Solierella turneri Dutt, 1917

Mawadda, N. V. Ayisha & Girish Kumar, Puthuvayi, 2022, Solierella turneri Dutt, 1917 (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae: Crabroninae) from India: description of female and new distribution records, Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics 8 (1), pp. 111-120 : 112-116

Solierella turneri Dutt, 1917 ( Figs 1–19)

Solierella turneri Dutt in R. Turner, 1917:205, Holotype, male (gender was not indicated originaly, India: Bihar, Pusa (NHM).

Material examined: INDIA: Karnataka, Kodagu district, Bettathur (12°24′26″N, 75°39′41″E 1063 m a.s.l.), 1♂, 23.xii.2019, P.G.K., leg. ( ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/ WGRC /IR/INV/15769) . Kerala, Malappuram district, Calicut University Campus (11°07′58″N, 75°53′28″E 66 m a.s.l.), 2♂♂ & 3♀♀, 10.viii.2018, C.B., leg. (Nos. 15695–15697); Thrissur district , Attoor (10°38′00″N, 76°23′37″E 252 m a.s.l.), 3♂♂ & 5♀♀, 14.iv.2020, N. V. A.M., leg. (Nos. 15703–15710); Kozhikode district , Pazhassi raja Museum (11°17′45″N, 75°46'23″E 10 m a.s.l.), 1♀, 25.x.2015, U. M.S., leg. (No. 15711); Kozhikode district , Koyilandi (11°24′21″N, 75°46′11″E 31 m a.s.l.), 6♀♀, 20.i.2020, C.B., leg. (Nos. 15715–15720); Kozhikode district , Kinaloor (11°28′04″N, 75°51′39″E 27 m a.s.l.), 2♀♀, 27.iii.2019, C.B., leg. (Nos. 15742 & 15743); Kozhikode district , Thunumannil (11°24′44″N, 75°56′03″E 31 m a.s.l.), 1♂ & 1♀, 28.v.2019, C.B., leg. (Nos. 15744 & 15745); Kozhikode district , Manipuram (11°21′43″N, 75°55′59″E 39 m a.s.l.), 2♂♂ & 4♀♀, 26.v.2019, C.B., leg. (Nos. 15746–15751); Kozhikode district , Elathur (11°20′40″N, 75°44′34″E 18 m a.s.l.), 2♀♀, 13.1.2020, C.B., leg. (Nos. 15752 & 15753); Idukki district , Kulamavu (9°48′19″N, 76°53′04″E 654 m a.s.l.), 2♀♀, 17.xii.2019, T. R., leg. (Nos. 15754 & 15755); Kozhikode district , Purameri (11°40′29″N, 75°35′43″E 21 m a.s.l.), 2♂♂, 27.xii.2019, K.P.H. R., leg. (Nos. 15756 & 15757); Kasaragod district , Ranipuram (12°25′53″N, 75°21′01″E 1001 m a.s.l.), 1♂ & 1♀, 17.xii.2017, P.M. R., leg. (Nos. 15758 &15759); Wayanad district , No specific locality, 1♂, 17.ii.2016, R.F., leg. (No. 15760); Kozhikode district , Jaferkhan colony, Zoological Survey of India campus (11°16′02″N, 75°47′21″E 21 m a.s.l.), 1♂ & 1♀, 15.v.2019, K.P.H. R., leg. (Nos. 15761 & 15762); Kozhikode district , Balussery (11°26′20″N, 75°49′13″E 31 m a.s.l.), 5♀♀, 9.iii.2019, C.B., leg. (Nos. 15763–15767); Kozhikode district , Nanminda (11°25′18″N, 75°49′15″E 41 m a.s.l.), 1♀, 9.xii.2018, P.G.K., leg. (No. 15768); Kozhikode district , Edakkara (11°25′36″N, 76°18′12″E 59 m a.s.l.), 1♂, 28.v.2019, C.B., leg. (No. 15770); Kozhikode district , Chathamangalam (11°17′39″N, 75°54′50″E 35 m a.s.l.), 1♀, 9.iii.2016, P.G.K., leg. (No. 15771); Kozhikode district , Payanthong (11°41′04″N, 75°40′16″E 31 m a.s.l.), 1♀, 30.iii.2019, K.P.H. R., leg. (No. 15772); Thiruvananthapuram district , Kerala Agricultural University Campus, Vellayani (8°26′38″N, 76°59′29″E 2 m a.s.l.), 2♀♀, 1.v.2019, C.B., leg. (Nos. 15773 & 15774); Kozhikode district , Chemenchery (11°24′58″N, 75°44′07″E 18 m a.s.l.), 1♀, 8.xi.2018, C.B., leg. (No. 15775); Kannur district , Kannapuram (11°58′33″N, 75°15′33″E 7 m a.s.l.), 2♂♂ & 2♀♀, 10.ii–3.iii.2019, 28.iv.2019, C.C., leg. (Nos. 15776–15779); Wayanad district , Kalloor (11°40′13″N, 76°18′42″E 851 m a.s.l.), 1♂ & 1♀, 10.iii.2020, K.J., leg. (Nos. 15780 & 15781); Kozhikode district , Madappally (9°28′44″N, 76°33′51″E 25 m a.s.l.), 6♂♂ & 8♀♀, 16.iii.2020, S.A., leg. (Nos. 15782–15795); Kozhikode district , Pathirippatta (11°41′37″N, 75°42′21″E 41 m a.s.l.), 2♀♀, 14.iv.2020, K.A., leg. (Nos. 15796 & 15797); Kozhikode district , Vilangad (11°47′41″N, 75°44′48″E 496 m a.s.l.), 1♀, 2.i.2020, K.A., leg. (No. 15798); Kannur district , Vilakkottur (11°45′30″N, 75°39′50″E 24 m a.s.l.), 1♀, 19.xii.2020, K.P.H. R., leg. (No. 15799) . Tamil Nadu, Kanyakumari district, Kanyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary, Alagiyapandipuram range, Keeriparai (8°26′30″N, 77°25′21″N 30 m a.s.l.), 2♂♂ & 3♀♀, 14–16.ii.2020, S.S. & Party, leg. (Nos. 15687–15691); Coimbatore district , Anaikati (11°19′43″N, 76°45′29″N 557 m a.s.l.), 1♂ & 2♀♀, 4.i.2019, P.G.K., leg. (Nos. 15692–15694); Coimbatore district , Sedivayal (10°56′30″N, 76°43′08″N 516 m a.s.l.), 3♂♂, 5.i.2019, P.G.K., leg. (Nos. 15695–15697); Nilgiri district , Coonoor (11°27′01″N, 76°51′26″E 1777 m a.s.l.), 1♂, 7.i.2019, P.G.K., leg. (No. 15712); Kanyakumari district , Kanyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary, Kulashekaram Range, Peechiparai (8°27′31″N, 77°19′01″E 84 m a.s.l.), 1♂, 20.ii.2020, S.S. & Party, leg. (No. 15713); Chennai district , Velachery (12°58′41″N, 80°12′57″E 7 m a.s.l.), 1♂, 29.iv.2019, S.A., leg. (No. 15714) .

