A review of the mud-dauber wasps of genus Sceliphron Klug (Hymenoptera Sphecidae) from India Author Anagha, S. Western Ghat Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Eranhipalam, Kozhikode, Kerala- 673006, India. Author Kumar, P. Girish 0000-0003-2121-0165 Western Ghat Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Eranhipalam, Kozhikode, Kerala- 673006, India. & kpgiris @ gmail. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0003 - 2121 - 0165 kpgiris@gmail.com Author Binoy, C. 0000-0003-4309-5460 Insect Ecology and Ethology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Calicut, Kerala- 673635, India. binoy _ doz @ uoc. ac. in; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0003 - 4309 - 5460 binoy_doz@uoc.ac.in Author Mazumdar, P. C. Zoological Survey of India, M-Block, New Alipore, Kolkata, West Bengal- 700053, India. Author Sureshan, P. M. 0000-0003-4722-6368 Western Ghat Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Eranhipalam, Kozhikode, Kerala- 673006, India. & pmsuresh 43 @ gmail. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0003 - 4722 - 6368 pmsuresh43@gmail.com text Zootaxa 2021 2021-05-10 4969 1 61 85 journal article 6436 10.11646/zootaxa.4969.1.3 a89f233a-0529-449a-b6c5-070ab02a539a 1175-5326 4745790 1D033B9B-D4EE-4578-9883-8D6ED3163EC8 Genus Sceliphron Klug, 1801 Sceliphron Klug 1801: 561 . Type species: Sphex (= Sceliphron ) spirifex Linnaeus, 1758 , designated by Bingham 1897: 235 . Pulawski (2021) gives a list of the synonymy, which is not repeated here. Diagnosis . Propodeum with U-shaped dorsal enclosure; both recurrent veins of fore wing received by second submarginal cell; spiracular groove absent; female without fore tarsal rake; tarsi with plantulae; body usually with yellow markings ( Bohart & Menke 1976 ); clypeus of female apico-medially incised, with or without deep/shallow lateral incisions, followed by sublateral lobes ( Figs 2 , 11 , 16 , 21 , 26 , 33 , 43 , 52 ); clypeus of male apico-medially emarginate, with or without blunt lobes laterally ( Figs 8 , 31 , 38 , 49 ). Distribution . Widely distributed in temperate and tropical regions throughout the world ( Pulawski 2021 ). Prey . Spiders belonging to the families Anyphaenidae , Araneidae , Argiopidae , Clubionidae , Heteropodidae , Loxoscelidae , Mimetidae , Miturgidae , Oxyopidae , Philodromidae , Pholcidae , Salticidae , Selenopidae , Scytodidae , Theridiidae and Thomisidae ( Camillo 2002 ; Fateryga & Kovblyuk 2014 ). Key to Indian species and subspecies of Sceliphron Klug (Adopted from van der Vecht & van Breugel (1968) and Hensen (1987)) (Indian species S. neobilineatum Jha & Farooqi , S. paraintrudens Jha & Farooqui , and S. isaaci Jha & Farooqi are excluded due to lack of details in the descriptions; our efforts to locate the type material proved unsuccessful) 1. Last metasomal sternum of female with longitudinal carina as long as half length of sternum ( Fig. 7 ); lower half of inner eye margin sub-parallel ( Fig. 2 ); last metasomal tergum of male with pygostyle ( Fig. 9 ); second submarginal cell of fore wing wider than third anteriorly ( Fig. 3 ); mandibles without tooth on inner side............................................. 2 - Last metasomal sternum of female slightly convex, rarely with short longitudinal carina on apical third ( Fig. 48 ); lower half of inner eye margin distinctly converging towards clypeus ( Fig. 43 ); last metasomal tergum of male without pygostyle ( Fig. 50 ); second submarginal cell of fore wing not wider than third anteriorly, if wider than third, then female mandible with distinct tooth on inner side.................................................................................... 8 2. Petiole in lateral view nearly straight, yellow, usually longer than hind tibia........................ S. rectum Kohl ... 3 - Petiole in lateral view distinctly curved ( Figs 1 , 15 ), usually shorter than hind tibia................................. 4 3. Metanotum with yellow band; propodeum with extensive yellow markings; first tergum usually with yellow band; hind tibia black.................................................................. S. rectum pulchellam Gussakovskij - Metanotum, propodeum and first tergum black; hind tibia yellow on outer side.................. S. rectum rectum Kohl 4. Mesoscutum dull, ruguloso-striate ( Fig. 12 )................................................................ 