Rec. zool. Surv. India: Vol. 118(4)/ 337-349, 2018 ISSN (Online) : (Applied for) DOI: 10.26515/rzsi/v118/i4/2018/119059 ISSN (Print) : 0375-1511 Taxonomic studies on Wasps of Kottooli and Thalassery- Dharmadam Mangroves of Kerala (Insecta: Hymenoptera) P. Girish Kumar1* and K. Rajmohana2 1Western Ghat Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Kozhikode - 673006, Kerala, India; [email protected] 2Zoological Survey of India, M- Block, New Alipore, Kolkata – 700053, West Bengal, India; [email protected] Abstract A detailed systematic account of wasps of Kottooli and Thalassery-Dharmadam mangroves of Kerala are reported Antepipona brunnipes brunnipes A. sibilans Antodynerus punctatipennis for the Apodynerusfirst time. Nineteen troglodytes species troglodytes of wasps (Vespidae - 16 species;Indodynerus Sphecidae capitatus - 3 species) were reported.Paraleptomenes The species miniatus mephitis (Fabricius,Phimenes 1804), flavopictum (Cameron, 1903),Ammophila clavus (de Saussure,Sphex 1853),argentatus (de Saussure, 1855), Gusenleitner,A. brunnipes2008, brunnipes is (Cameron, 1901), (Blanchard, 1845), Fabricius, 1775 and Fabricius, 1787 are recorded for the first time from mangrove ecosystem. The species Keywords: recorded for the first time from India. Bees, Hymenoptera, Mangrove Ecosystem, Wasps Introduction Material and Methods Wasps plays significant role in our ecosystem. Most of The present study is based on collection made from the wasps are effective predators which help to control Kottooli and Thalassery-Dharmadam mangroves. The the population of many pest insects and spiders. Many specimens were collected by using sweep net. Most of of the wasps are parasitic in behaviour and act as effective the vouchered specimens are deposited in the “National bio-control agents. Wasps also play as minor pollinators Zoological Collections” of the Western Ghats Regional (Naumann, 1991). Centre, Kozhikode (WGRC) and few of them in “National Mangrove ecosystem ecologically functions as a complex Zoological Collections” of the Zoological Survey of India, ecotone or interface zone between the land and sea water, Kolkata (NZC). providing diverse habitats with peculiar floral and faunal elements. Mangrove entomofauna remained a neglected Abbreviations for the Museums: BMNH- The Natural field of study in different parts of the world, including India. History Museum, London SW7 5BD, England; OLM- Only very little information is available on Hymenoptera of Oberösterreichischen Landes museum, Linz, Austria; mangrove ecosystems. In this paper, a detailed systematic OUM- Oxford University Museum, Oxford, UK; HMUG- account of wasps of Kottooli and Thalassery mangroves Hunterian Museum, University of Glasgow, Scotland, of Kerala are reported for the first time. Kottooli wetland UK; MCZ- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard (Figs. 20-22) is the largest eco-patch in the Kozhikode city University, Cambridge, USA; MNHN- Museum National limits with a rich mangrove habitat. It is situated on the d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France; MP- Muséum National bank of Canolly canal, which is a connecting link between d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France; MRSN- Museo Kallai River and Korappuzha River of Kozhikode district. Regionale di Scienze Naturali di Torino, Italy; NMNH- The Anjarakkandy and Eranjoli Rivers around Thalassery- National Museum for Natural History, Post bus 9 517, Dharmadam areas of Kannur district form considerable 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands; NZC - Zoological extend of wetland network system with mangroves. Survey of India, Kolkata, India; UZMC- Universitetets * Author for correspondence Article Received on: 20.10.2017 Accepted on: 08.06.2018 Taxonomic studies on Wasps of Kottooli and Thalassery-Dharmadam Mangroves of Kerala (Insecta: Hymenoptera) Zoologiske Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark; ZMUK- 14. Paraleptomenes miniatus mephitis (Cameron, 1901) Zoological Museum, University of Kiel, Germany. Genus Phimenes Giordani Soika, 1992 Abbreviations for the Terms used in the text: H = Head; 15. Phimenes flavopictum (Blanchard, 1845) M = Mesosoma; S = abdominal sterna; T = abdominal Genus Rhynchium Spinola, 1806 terga. 16. Rhynchium brunneum brunneum (Fabricius, 1793) Systematic List Family SPHECIDAE Family VESPIDAE Subfamily AMMOPHILILINAE Subfamily POLISTINAE Genus Ammophila Kirby, 1798 Tribe Polistini Genus Polistes Latrielle, 1802 17. Ammophila clavus Fabricius, 1775 Subfamily SCELIPHRINAE 1. Polistes (Polistella) stigma tamulus (Fabricius, 1798) Tribe Sceliphrini Tribe Ropalidiini Genus Sceliphron Klug, 1801 Genus Ropalidia Guérin-Méneville, 1831 18. Sceliphron madraspatanum madraspatanum 2. Ropalidia brevita Das & Gupta, 1989 (Fabricius, 1781) Subfamily SPHECINAE 3. Ropalidia jacobsoni (du Buysson, 1908) Tribe Sphecini Subfamily VESPINAE Genus Sphex Linnaeus, 1758 Genus Vespa Linnaeus, 1758 19. Sphex argentatus Fabricius, 1787 4. Vespa tropica haematodes Bequaert, 1936 Subfamily EUMENINAE Systematic Account Genus Allorhynchium van der Vecht, 1963 1. Polistes (Polistella) stigma tamulus (Fabricius, 1798) 5. Allorhynchium argentatum (Fabricius, 1804) (Fig. 1) 6. Allorhynchium metallicum (de Saussure, 1852) 1798. Vespa tamula Fabricius, 263. Type ♀, “in India Genus Antepipona de Saussure, 1855 Orientali, Dom Daldorff” (ZMUK). 