ISSN 0973-1555(Print) ISSN 2348-7372(Online) HALTERES, Volume 11, 36-43, 2020 D. GHOSH, P.G. KUMAR, B. TRIPATHY AND K. CHANDRA doi: 10.5281/zenodo.4042968 An updated checklist of Vespidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera) from Arunachal Pradesh, India with new distributional records from the State *Dibyajyoti Ghosh1, P. Girish Kumar2, Basudev Tripathy1 and Kailash Chandra1 1Zoological Survey of India, M-Block, New Alipore, Kolkata, West Bengal-700053, India. 2Western Ghats Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Eranhipalam, Kozhikode, Kerala-673006, India. (Email: [email protected]) Abstract An updated checklist of 69 species from 26 genera and 4 subfamilies of Vespidae from Arunachal Pradesh is provided in this study. Four species, viz. Eumenes macrops de Saussure, Polistes (Polistella) adustus Bingham, Polistes (Polistella) rubellus Gusenleitner, and Vespula germanica (Fabricius), are documented for the first time from Arunachal Pradesh. Keywords: Hymenoptera, New records, Arunachal Pradesh, Checklist. Received: 20 January 2020; Revised: 24 September 2020; Online: 28 September 2020 Introduction Arunachal Pradesh is the eastern most state, an updated checklist of Vespidae from state of India and among the biodiversity Arunachal Pradesh is provided through the hotspots at India (Myers et al., 2000). The present work. location of the state with topographical and climatological uniqueness made the state as Materials and Methods one of the most species rich regions of the Surveys were undertaken in different country. parts of Indian Himalayan region, as part of Family Vespidae belongs to the order the NMHS- Biodiversity assessment project. Hymenoptera with 5000 species recorded However, in this study, specimens collected globally, with six subfamilies, viz. from Arunachal Pradesh are only taken into Eumeninae, Vespinae, Polistinae, Masarinae, account. Wasps were collected, narcotised Stenogastrinae and Euparagiinae (Goulet & with ethyl acetate and subsequently stored in Huber, 1993) and is represented by 150 70% ethyl alcohol. Specimens were then species under 40 genera from the Indian taken to the laboratory, properly stretched, Himalayan region (Chandra et al., 2018). pinned and identification was done following Reports of Vespidae from Arunachal Pradesh Bingham (1897), Das & Gupta (1989), is however scattered and scanty. The earlier Gusenleitner (2006), Fabricius (1793), Girish work done by Bingham (1897), Roy & Kundu Kumar et al. (2017) and then compared with (1985), Das & Gupta (1989), Kundu et al. reference collections from Zoological Survey (2006), Singh et al. (2010), Srinivasan & of India, Western Ghats Regional Centre, Girish Kumar (2010), Kenny et al. (2019) and Kozhikode (ZSIK). All the specimens were Gawas et al. (2020) reflected documentation examined and photographed under Leica of few species for the state, altogether 65 stereo zoom microscope and labelled with species of Vespidae have been reported from Adobe Photoshop v7.0. Arunachal Pradesh. Present study reports new Taxonomic classification is followed distributional records of four species from the as in Carpenter (1982). The different state taking the tally to 69 species belonging morphological terms that are used for to 26 genera from 4 subfamilies. Along with describing the specimen followed Das & brief description of the new records from the Gupta (1989) and Girish Kumar et al. (2017). 36 An updated checklist of Vespidae from Arunachal Pradesh, India Figure 1. Collection localities of Family Vespidae from Arunachal Pradesh, India. Abbreviations used Diagnosis: Legs almost entirely ferruginous BL: Body Length; BMNH: The Natural (coxae and trochanter black), rarely with few History Museum, formerly British Museum yellow markings on fore and mid leg; (Natural History), London, Great Britain; punctation of second tergum relatively coarse FWL: Fore Wing Length; OLM: and not very dense; second tergum, in profile, Oberösterreichischen Landesmuseum, Linz, little swollen in middle, weakly impressed Austria; ZSIK: Zoological Survey of India, preapically, and apical margin slightly Western Ghats Regional Centre, Kozhikode, reflected; in male, apical antennal article Kerala, India. hooked, its apex reaching middle of 10th segment in curved position. Results Taxonomic Account Distribution: India: Arunachal Pradesh Order Hymenoptera (present record), Assam, Karnataka, Kerala, Family Vespidae Maharashtra, Nagaland, Pondicherry, Subfamily Eumeninae Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Genus Eumenes Latreille, 1802 Pradesh, West Bengal. Elsewhere: Indonesia; Eumenes macrops de Saussure (Fig. 2A-D) Malaysia; Myanmar. (Girish Kumar et al., 2017). Eumenes macrops de Saussure, 1852: 41, ♂— ―La Caroline du nord‖ (BMNH). Remarks: This is one of the widely Material examined: Registration distributed potter wasp in India. First time No.22424/H3 and 