ISSN 0973-1555(Print) ISSN 2348-7372(Online) HALTERES, Volume 9, 86-110, 2018 © P. GIRISH KUMAR AND JAMES M. CARPENTER doi: 10.5281/zenodo.1258043 A taxonomic review of the genus Vespula Thomson (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Vespinae) from the Indian subcontinent *P. Girish Kumar1 and James M. Carpenter2 1Western Ghats Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Kozhikode, Kerala–673006, India. 2Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024, USA. (Email: [email protected]) Abstract The genus Vespula Thomson, 1869, is reviewed from the Indian subcontinent. New synonymy is Vespa orbata var. aurulenta du Buysson, 1905, = Vespula structor (Smith, 1870). The following species are newly recorded from various states of India as follows: V. nursei Archer, 1981, from Delhi, Sikkim and Uttarakhand; V. orbata (du Buysson, 1902) from Nagaland; V. flaviceps (Smith, 1870) from West Bengal; V. germanica (Fabricius, 1793) from Himachal Pradesh; V. structor (Smith, 1870) from Arunachal Pradesh; V. vulgaris (Linnaeus, 1758) from Himachal Pradesh. Parasitic association of Strepsiptera is observed in one worker specimen of V. flaviceps. A modified key to species of the Indian subcontinent is provided. Keywords: Vespula, review, Indian subcontinent, new record, ethology. Received: 19 December 2017; Revised: 31 May 2018; Online: 1 June 2018. Introduction Thomson (1869) erected Vespula as a India. Most of the specimens were properly subgenus of Vespa based on eight species; the preserved and added to the ‗National type species Vespa austriaca Panzer, 1799, Zoological Collections‘ of the Hymenoptera was subsequently designated by Ashmead Section of the Zoological Survey of India, (1902). Members of this social wasp genus are Kolkata (NZC) and some of the specimens at commonly called yellow jackets. They usually Western Ghat Regional Centre of the make underground nests. They are widely Zoological Survey of India, Kozhikode distributed in the Northern Hemisphere. (ZSIK). Currently, 25 species are recorded worldwide List of repositories: Beijing — of which 10 species are present in the Indian Institute of Zoology, Academia Sinica; subcontinent. In this paper, we review the Budapest — Hungarian Natural History Indian subcontinent species. A new synonymy Museum; Dresden — Staatliches Museum für is proposed in this paper, i.e., Vespa orbata Tierkunde; Genève — Museum d‘Histoire var. aurulenta du Buysson, 1905, is Naturelle; Linnean Society — Linnean synonymized under Vespula structor (Smith, Society, London; London — The Natural 1870). The distributional records of many History Museum; New York — American species are augmented in this paper. Parasitic Museum of Natural History; Paris — association of Strepsiptera is observed in one Laboratoire d‘Entomologie, Museum National worker specimen of V. flaviceps. A key to d‘Histoire Naturelle; Stockholm — species of the Indian subcontinent is also Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet (Entomologiska); provided. Taichung — Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute; Washington — U. S. National Materials and Methods Museum of Natural History; Wien — This study is based primarily on the Zoologische Sammlung, Naturhistorisches specimens present in the Zoological Survey of 86 P. Girish Kumar and James M. Carpenter Museum; Yunnan — Kunming Natural lateral mesoscutal depression without a History Museum of Zoology. backwardly directed depression; Abbreviations used for the terms: HW posterolateral margin of S6 of female = Head width; L = Length; OMS = Oculo- evenly convex; profile of T7 convex in malar space; S = Metasomal sterna; T = male; shape of S7 almost triangular in Metasomal terga; W = Width. male; male genitalia with digitus small, not extending to level of parameral spine; Results and Discussion apex of aedeagus strap-shaped and cuspis Genus Vespula Thomson, 1869 cone-shaped, without dorsal lobe………… Vespula Thomson, 1869: 79, subgenus of rufa species group. ……………..…….. 2 Vespa (eight species). Type species: — T1 usually with long pale hairs; occipital Vespa austriaca Panzer, 1799, by carina usually extending to base of subsequent designation of Ashmead, mandible; lateral mesoscutal depression 1902: 164. with a backwardly directed depression Pseudovespa Schmiedeknecht, 1881: 314, (sometimes indistinct on workers); subgenus of Vespa Linnaeus. Type posterolateral margin of S6 of female with species: Vespa austriaca Panzer, 1799, by a backwardly directed projection; profile monotypy. of T7 concave in male; shape of S7 Paravespula Blüthgen, 1938: 271, subgenus of transversely rectangular in male; male Dolichovespula Rohwer. Type species: genitalia with digitus large, extending Vespa vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758, by nearly as far as or beyond the level of original designation. parameral spine; apex of aedeagus not Allovespula Blüthgen, 1943: 149, subgenus of strap-shaped but either boat-shaped or Paravespula Blüthgen. Type species: spoon-shaped and cuspis pyramid-shaped ―Paravespula rufa (Linné)‖ [= Vespa with a dorsal lobe. ………………………7 rufa Linnaeus, 1758], by monotypy. 