Diagnosis: Dutt (in Turner, 1917) described Solierella turneri from India based on a single male specimen. Based on the key of Schmid-Egger et al (2021), it is found that this species shows similarity with some Palearctic species such as S. compedita Costa 1867 , S. insidiosa de Beaumont 1964 and S. syriaca de Beaumont 1964 . Female of S. turneri is very close to S. compedita in its coarse comb-like propodeal sculpture (See figure 1 of Schmid-Egger et al., 2021), maculation on the fore femur, impunctate and shiny episcrobal area and shape of clypeus, but differs by the maculation of fore and mid-tibiae. Male of S. turneri is characterized by the last antennal segment longer than previous one, where in S. compedita Costa it is shorter, or as long as to previous one (in S. compedita cretica ssp. last antennal segment is longer than previous one). Female of S. turneri is similar to S. insidiosa in maculations of fore femur and tibiae, but differ in propodeal sculpture (See figure 5 of Schmid-Egger et al., 2021). Male differ by the length of last antennal segment which is longer than previous one compared to, shorter or at most equal to previous one of S. insidiosa . Females of S. turneri differ mainly by the maculation of fore femur which is small or at most twice as large as midocellus compared to S. syriaca having maculation at least half as long as fore femur. S. turneri also differ by mid femur which is black without maculae compared to S. syriaca mostly with large maculae, and by maculae of hind tibia which is shorter and does not reaches to the apex compared to S. syriaca having maculae as long as hind tibia. Punctations of episcrobal area of mesopleuron is varying even in the specimens collected from the same locality at same time, most of the specimens are provided with shiny and impunctate episcrobal area in varying extent, compared to completely punctated episcrobal area of S. syriaca . Male differ by the length of last antennal segment which is longer than previous one compared to S. syriaca having last antennal segment, as long as or shorter than previous one.

Description: Female (hitherto unknown).

Head. Head broader than long; HW1.25–1.30 × HL; IODc 1.20–1.25 × IODv; POD 1.30–1.33 × OOD. Inner eye orbits slightly diverging below; vertex and frons densely punctate, frons with ‘V’ shaped swelling above antennae, bearing a carinae up to basal half of clypeus ( Fig. 3). Clypeus punctate, medioapically sparse; anterior margin of clypeus with a medial rounded protuberance ( Fig. 4). Antennae slender, scape slightly longer than F1, F1 2.30–2.35 × its apical width.

Thorax. Scutum and scutellum with fine dense punctures ( Fig. 5); episcrobal area of mesopleuron more or less impunctate ( Fig. 6). Propodeal dorsum coarse comb-like, propodeal enclosure distinct or inconspicuous, truncate posteriorly, with central fovea at the edge of truncation, posterior sides of propodeum transversely striated with medial longitudinal furrow, without lateral carinae ( Figs 5–6 & 8–9). Forewing as in Fig. 7.

Gaster. Basal portion of G1 slightly concave; base of G2 and G3 slightly constricted; gaster finely punctate, slightly micro coriaceous.

Vestiture. Setae silvery; dense on lower frons and vertex behind eye, sparse on mesopleuron and sides of propodeum; microsetae on antennae, frons, legs, thorax and gaster.

Coloration. Black, mandible ferruginous except basally black; whitish or creamy maculae as follows: transverse band on posterior margin of pronotum interrupted in middle, on pronotal lobe, transverse band on metanotum, mid and hind tibiae and tarsi (often with some black marks on them), few maculae on fore femur and tibia ( Figs 1, 2 & 10).

Body length (up to the apex of G2). 4.50–4.66 mm. Male. Same as female except clypeus with conspicuous medial carina and medio apically pointed tooth like prominence; propodeal enclosure somewhat ‘V’ shaped ( Fig. 15).

Body length (up to the apex of G2). 3.05–3.08 mm.

Variation. In some specimens, there is a distinct propodeal enclosure present. But in some others, it is inconspicuously present, or with traces of it. Extend of whitish or creamy white maculae on tibiae and tarsi is also vary among specimens, where in some specimens maculae are present on entire tarsi, where in others, it is absent or inconspicuous. Extends of impunctate episcrobal area of mesopleuron vary among specimens.

Distribution. India: Bihar, Karnataka (new record), Kerala (new record), Tamil Nadu (new record).