malignum (Kohl, 1906) dark blue, antenna black, mid and hind tarsus Sceliphron malignum Kohl, 1906: 192, ♀. black with violaceous reflection, mid and hind Holotype: ♀, Sri Lanka: no specific locality femur dark violaceous; fore wing and hind wing (NHMW). proximally hyaline, distally dark brown. Clypeus Chalybion malignum: R. Bohart and Menke, with five defined teeth; three median teeth close 1976: 103 (new combination, in checklist together, longer and broader than the others. of world Sphecidae). Mandible with broad apical tooth. Pronotal collar Sceliphron horni Stran , 1915: 91, ♀. Holotype: raised nearly as high as anterior part of scutum, Sri Lanka: ank lam (DEI). with distinct median notch, each side with Synonymized with Sceliphron malignum obviously deep impression. Pronotum and by Kohl, 1918: 74. scutum strongly transversely strigose, lower metapleural area with distinct transverse Materials examined: Vinh Phuc: striations. Propodeal side sharply and coarsely 2♀ + 1♂, Tam Dao, ii - vii.2013, 400m, striated, propodeal dorsum irregularly striated. trap-nests, H.T. Dang; 18♀ + 12♂, Tam Dao, iii - Petiole curved, shorter than hind basitarsus. viii.2014, 400m, trap-nests, H.T. Dang; 6♀ + 3♂, Terminal sternum of gaster flat, wide and Me Linh, i - vi.2013, trap-nests, H.T. Dang; 10♀ apically truncated. Clypeus sparsely strongly + 6♂, Me Linh, vii - xii.2014, trap-nests, H.T. punctate, mesopleuron densely coarsely Dang; Thai Nguyen: 22♀ + 9♂, h L ong, punctate, propodeum punctate reticulate, gaster 25.v - 03.vi.2014, H.T. Dang; Hoa Binh: 2♀, without punctations. Cuc Phuong National Park, Yen Thuy, Male (Fig. 1b): Body length 13.4 - 15.2 21.vii.2016, P.H.Pham. mm, forewing length 10 - 11.2 mm. Structure similar to female in general appearance, Description: placoids on antenna absent, sternum VIII triangular at apex

Figure 1: Chalybion malignum (Kohl, 1906). a-Female, habitus. b-Male, habitus. c-Trap-nests. d-Nest cell

NEW RECORD AND THE FIRST INFORMATION ON NESTING BIOLOGY OF CHALYBION MALIGNUM 157

Distribution revision. University of California Press: Sri Lanka, India, Burma, Malaysia, Berkeley, Los Angeles, London. Indonesia, China, Vietnam: provinces of Hoa DAHLBOM, A.G., 1843-1845. Hymenoptera Binh, Vinh Phuc, and Thai Nguyen. Europaea praecipue borealia; formis typicis nonnullis Specierum Generumve Distribution notes Exoticorum aut Extraneorum propter Kohl (1906) described this species nexum systematicus associatis; per based on a female from Sri Lanka, but did not Familias, Genera, Species et Varietates indicate the exact locality. Strand (1915) disposita atque descripta. Tomus: specified the exact locality while the author in sensu Linneano. Officina described the species under name Sceliphron Lundbergiana, Lund (in certain copies: horni which is now treated as a junior synonym. Prostat in Libraria Friderici Nicolai, In 1918, Kohl described the male from the exact Berolini. locality. Hensen (1988) added four localities for GRIBODO, G., 1882. Alcune nuove specie e the species including India, Burma, Malaysia, nuovo genere di Imenotteri Aculeati. IV. and Indonesia. Hua (1989) recorded this species Imenotteri. Ann. Mus. Civ. Stor. Nat. in a list of deposited in Zhongshan Genova, 18: 684-690. University, China. In Vietnam, with a survey HENSEN, R.V., 1988. Revision of the nominate period of six years from 2010 to 2016, this subgenus Chalybion Dahlbom species has only recorded in mountainous areas (Hymenoptera, Sphecidae). Tijdschr. with an altitude above 50 m so far. Ent., 131: 13-64. HUA, L., 1989. List of insect specimens of Information on nesting biology Zhongshan (Sun Yatsen) University. Nests of C. malignum have only been Zhongshan (Sun Yatsen) University, recorded in trap nests (Fig. 1c), and each trap Ghangzhou, China. nest contained only one to two cells but strong KOHL, F.F., 1884. Neue Hymenopteren in den tendency to one (Fig. 1d). Female usually chose Sammlungen des k. k. zool. Hof- short trap nests with 45 - 120 mm in length and Cabinetes zu Wien. II. Verh. Zool. -Bot. 5 - 18 mm in diameter. The length of the Ges. View, 33: 331-386. provisioned cell was highly variable, ranging KOHL, F.F., 1906. Zoologische Ergebnisse der from 22 to 484 mm. The plug of the cell was Expedition der kaiserlichen Akademie made of the mud, rough on the inner surface der Wissenschaften nach Südarabien and flat on the outer surface. A very thin resin und Sokótra im Jahre 1898-1899. layer of unknown origin was covered the outer Hymenopteren. Denkschr. - terr. Akad. surface of the plug. The pupa was enclosed in a Wiss. Math. -Naturwiss. Kl., 71: 169- brown cocoon. The cells were provisioned with 301, pls. I-XI. prey spiders of the genus Gasteracantha KOHL, F.F., 1918. Die Hautflüglergruppe (Araneidae). “”. IV. Die natürliche Gatt ng Sceliphron Klug (= Pelopaeus Latr.). Acknowledgments Ann. K. K. Naturhist. Hofm., 32: 1-171. The authors are grateful to three PHAM, P.H., GIRISH, P.K. AND DANILOV, anonymous reviewers for their excellent Y.N., 2015. Distributional checklist of comments and valuable suggestions in this sphecid wasps (Hymenoptera: paper; also to Dr. Pham Dinh Sac, Graduate , Sphecidaae, ) University of Science and Technology, Hanoi, from Vietnam. Linzer biol. Beitr., 47(2): Vietnam for his kind help on the identification of 1581-1599. prey spiders. The present study was supported PULAWSKI, W.J., 2016. Number of species in by Research Grant Programme, Nagao Natural Sphecidae (sensu lato). Downloaded Environment Foundation, Japan. from http//research.calacademy. org/ sites/research.calacademy.org/files/Dep REFERENCES artments/ent/Sphecidae/Genus_of_Chal ybion.pdf). STRAND, E., 1915. Ueber einige orientalische BOHART, R.M. AND MENKE, A.S., 1976. und paläarktische Crabroniden der Sphecid wasps of the world: A generic Gattungen Sphex, Sceliphron und 158 P.H.PHAM AND H.T.DANG

Ammophila im Deutschen TANO, T. AND KUROKAWA, H., 2015. The Entomologischen Museum. Arch. wasps and collected in center part Naturgesch., Abteilung A, 81(5):88-97. of Vietnam. Tsunekibachi, 27:25-30.