Sphecodes tantalus Nurse, 1903

Figs 19, 20 A–D

Sphecodes tantalus Nurse, 1903: 539, ♀.

Sphecodes tantalus – Dar et al. 2018: 531. — Dar & Wani 2018: 1432.

Diagnosis

The female of this species is similar to that of S. perplexus (refer to Diagnosis of S. perplexus above).

Material examined

Syntypes INDIA • 1 ♀; “(syntype), <red circle>”, “ Kashmir [Jammu and Kashmir] 5–6000 ft. 5.01”, “ Col. C. G. Nurse Collection, 1920-72”, “ Sphecodes tantanus Nurse ”, “♀, Type”, “B.M. TYPE HYM. 17.a.585”; NHMUK 013380356 • 1 ♀; “ Kashmir 5–6000 ft. 5.01”; ZMHB .

Descriptive notes

Wings hyaline, without brownish darkening; hind wing with the angle between basal (M) and cubital (Cu) veins ca 80°, costal margin with six hamuli.

Female

Total body length 8 mm (Fig. 19). Head strongly transverse, ca 1.3 times as wide as long (Fig. 20A); vertex weakly elevated as seen in frontal view (distance from top of head to upper margin of lateral ocellus at most a lateral ocellar diameter), but wide as seen in dorsal view (approximately three ocellar diameters); F1 and F2 strongly transverse, 0.6–0.7 times as long as wide, F3 almost square; labrum semi-oval, 0.6 times as long as wide; clypeus and ocello-ocular area with dense punctures separated by at most a half puncture diameter; paraocular and supracypeal areas with relatively dense, but thin plumose pubescence, not obscuring integument. Mesoscutum with sparse punctures (20–25μ m) separated by 2–5 puncture diameters (Fig. 20C); hypoepimeral area reticulate; metafemur strongly enlarged in proximal half, maximum width 0.4 times its length; legs red. Metasomal T1 impunctate, T2–T4 with a few fine setal pores, marginal zones impunctate; pygidial plate dull, 0.8 times as wide as metabasitarsus; T1–T5 red (Fig. 20B).

Male

Unknown.

Distribution

Himalayas: India (Jammu and Kashmir); India (Rajasthan according to Ascher & Pickering 2020: map).