1996. Polistes (Polistella) stigma tamulus; Carpenter: 16. 7. Antepipona brunnipes brunnipes (Fabricius, 1804) Material examined: INDIA: Kerala, Kozhikode district, 8. Antepipona sibilans (Cameron, 1903) Kottooli wetland, 2♀, 7.v.2016, Coll. P. Girish Kumar, Genus Antodynerus de Saussure, 1855 ZSIK Regd. Nos. ZSI/WGRC/I.R-INV.8932 & 8933; Kerala, Kannur district, Thalassery mangroves, 1♀ & 1♂, 9. Antodynerus flavescens flavescens (Fabricius, 1775) 21.v.2016, Coll. Sruthi, ZSI/WGRC/I.R.-INV.6800 & 6801. 10. Antodynerus punctatipennis (de Saussure, 1853) Diagnosis: S1 without distinct margin at base; T1 about as Genus Apodynerus Giordani Soika, 1993 long as wide; median groove of propodeum shallow, with close fine transverse striations; forewing with subapical 11. Apodynerus troglodytes troglodytes (de Saussure, fuscous cloud. 1855) Genus Delta de Saussure, 1855 Distribution: India: Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya 12. Delta esuriens (Fabricius, 1787) Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Odisha, Pondicherry, Genus Indodynerus Gusenleitner, 2008 Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Uttar 13. Indodynerus capitatus Gusenleitner, 2008 Pradesh, West Bengal. Elsewhere: Pakistan; Sri Lanka; Genus Paraleptomenes Giordani Soika, 1970 Vietnam (Sheikh et al., 2017). 338 Vol 118(4) | 2018 | www.recordsofzsi.com Zoological Survey of India P. Girish Kumar and K. Rajmohana 2. Ropalidia brevita Das & Gupta, 1989 in posterior half, highest slightly posterior to level of (Fig. 2) posterior margin of the sternum. 1989. Ropalidia (Anthreneida) brevita Das & Gupta, 121. Distribution: India: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Holotype ♂, Delhi: University ridge (NZC). Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya 2007. Ropalidia brevita; Kojima et al.: 380. Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal. Material examined: INDIA: Kerala, Kozhikode district, Elsewhere: Bangka; Java; Lombok; Myanmar; Sulawesi; Kottooli wetland, 5♀, 7.v.2016, Coll. P. Girish Kumar, Sumatra (Sheikh et al., 2017). ZSIK Regd. Nos. ZSI/WGRC/I.R-INV.8934-8938; Kerala, Kannur district, Thalassery mangroves, Parappuram, 1♀ 4. Vespa tropica haematodes Bequaert, 1936 & 1♂, 16.v.2016, Coll. Sruthi, ZSI/WGRC/I.R.-INV.6798 (Fig. 4) & 6799; Kerala, Thalassery mangroves, Parappuram, 1♀, 16.v.2016, Coll. Sruthi, ZSI/WGRC/I.R.-INV.7256; Kerala, 1936. Vespa tropica var. haematodes Bequaert, 336, 338. Thalassery mangroves, Kuyyali, 1♂, 15.viii.2016, Coll. Holotype ♀, India: “Kooloo” (MCZ). Sruthi, ZSI/WGRC/I.R.-INV.7257; Kerala, Thalassery Material examined: INDIA: Kerala, Kozhikode mangroves, Koduvally, 1♀, 13.viii.2016, Coll. Sruthi, ZSI/ district, Kottooli wet land, 2 sterile ♀, 9.ix.2015, Coll. WGRC/I.R.-INV.7258; Kerala, Thalassery mangroves, K. Rajmohana, WGRC Regd. Nos. ZSI/WGRS/I.R- Nadal, 1♀, 31.vii.2016, Coll. Sruthi, ZSI/WGRC/I.R.- INV.4753–4754. INV.7259; Kerala, Thalassery mangroves, Nadal, 1♂, 3.vii.2016, Coll. Sruthi, ZSI/WGRC/I.R.-INV.7260. Diagnosis: Body rather large and thick, covered with strong and stiff hairs; clypeus coarsely punctate, apical margin Diagnosis: T1 proportionally wider with its maximum hairy; apical margin of clypeus with broad emargination, width in dorsal view nearly half as wide as that of T2; its apico-lateral angle triangular; lower vertical area of propodeum with paired, longitudinal basal carinae, with pronotum with strong transverse ridges near pronotal pit. weak transverse striations and scattered shallow punctures between basal carinae; striations lateral to carinae weak; Distribution: India: Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, propodeal orifice narrow. Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Pondicherry, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Distribution: India: Assam, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Goa, Uttarakhand, West Bengal. Elsewhere: Bhutan; China; Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Myanmar; Nepal; Pakistan; Sri Lanka; Vietnam (Sheikh Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, et. al., 2017). Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal. Elsewhere: Pakistan (Sheikh et. al., 2017). 5. Allorhynchium argentatum (Fabricius, 1804) (Fig. 8) 3. Ropalidia jacobsoni (du Buysson, 1908) (Fig.