Taxonomic study on the spider wasp genus Ceropales Latreille, 1796 (Pompilidae: Ceropalinae) with description of two new species from India Author Anju, K. 0000-0003-3312-7721 P. G. & Research Department of Zoology, Government College Madappally, Vatakara, Kozhikode, Kerala- 673102, India, Affiliated to University of Calicut. & anjukappu 91 @ gmail. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0003 - 3312 - 7721 anjukappu91@gmail.com Author Thejass, P. P. G. & Research Department of Zoology, Government College Madappally, Vatakara, Kozhikode, Kerala- 673102, India, Affiliated to University of Calicut. Author Binoy, C. 0000-0003-4309-5460 Department of Zoology, Sree Narayana Guru College, Chelannur, Kozhikode, Kerala- 673616, India, Affiliated to University of Calicut. binoy _ doz @ uoc. ac. in; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0003 - 4309 - 5460 binoy_doz@uoc.ac.in Author Kumar, P. Girish 0000-0003-2121-0165 Western Ghats Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Eranhipalam, Kozhikode, Kerala- 673006, India. kpgiris @ gmail. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0003 - 2121 - 0165 kpgiris@gmail.com text Zootaxa 2023 2023-04-12 5264 1 119 128 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5264.1.8 journal article 10.11646/zootaxa.5264.1.8 1175-5326 7836278 49FCE66C-0EEE-46A1-B170-F1DDA1837107 Ceropales ( Ceropales ) anaghae Anju, Girish Kumar & Thejass , sp. nov. Figs 1–10 urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: AD5FF511-679F-46CF-8676-1132190A9590 Type material. Holotype ♀ , India : Kerala , Kozhikode district , Madappally ( 11º38′38′′N , 75º34′14′′E ), 23.ii.2019 , Coll. S. Anagha , [ ZSIK ] ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/ WGRC /IR/INV.22054. Paratypes . Kerala : 1♀ , Kannur district, Kannapuram mangrove ( 11º58′14′′N , 75º19′08′′E , 7m ), 19.viii.2017 , Coll. C. Charesh , [ ZSIK ] ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/ WGRC /IR/INV.22055 ; Tamil Nadu : 1♀ , Coimbatore district , Govanur ( 11º01′04′′N , 76º58′20′′E ), 6.i.2019 , Coll. P. Girish Kumar , [ ZSIK ] ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/ WGRC /IR/ INV.22057 ; 1♀ , Coimbatore district , Valparai ( 10º19′42′′N , 76º57′19′′E ), 1.i.2019 , Coll. P. Girish Kumar , [ ZSIK ] ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/ WGRC /IR/INV.22058 ; Uttarakhand : 1♀ , Rajaji National Park ( 29º58′08′′N , 78º12′28′′E ), 19.vii.2019 , Coll. P. Girish Kumar , [ ZSIK ] ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/ WGRC /IR/INV.22056 . Diagnosis. The new species runs close to Ceropales ( C .) longisulcata Lu & Li, 2019 in the key to the species of the subgenus Ceropales Latreille from China ( Lu et al. 2019 ) in having flat propodeum with lateral side rather shallowly impressed and with deep medial longitudinal groove; frons remarkably flat anterior to antennal sockets and bent in obtuse-angle on 2/3 away from antennal sockets; ocelli forming acute triangle; and scutellum and postscutellum remarkably raised, much higher than mesonotum in lateral view. However, the new species differs from C. longisulcata in having fore wing with upper margin of SMC2 and SMC3 equal in length (in longisulcata , upper margin of SMC3 shorter than SMC2); frons and vertex with combination of small punctures mixed with sparse large punctures (in longisulcata , deeper and densely set punctures on frons and vertex); labrum pale yellow without any dark patches (in longisulcata , labrum with a median dark patch); and frons black without any marking in the middle (in longisulcata , frons with a yellow spot medially). Description. Holotype , ♀ ( Figs 1–10 ). Body length 6.05 mm ; length of fore wing 5.27 mm . Colour . Overall colour black with antenna brownish black, ventral side of scape pale yellowish, lower frons below antenna and between antennal socket, pale yellow; inner eye margin adjacent to the medial emargination of compound eye, pale yellow; malar space and bands on outer margin of eyes pale yellow; clypeus pale yellowish with black spot medially; labrum pale yellow; basal 2/3 rd of mandible pale yellow, apex reddish brown; maxillary palp brown; pronotum black with band on posterior margin and posterolateral angle pale yellowish; mesonotum entirely black; metanotum black with medial patch pale yellow; tegula pale yellow; propodeum black with