2. Hind tibia with long erect hairs; apex of Rugovespula Archer, 1982: 261, 264, clypeus sharply produced in females, subgenus of Vespula Thomson. Type bluntly produced in males. [Worker caste species: Vespa koreensis Radoszkowski, absent]..………..……..austriaca (Panzer) 1887, original designation. — Hind tibia without long erect hairs; apex of Diagnosis: Oculo-malar space short, as short clypeus bluntly produced in females, as or shorter than apical diameter of scape; hardly produced at all in males. [Worker pronotal carina absent or faintly marked caste present]…………………………….3 ventrally; female with outer flange on 3. Large punctures on mesoscutum with mandible; eye almost touching base of distance between punctures usually more mandible; occipital carina present laterally, or less equal or less than the diameter of reaching or not reaching base of mandible, punctures except at middle where sometimes weak; male antenna with long punctures are further apart; large punctures scape, equal to or little shorter than third of two sizes with normally a single smaller flagellar segment, later without tyloids; puncture between larger punctures; branches of aedeagus fused resulting in disc- micropunctures shallow so that surface like or saddle-shaped apical lobe; aedeagus between them appears polished………… longer than parameres. ………………………..…rufa (Linnaeus) — Large punctures on mesoscutum with Distribution: Eurasia, North Africa, North distance between punctures usually greater America, Central America. Adventive in than the diameter of punctures; large Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Hawaii, South punctures of two sizes with normally two Africa, Chile, Argentina. smaller punctures between larger punctures; micropunctures deep so that Key to species of the genus Vespula surface between them appears dull……...4 Thomson from the Indian subcontinent 4. Females (queens and workers)....…...…..5 (Modified from Archer, 2012) — Males.……………………………….......6 1. T1 usually with long black hairs; occipital 5. Oculo-malar space short, about 1/20 to 1/ carina not extending to base of mandible; 25 the width of head; occipital carina long, occupying about 70% of the lateral length 87 A taxonomic review of the genus Vespula Thomson of head; clypeus largely yellow with either yellow, brown); lower side of second each lateral yellow stripe broader than submarginal cell on the medial vein before median black stripe or yellow with three the point of contact with the second black spots; metanotum with two yellow medio-cubital or recurrent vein as long as spots. ……………………...nursei Archer or longer than the lower side of second — Oculo-malar space longer, about 1/14 to submarginal cell after the point of contact 1/17 the width of head; occipital carina with the recurrent vein; In male, shaft of short, occupying about 50% of the lateral aedeagus narrow and its apex spoon- length of head; clypeus largely black, with shaped; dorsal process of gonostipes well each lateral yellow stripe narrower than developed and projects laterally; T7 either median black stripe; metanotum without slightly or not at all notched.………… yellow spots………kingdonwardi Archer vulgaris species group. ……………… 13 6. Clypeus more than 50% yellow, black 8. Female (queens and workers)….….…….9 median stripe narrow and/or incomplete; — Males.………………………………… 12 metanotum with two yellow spots; coxa 9. Queens (usually body length greater than with yellow spot.………….nursei Archer 15.5 mm and forewing length greater than — Clypeus less than 50% yellow, black 13 mm).………………………………...10 median stripe broad and complete; — Workers (usually body length less than metanotum without yellow spots; coxa 15.5 mm and forewing length less than 13 without yellow spot………..kingdonwardi mm)..…………………..…………….....11 Archer 10. Propodeum very coarsely rugose all over 7. T1 raised basally with a depression behind its surface and without punctures; ventral this elevation (sometimes indistinct in metapleura anteriorly and ventro-laterally workers); In female, outer basal flange of strongly rugose………………....koreensis mandible nearly straight; In queen, (Radoszkowski) propodeum coarsely rugose all or over — Propodeum less coarsely rugose and major part of its surface; backwardly punctures between and interrupting the directed postero-lateral projection on S6 rugae; ventral metapleura without strong sharply pointed; In worker, either rugae.……….............orbata (du Buysson) propodeum rugose or if not clearly