Rec. zool. Surv. India: Vol. 117(3)/ 282-285, 2017 ISSN (Online) : (Applied for) DOI: 10.26515/rzsi/v117/i3/2017/119329 ISSN (Print) : 0375-1511 Short Communication First record of three species of Hairy Wasps (Hymenoptera: Scoliidae) from Madhya Pradesh Altaf Hussan Sheikh1, P. Girish Kumar2*, Rita Bhandari3 and Moni Thomas4 1Department of Bioscience, Rani Durgavati Viswa Vidyalaya, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh – 482001, India; [email protected] 2Western Ghat Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Kozhikode, Kerala – 673006, India; [email protected] 3Department of Zoology, Government O. F. K. College, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh – 482005, India; [email protected] 4Directorate of Research Services, Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh – 482004, India; [email protected] Abstract Three species of scoliidae wasps, namely, Scolia (Discolia) fasciatopunctata dunensis Betrem, S. (D.) binotata binotata Fabricius, and S. (D.) mixta (Fabricius) are reported here for the first time from Madhya Pradesh. An updated checklist of scoliidKeywords species: from Madhya Pradesh is also provided. First Record, Hymenoptera, Madhya Pradesh, Scoliidae Introduction Material and Methods The family Scoliidae (Hymenoptera: Vespoidea) is a The present study is based on the collections from different group of most primitive solitary aculeate wasps. They localities of the Dumna Nature Park, Jabalpur. The insect are commonly known as hairy wasps, having a wide specimens collected are preserved in the Department of distribution but predominantly found in tropical countries Bio-science, Rani Durgavati Viswavidyalaya, Jabalpur but (Tüzün and Bağrıaçık, 2000) The family consists of about eventually will be transferred to the Park. 560 species, 220 sub-species distributed among 43 genera, The following abbreviations used in the text for the 28 sub-genera in two sub-families viz., Proscoliinae and Museums: NZC - Zoological survey of India, Kolkata, Scoliinae (Osten, 2005). Seventy-nine species under 14 India; ZMUC - Zoologisk Museum, Koebenhavns genera have been reported from India till date (Gupta and Universitet, Denmark. Jonathan, 2003; Schulten et al, 2011). Abbreviations used for the terms: S = Abdominal In this paper, we studied the scoliid specimens sterna; T = Abdominal terga. collected from Dumna Nature Park, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. The Park is a forest area and ecotourism site Results located in the Jabalpur district. The park is spread in 1058 We identified 3 species belonging to the family Scoliidae, ha area and situated at an elevation of about 460 m from namely, Scolia (Discolia) fasciatopunctata dunensis the mean sea level. There is no record of scoliid wasp Betrem, S. (D.) binotata binotata Fabricius, and S. (D.) fauna of the Dumna Nature Park till date. * Author for correspondence Article Received on: 10.05.2016 Accepted on: 01.09.2017 Altaf Hussan Sheikh, P. Girish Kumar, Rita Bhandari and Moni Thomas mixta (Fabricius). These are reported for the first time mesoscutum with close to sub-contiguous punctures; from Madhya Pradesh. An updated checklist of scoliid scutellum with dense punctures at anterior half, posterior species from Madhya Pradesh is also provided. half almost impunctate; raised clypeal disc impunctate. Systematic Account Colour: Integument and vestiture black; metasoma with faint bluish reflections; T3 with light to dark red Order HYMENOPTERA band which may be narrow to broad, sometimes band Superfamily VESPOIDEA interrupted or constricted at middle. Wings dark brown Family SCOLIIDAE with predominant bluish reflections. Subfamily SCOLIINAE Tribe Scoliini Male: Antennal flagellum not clavate towards apex. Genus Scolia Fabricius Colour: Integument and vestiture entirely black. 1. Scolia (Discolia) binotata binotata (Fabricius, 1804) Wings light brown, forewing darker anteriorly, with 1804. Scolia binotata Fabricius, 244, ♂, Tranquebar coppery reflections. (ZMUC). 1978. Scolia (Discolia) binotata binotata; Krombein, 41- 43. Length: Female, 16-22 mm; Male, 11-15 mm. Diagnosis: Female: Dorso-median area of propodeum Material examined: INDIA: Madhya Pradesh, Jabalpur with moderately large, deep punctures, dorso-lateral area district, Dumna Nature Park, 7♀ & 6♂, 8.x.2015, Coll. impunctate at its inner half; T1 with prominent antero- Altaf Hussain Sheikh. median tubercle; S2 with weak basal tubercle. Distribution: India: Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Colour: Body black, T3 and T4 with paired, large Pradesh (new record), Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttarakhand, rounded red spots. Vestiture black, except white on Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal. occiput. Wings medium to dark brown, forewing anteriorly darker with bluish reflections. 