Sphecodes iridipennis Smith, 1879

Fig. 11 A–E

Sphecodes iridipennis Smith, 1879: 27–28, ♀.

Sphecodes iridipennis – Gupta 2013: 60.

Diagnosis

This species is close to the S. simlaensis owing to a similar structure, sculpture of the body and the fact that the females morphologically are difficult to distinguish, but S. iridipennis has a slightly less transverse head (1.1 times as wide as long vs 1.2) and entirely red legs (at least femora black or brownish in S. simlaensis).

Material examined

Holotype INDIA • 1 ♀; “Type // N Ind [Northern India] // B.M.TYPE HYM.17a550”; NHMUK 013380317.

Descriptive notes

Wings with weak yellowish or brownish darkening; hind wing with basal vein strongly curved with the angle between basal (M) and cubital (Cu) veins ca 90°, costal margin with five hamuli. Preoccipital carina absent.

Female

Total body length 4.5 mm (Fig. 11A). Head weakly transverse, at most 1.1 times as wide as long (Fig. 11B); vertex not elevated as seen in frontal view; F1 and F2 transverse, 0.5–0.6 times as long as wide, F3 0.8 times as long as wide; clypeus with punctures separated by 1–3 puncture diameters; ocello-ocular area with fine punctures separated by 1–3 puncture diameters; face and gena with sparse pubescence. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum with punctures (15–20 μm) separated by 1–4 puncture diameters (Fig. 11D); hypoepimeral area coarsely reticulate; metafemur weakly enlarged in proximal half, maximum width 0.35 times its length; legs red. Propodeal triangle (metapostnotum) with coarse longitudinal wrinkles and shiny interspaces. Metasomal terga scarcely punctate, T1 impunctate, remaining terga basally with sparse fine setal pores (Fig. 11E); marginal zones impunctate; terga red to red-brownish apically, pygidial plate 0.7 times as wide as metabasitarsus.

Male

Unknown.

Distribution

Himalayas: Uttarakhand, Northern India. The record of the species from Himachal Pradesh (India) by Saini & Rathor (2012: 162) is doubtful.

Remarks

Since we could not clearly differentiate between females of S. iridipennis and S. simlaensis, except by their relative head length and coloration, more specimens should be studied (including the male finding) to make a decision on their synonymy.

The specimens recorded as S. iridipennis from Chapra (India) by Rajkumar & Dey (2016: 1847, pl. 3) belong to another species. Unlike the holotype this specimen, re-described as S. iridipennis, has more transverse head (1.3 times as wide as long) and possibly belongs to the undescribed female of S. chaprensis Blüthgen, 1927.