22425/H3, 1 Male and 1 reported from Arunachal Pradesh. Female, 13.iii.2017, 27.506 N, 96.396 E, Alt. 345.4 metres, Deban, Namdapha National Subfamily Polistinae Park, Changlang, Arunachal Pradesh, India, Tribe Polistini coll. J. Saini & Party. Genus Polistes Latreille, 1802 Subgenus Polistella Ashmead, 1904 Male: BL 14.8mm; FWL 9.1 mm. Polistes (Polistella) adustus Bingham, 1897 Female: BL 11.7 mm; FWL 8.2 mm. (Fig. 3A-D) 37 Dibyajyoti Ghosh, P. Girish Kumar, Basudev Tripathy and Kailash Chandra Polistes adustus Bingham, 1897: 397, ♀, Remarks: This is a Himalayan species with a holotype, "Sikkim, up to 6000 feet" limited distributional record. First time (BMNH). reported from Arunachal Pradesh. Material examined: Registration Subfamily Vespinae No.22426/H3, 1 Male, 21.ix.2018, 27.578 N, Genus Vespula Thomson, 1869 91.976 E, Alt. 2274 metres, Jung, Tawang, Vespula germanica (Fabricius, 1793) Arunachal Pradesh, India, coll. S. Ahmed & (Fig. 5A-D) Party. Vespa germanica Fabricius, 1793: 256 - BL 14.9mm; FWL 11.3 mm. [Germany] "Kiliae" (type depository unknown). Diagnosis: Metasoma black with broad red band on apical margin of first to fifth tergum; Material examined: Registration No. scutellum more or less raised, elevated from 22429/H3, 1 Female, 21.iv.2018, 27.578 N, the level of mesoscutum; second sternum 91.976 E, Alt. 2274 metres, Jung, Tawang, angular at base, propodeum with sharp lateral Arunachal Pradesh, India, coll. J. Saini & edges; legs not completely black. In males, Party. sub genital plate with central tubercle. BL 22.4 mm; FWL 14.1 mm. Distribution: India: Arunachal Pradesh (present record), Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Diagnosis: Margin behind third mandibular Jammu & Kashmir, Meghalaya, Sikkim, tooth distinctly concave; outer basal flange of Uttarakhand, West Bengal. Elsewhere: mandible strongly curved; occipital carina Bhutan; China; Nepal (Das & Gupta, 1989). reaching mandibular base; apical margin of clypeus concave and depressed medially; Remarks: This species is distributed in mesosomal punctures indistinct; propodeum Himalaya and adjacent regions. First time not rugose. reported from Arunachal Pradesh. Distribution: India: Arunachal Pradesh Polistes (Polistella) rubellus Gusenleitner, (present record), Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & 2006 (Fig. 4A-D) Kashmir. Elsewhere: Afghanistan; Albania; Polistes rubellus Gusenleitner 2006: 684, ♀, Algeria; Armenia; Argentina (Introduced); holotype, Yuksam 8 km S, W-Sikkim, Ascension Island (Introduced); Australia India [OLM]. (Introduced); Austria; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Belgium; Bosnia & Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Material examined: Registration Canada (Introduced); Chile (Introduced); No.22427/H3, 1 Female, 21.ix.2018, 27.575 China; Croatia; Czech Republic; Denmark; N, 91.973 E, Alt. 2271 metres, Jung, Tawang, Estonia; Finland; France; Georgia; Germany; Arunachal Pradesh, India, coll. S. Ahmed & Greece; Hungary; Iceland (Introduced); Iran; Party. Iraq; Ireland; Israel; Italy; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Korea; Kyrgyzstan; Lebanon; Liechtenstein; BL 15.2 mm; FWL 11.9 mm. Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macedonia; Malta; Mayotte; Moldova; Mongolia; Morocco; Diagnosis: Second sternum behind the basal Nepal; Netherlands; New Zealand furrow, in side view, not angular, only (Introduced); Norway; Pakistan; Poland; strongly curved; propodeum with strong Portugal; Romania; Russia; Sakhalin Island; transverse striations; base of metanotum with Scotland; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; South distinct transverse carina; metasoma Africa (Introduced); Spain (including Canary bicoloured: black and ferruginous. Islands); Sweden; Switzerland; Syria; Taiwan; Tajikistan; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Distribution: India: Arunachal Pradesh U.K.; Ukraine; U.S.A. (Introduced); (present record), Sikkim. Elsewhere: Nepal Uzbekistan (Girish Kumar and Carpenter, (Gusenleitner, 2006; Nguyen et al., 2011). 2018). 38 An updated checklist of Vespidae from Arunachal Pradesh, India Figure 2. Eumenes macrops de Saussure: A. Habitus; B. Head, Frontal View; C. Head and Mesosoma, Dorsal View; D. Metasoma, Lateral View. Figure 3. Polistes (Polistella) adustus Bingham 1897: A. Habitus; B. Head, Frontal View; C. Head and Mesosoma, Dorsal View; D. Metasoma, Lateral View. Figure 4. Polistes (Polistella) rubellus Gusenleitner, 2006: A. Habitus; B. Head, Frontal View; C. Head and Mesosoma, Dorsal View; D. Metasoma, Lateral View. 39 Dibyajyoti Ghosh, P. Girish Kumar, Basudev Tripathy and Kailash Chandra Figure 5. Vespula germanica (Fabricius, 1793): A. Habitus; B. Head, Frontal View; C. Head and Mesosoma, Dorsal View; D. Metasoma, Lateral View. Remarks: V. garmanica is a common Eumeninae has 30 species belonging to European (Palaearctic) species.