Nitela, Latreille, 1809

Mawadda, N. V. Ayisha, Aseeb, A. K. & Kumar, P. Girish, 2025, Three new species of the genus Nitela Latreille, 1809 (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) from India, Zootaxa 5706 (2), pp. 214-230 : 215-216

Key to Oriental Nitela (modified from Li & Li 2010)

(Males of N. apoensis Tsuneki , N. protuberancis Li & Li , N. bicornis Williams , N. williamsi Menke , and N. domestica Williams are unknown).

1. Setae on lower frons and clypeus golden................................................................... 2

- Setae on lower frons and clypeus silvery (except setae on clypeus golden in males of N. pseudocollaris & N. neoapoensis ). 3

2. Scutellum without median transverse protuberance. Sri Lanka............................... N. henrici Turner, 1926

- Scutellum with median transverse protuberance (See Figure 3 of Li & Li 2010). China..... N. protuberancis Li & Li, 2010

3. Antero-lateral angle of pronotum acutely pointed or pronotum approximately rectangular ( Figs. 4 , 12 & 35 )............. 4

- Antero-lateral angle of pronotum not acutely pointed, or pronotum approximately rounded ( Figs 19 & 27 )............... 9

4. Mesoscutum transversely or irregularly transversely ridged ( Figs 4 , 12 , 46 & 54 )................................... 5

- Mesoscutum reticulate ( Figs 35 & 40 )..................................................................... 7

5. Mesoscutal ridges irregularly transverse ( Figs 46 & 54 ). India...... N. pseudocollaris Mawadda & Girish Kumar , sp. nov.

- Mesoscutal ridges distinctly transverse ( Figs 4 & 12 )......................................................... 6

6. Pronotum with broad transverse groove, anterior angles rectangular, anterior margin conspicuously raised ( Fig. 12 ). China; India; Malaysia; Sri Lanka........................................................... N. collaris Turner, 1926

- Pronotum only posteromedially depressed, anterior angles not rectangular, anterior margin not raised. Philippines........................................................................................ N. bicornis Williams, 1928

7. Posterior declivity of propodeum nearly straight; in female, clypeus tridentate anteromedially. Philippines............................................................................................... N. rugosa Williams, 1928

- Posterior declivity of propodeum with heart shaped structure ( Figs 36 & 40 ); in female, clypeus approximately quadridentate anteromedially ( Figs 34 & 42 )........................................................................... 8

8. Mesoscutum conspicuously coarsely reticulate ( Fig. 35 ); propodeal dorsum longitudinally striatorugose ( Fig. 35 ); in male, setae on clypeus golden. India.................................. N. neoapoensis Mawadda, Girish Kumar sp. nov.

- Mesoscutum inconspicuously reticulate ( Fig. 40 ); propodeal dorsum longitudinally ridged, not striatorugose; male unknown. Philippines..................................................................... N. apoensis Tsuneki, 1992

9. Frons with bifurcate carina ( Fig. 17 )..................................................................... 10

- Frons without bifurcate carina ( Fig. 25 )................................................................... 11

10. Dorsal arms of frontal carina long, parallel, extending nearly up to anterior ocellus; eyes glabrous; carina delimiting posterior surface of propodeum dipping down medio dorsally suggesting the top of heart shaped structure; recurrent vein of forewing with stub of vein just before its juncture with submarginal cell (See Figure 1 of Menke 1968). Malaysia................................................................................................. N. williamsi Menke, 1968

- Dorsal arms of frontal carina short, unparallel, extending nearly up to half distance to anterior ocellus ( Fig. 17 ); eyes with short, sparse pubescence; carina delimiting posterior surface of propodeum straight ( Fig. 20 ); recurrent vein of forewing without stub of vein near juncture with submarginal cell ( Fig. 22 ). China; India (present study); Japan; Philippines; Taiwan........................................................................................ N. domestica Williams, 1928

11. Posterior margin of mesoscutum with transverse row of six conspicuous pits. Philippines..... N. philippinica Tsuneki, 1992