posterolateral corner pale yellow; large spot on outer face of all coxae pale yellow, remainder black; all femora ferruginous; fore tibia and tarsus light brown; mid tibia honey brown with black patches; mid tarsus light brown; hind tibia and tarsus dark brown; mid and hind tibial spur pale yellow; metasoma black; posterior yellow band on T1–T5; T6 largely white; wings hyaline, apical region of fore wing with light brown infumation; veins and pterostigma dark brown. Pubescence . Body covered with white pubescence; small impressed white setae on head and mesosoma; metasoma smooth, asetose; frons densely pubescent, concentrated adjacent to compound eyes, remainder of area with scattered white setae; clypeus densely pubescent with appressed short white setae; pubescence on mesosoma concentrated along lateral margins; pubescence on propodeum moderate, confined to lateral sides, midline somewhat bare. Head . Head slightly broader than long (1.1×) in frontal view ( Fig. 4 ); frons occupying the interantennal area conspicuously elevated; a shallow median line present from anterior ocellus to interantennal space; frons and vertex coarsely pitted with few large punctures in between; compound eyes reniform, inner margins distinctly sinuate, strongly converging below ( Fig. 4 ); UID as long as MID, LID 0.5× UID and MID; ocellar area slightly raised, anterior ocellus little larger than posterior ocelli; OOD 2.1× POD ( Fig. 5 ); clypeus slightly convex in lateral view, about twice broad as long, free margin of clypeus slightly emarginated medially ( Fig. 4 ); labrum slightly broader than long, exposed beneath clypeus ( Fig. 4 ); mandible bidentate; malar space very much reduced; antenna thick, scape 1.4× as long as wide and 2.2× pedicel in profile, flagellomeres almost twice as long as broad, F1–F4 almost of equal length ( Fig. 3 ). Mesosoma . Pronotum 0.5× as long as wide, densely pitted with large punctures scattered irregularly in between; anterolateral corners of pronotum angulate with posterior margin emarginated inwards ( Fig. 7 ); mesoscutum 1.16× as wide as long, densely pitted with scattered large punctures along the length; parapsidal furrow present through lateral sides of mesoscutum ( Fig. 6 ); mesoscutellum with conspicuous prescutellar sulcus ( Fig. 6 ); scutellum raised/ bulged in profile, punctuations similar to that on mesoscutum; mesopleuron with scattered punctures ( Fig. 7 ); metanotum rectangular, conspicuously elevated, surface micropunctured; metapostnotum much reduced and seen as small slit with few transverse rugae ( Fig. 6 ); metapleuron with fine, sparse punctures ( Fig. 7 ); propodeum 1.3× as wide as long along the middle, conspicuously flat, surface with fine, transverse rugulosity; median sulcus reaching nearly half length of propodeum; posterolateral angle rounded, posterior margin nearly straight ( Fig. 6 ); lateral side of propodeum with shallow rugulosity ( Fig. 7 ). Legs . Tarsal claws normal, bent apically; short, erect and acute subapical tooth present; hind tibial spur long, 0.6× as long as hind basitarsus. Wings . Fore wing with upper margin of SMC2 and SMC3 equal in length, lower margin of SMC3 longer than that of SMC2; SMC2 receiving crossvein 1m-cu medially, SMC3 receiving crossvein 2m-cu medially; length of SMC3 less than its distance from the wing apex; vein A and crossvein cu-a of hind wing forming obtuse angle. Metasoma . Fusiform; as broad and long as mesosoma; smooth ( Fig. 9 ); T1 sessile, parallel sided; lower margin of S6 flat in lateral view, pointed apically. FIGURES 1–10. Ceropales ( Ceropales ) anaghae Anju, Girish Kumar & Thejass , sp. nov. , holotype, ♀. 1, habitus, lateral view; 2, habitus, dorsal view; 3, head and antenna, lateral view; 4, head, frontal view; 5, head, dorsal view; 6, mesosoma, dorsal view; 7, mesosoma, lateral view; 8, wings; 9, metasoma, lateral view; 10, metasoma, dorsal view. Scale bar: 1, 2, 8–2 mm; 3, 6, 9, 10–1 mm; 4, 5, 7–0.5 mm. Male. Unknown. Etymology. The species name in feminine gender is derived from Anagha, after S. Anagha (research scholar, Zoological Survey of India , Western Ghats Regional Centre) who collected the holotype specimen. Variation. Relative density of pubescence varies from scattered to moderate setosity in paratypes along with variations in intensity of body coloration. Distribution. India ( Kerala , Tamil Nadu , Uttarakhand ).