3. Scolia (Discolia) mixta (Fabricius, 1798) 1798. Tiphia mixta Fabricius, 254, ♀, Tranquebar, India Length: 16 mm. (ZMUC). 1964. Scolia (Discolia) mixta; Bradley, 17. Material examined: INDIA: Madhya Pradesh, Jabalpur district, Dumna Nature Park, 11♀, 19.x.2015, Coll. Altaf Diagnosis: Female: Dorso-median area of propodeum Hussain Sheikh. with mostly subcontiguous punctures, dorso-lateral area not broadly impunctate anteriorly; upper plate of Distribution: India: Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal metapleuron with small, close punctures at its upper third, Pradesh, Assam, Delhi, Diu, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya lower two-thirds impunctate; clypeal disc impunctate in Pradesh (new record), Maharashtra, Manipur, Rajasthan, middle. Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal. Elsewhere: Sri Lanka. Colour: Integument reddish brown and yellow. Head almost entirely bright yellow, following ferruginous: 2. Scolia (Discolia) fasciatopunctata dunensis (Betrem, mandibles; scapus; antennal flagellum except at flagellum 1928) apically; frontal area; streak behind posterior ocelli 1928. Scolia (Scolia) dunensis Betrem, 251, ♂, Dehra Dun, extended between upper eye orbits; gena and temple India (NZC). partly. Mesosoma predominantly ferruginous, following 1964. Scolia (Discolia) dunensis; Betrem & Bradley, 92. bright yellow: pronotum entirely; scutellum; metanotum except sometimes being ferruginous. Metasoma Diagnosis: Female: Front almost impunctate with ferruginous with broad yellow bands on T2–T4, that on few fine punctures along ocellar area; scapulae and T2 and T3 covering almost entire dorsal surface, that on Vol 117(3) | 2017 | www.recordsofzsi.com Zoological Survey of India 283 First record of three species of Hairy Wasps (Hymenoptera: Scoliidae) from Madhya Pradesh T4 very broad but usually interrupted in middle. Vestiture Material examined: INDIA: Madhya Pradesh, Jabalpur almost entirely reddish except for apical fringes on T2– district, Dumna Nature Park, 5♀, 16.xi.2015, Coll. Altaf T6, having fiery tinge. Wings yellowish hyaline, forewing Hussain Sheikh. with well defined dark apical mark. Distribution: India: Karnataka, Gujarat, Madhya Length: 17 mm. Pradesh (new record), Tamil Nadu. PLATE 1 Checklist of Scoliidae of Madhya Pradesh (3). Scolia (Discolia) affinis Guerin, 1838 - India: (1). Campsomeriella (Campsomeriella) collaris collaris Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, (Fabricius, 1775) - India: Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Delhi, Goa, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Odisha, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Pondicherry, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Odisha, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal. Elsewhere: Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan. Pradesh, West Bengal. Elsewhere: Nepal; Sri Lanka. (4). Scolia (Discolia) binotata binotata Fabricius, 1804 - (2). Megacampsomeris reticulata (Cameron, 1892) - India: Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, India: Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Delhi, Diu, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh (new Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya record), Maharashtra, Manipur, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Nadu. Pradesh, West Bengal). Elsewhere: Sri Lanka. 284 Vol 117(3) | 2017 | www.recordsofzsi.com Zoological Survey of India Altaf Hussan Sheikh, P. Girish Kumar, Rita Bhandari and Moni Thomas (5). Scolia (Discolia) cruenta Klug, 1805 -India: Bihar, these three species were collected from Dumna Nature Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Park, Jabalpur. An updated checklist of scoliid species Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, from Madhya Pradesh is also provided. Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal. Acknowledgements (6). Scolia (Discolia) fasciatopunctata dunensis Betrem, The authors are grateful to Dr. Kailash Chandra, 1928 - India: Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Director, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata and Dr. Pradesh (new record), Maharashtra, Odisha, P. M. Sureshan, Scientist-D and Officer-in-Charge of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal. Western Ghats Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of (7). Scolia (Discolia) mixta (Fabricius, 1798) - India: India, Kozhikode for providing sophisticated laboratory Karnataka, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh (new record), facilities. We thank, Commissioner, Jabalpur Municipal Tamil Nadu. Corporation and the Conservator Forests, Forest division Jabalpur, for allowing us to explore the insect diversity at Summary Dumna Nature Park.