- Posterior margin of mesoscutum with some longitudinal ridges or with a few inconspicuous pits...................... 12

12. Anterior margin of scutellum with short longitudinal ridges or with somewhat inconspicuous pits..................... 13

- Anterior margin of scutellum with transverse row of conspicuous pits........................................... 14

13. Pronotum medially with V-shaped extension and laterally depressed on posterior ridge; ridges on propodeal dorsum scattered and oblique, connected by short and transverse ridges making the surface approximately reticulate. China......................................................................................... N. obliquipropodea Li &Li, 2010

- Pronotum medially without V-shaped protraction; ridges on propodeal dorsum comparatively denser and longitudinal connected by rather short and inconspicuous transverse ridges, making the surface inconspicuously reticulate. China..................................................................................... N. yasumatsui taiwana Tsuneki, 1956

14. Mesoscutum and scutellum with transverse ridges. Philippines.......................... N. luzonensis Williams, 1928

- Mesoscutum and scutellum without transverse ridges........................................................ 15

15. Posterior ocellus at least 1.5 × its diameter from eye. Indonesia.............................. N. maxima Maidl, 1925

- Posterior ocellus almost touching eye.................................................................... 16

16. Pronotum with transverse groove, divided in the middle by low carina. Cocos Islands; Malaysia. N. pendleburyi Turner, 1926

- Pronotum without transverse groove, not divided in the middle by carina ( Fig. 27 ). India............................................................................................. N. nasseri Mawadda, Girish Kumar sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Nitela collaris Turner. ♀. 1. Habitus, lateral view; 2. Head, frontal view; 3. Clypeus, frontal view; 4. Head & mesosoma; 5. Propodeum, dorsal view; 6. mesosoma, lateral view; 7. Forewing; 8. Metasoma, dorsal view.

FIGURES 9–15. Nitela collaris Turner. ♂. 9. Habitus, lateral view; 10. Head, frontal view; 11. Clypeus, frontal view; 12. Head & mesosoma; 13. Propodeum, dorsal view; 14. Mesosoma, lateral view; 15. Antennae.

FIGURES 32–39. Nitela neoapoensis Mawadda & Girish Kumar sp. nov. Holotype. ♀. 32. Habitus, lateral view; 33. Head, frontal view; 34. Clypeus, frontal view; 35. Head & mesosoma; 36. Propodeum, dorsal view; 37. Mesosoma, lateral view; 38. Forewing; 39. Metasoma, dorsal view.

FIGURES 16–23. Nitela domestica Williams. ♀. 16. Habitus, lateral view; 17. Head, frontal view; 18. Clypeus, frontal view; 19. Head & mesosoma; 20. Propodeum, dorsal view; 21. Mesosoma, lateral view; 22. Forewing; 23. Metasoma, dorsal view.

FIGURES 24–31. Nitela nasseri Mawadda & Girish Kumar sp. nov. Holotype ♀. 24. Habitus, lateral view; 25. Head, frontal view; 26. Clypeus, frontal view; 27. Head & mesosoma; 28. Propodeum, dorsal view; 29. Mesosoma, lateral view; 30. Forewing; 31. Metasoma, dorsal view.

FIGURES 43–50. Nitela pseudocollaris Mawadda & Girish Kumar sp. nov. Holotype ♀. 43. Habitus, lateral view; 44. Head, frontal view; 45. Clypeus, frontal view; 46. Head & mesosoma; 47. Propodeum, dorsal view; 48. Mesosoma, lateral view; 49. Forewing; 50. Metasoma, dorsal view.

FIGURES 51–58. Nitela pseudocollaris Mawadda & Girish Kumar sp. nov. Paratype ♂; 51. Habitus, lateral view; 52. Head, frontal view; 53. Clypeus, frontal view; 54. Head & mesosoma; 55. Antennae; 56–58. Genitalia.

FIGURES 40–42. Nitela apoensis Tsuneki, Holotype ♀. 40. Habitus, dorsal view; 41. Habitus, lateral view; 42. Head, dorsal view. © The Trustees of the United States National Museum (= National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution), Washington, USA.