5 - Mesoscutum comparatively shiny, regularly striate ( Figs 4 & 17 )............................................... 6 5. Interocular distance at vertex distinctly longer than first flagellomere.......................... S. curvatum (F. Smith ) - Interocular distance shorter.................................................. S. formosum formosum (F. Smith ) 6. Petiole yellow to yellowish brown, rest of metasoma black; mesosoma usually entirely black (except on prontal collar) ( Fig. 4 )........................................................................ S. coromandelicum (Lepeletier) - Petiole entirely or mostly black; mesosoma usually with extensive yellow areas............... S. deforme (F. Smith ) ... 7 7. Yellow bands on first and second terga complete; post antennal tubercle with yellow spot.... S. deforme deforme (F. Smith ) - First and second terga mostly reddish brown to deep brown, paler on the posterior margin of remaining terga ( Fig. 19 ); post antennal tubercle black.......................................................... S. deforme tibiale Cameron 8. Hind coxa normal or somewhat swollen, rounded on outer side ( Fig. 44 ); inner side of mandible with more or less distinct tooth; propodeal side less sharply and coarsely striate............................... S. madraspatanum species group ... 9 - Hind coxa swollen on outer side, dorso-basally angulate ( Fig. 27 ); mandible simple (except in S. arabs ); propodeal side in most species more sharply and coarsely striate.......................................... S. spirifex species group ... 14 9. Mesepisternum distinctly rugose between punctures, dull, not shinier than propodeal side; with yellow mark below tegula................................................................................. S. caementarium (Drury) - Mesepisternum more or less coarsely punctate (interstices in some species with microscopically fine punctation, but not distinctly rugose), as a rule shiny and usually more so than striate propodeal side; with or without yellow mark below tegula. .................................................................................................. 10 10. Tegula brown or black............................................................... S. intrudens (F. Smith ) - Tegula marked with yellow............................................................................ 11 11. Mesepisternum black, sometimes with more or less reduced yellow mark below tegula; scutellum and propodeum typically without yellow markings.............................................................................. 12 - Mesepisternum with distinct yellow mark below tegula; scutellum and propodeum with or without yellow markings..... 13 12. Pronotum with narrowly interrupted yellow band; metanotum with yellow band ( Fig. 45 ).......................................................................................... S. madraspatanum madraspatanum (Fabricius) - Pronotum and metanotum black ( Fig. 34 ).................................. S. madraspatanum andamanicum Kohl 13. Propodeum typically with yellow markings ( Fig. 53 )........................... S. madraspatanum pictum (F. Smith ) - Propodeum black ( Fig. 39 )........................................ S. madraspatanum formosanum van der Vecht 14. Tegula and usually metanotum marked with yellow or yellowish brown ( Fig. 22 ); metasomal petiole relatively short, about 0.8× length of hind tibia................................................................ S. destillatorium (Illiger) - Tegula and metanotum black; metasomal petiole as long as hind tibia or little longer......... S. javanum (Lepeletier) ... 15 15. Hind tibia yellow ( Fig. 25 ).................................................... S. javanum nalandicum Strand - Hind tibia black..................................................................................... 16 16. Hind femur yellow with usually ill-defined fuscous mark dorso-apically; if entirely fuscous to black, then dark part angularly produced on inner side of femur, and rarely covers more than apical third on outer side... S. javanum javanum (Lepeletier) - Hind femur with at least apical third black, dark part rather sharply separated from basal yellow part.................................................................................................. S. javanum petiolare Kohl