Regiscolia almoraensis ( Gupta & Jonathan, 2003 ), 2025

Regiscolia almoraensis ( Gupta & Jonathan, 2003) , comb. nov.

( Figs 55–57 View FIGURE 55 View FIGURE 56 View FIGURE 57 )

Megascolia ( Regiscolia) almoraensis Gupta & Jonathan, 2003: 148 ( holotype examined, details below); Osten 2005b: 26; Kumar & Rajmohana 2017: 5.

Type material examined. Holotype of Megascolia ( Regiscolia) almoraensis (ZSI) , ♂, [red label] ‘ HOLOTYPE / Megascolia / almorensis, n. sp. / S.K. Gupta, 1986’, [white labels] ‘ INDIA U.P. / Tilwara. / Almora Dist. / Alt. 3000ft. 21.IX.1958 / B.S. Lamba’, ‘8877/H 3’ ( Fig. 58 View FIGURE 58 ) . Paratype of Megascolia ( Regiscolia) almoraensis (ZSI) , ♂, [white label] ‘ PARATYPE / Megascolia / almorensis, n. sp. / S.K. Gupta, 1986’, [yellow label] ‘ INDIA U.P. / Tilwara. / Almora Dist. / Alt. 3000ft. 21.IX.1958 / B.S. Lamba’, [white label] ‘8878/H 3] ( Fig. 58 View FIGURE 58 ) .

Other material examined. Pakistan. 2♀ 7♂, Khyber Pakhtunk , 7km S Balakot, 34,4804N, 73,353E, 861m, 12.IV.2025 ( C. Schmid-Egger leg.) [ CCSE] GoogleMaps ; 1♀ 1♂, same data [ CJBC] GoogleMaps ; 1♂, same data [ CFC] GoogleMaps ; 10♂, same data [ CWHL] GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis. Regiscolia almoraensis ( Gupta & Jonathan, 2003) , comb. nov. shares a similar habitus with Indomalayan species such as R. azurea ( Christ, 1791) , comb. nov. and R. fulvifrons ( Saussure, 1855) , comb. nov. However, morphologically, R. almoraensis is more closely related to Palaearctic species such as R. bidens ( Linnaeus, 1767) , comb. nov., R. maculata ( Drury, 1773) , comb. nov., and R. rubida ( Gribodo, 1893) , comb. nov.

R. almoraensis differs from R. alecto , R. azurea , R. capitata and R. fulvifrons in females by having the apical part of scutum with a dense, uninterrupted band of punctures along the scutellum; and the basal part of T2 with sparse punctures similar to those of the median part. In contrast, R. alecto , R. azurea , R. capitata and R. fulvifrons have the apical part of scutum with sparser punctures or without punctures, not forming a continuous band; and the basal part of T2 has finer and denser punctures forming a band, the median part being sparsely and coarsely punctate.

R. almoraensis differs from R. bidens and R. maculata in females by having the pronotum with coarse and sparse punctures; and the basal part of scutum with dense and coarse punctures. In contrast, in R. bidens and R. maculata , the pronotum and the basal part of scutum are mostly covered with finer, denser, and tighter punctures.

R. almoraensis differs from R. rubida in females by having the pronotum covered with coarse and sparse punctures. Whereas in R. rubida , the pronotum has a large impunctate area close to the tegula.

R. almoraensis also differs from R. bidens , R. maculata and R. rubida in both sexes by its general habitus. The wings are almost entirely black, and only the T3 (occasionally with two small spots on T4) is marked with an orange-reddish coloration. In contrast, in R. bidens , R. maculata , and R. rubida , the wings are clearly bicolored, and both T2 and T3 have yellowish markings (in males of R. bidens only T3 marked with yellow but flagellum yellow).

In males, R. almoraensis differs from Regiscolia azurea , R. alecto , R. fulvifrons and R. splendida , by having the area around and between the posterior ocelli with very dense, tight, fine, and agglomerated punctures; and the length of the dorso-median area of propodeum nearly equal to that of the metanotum. In contrast, in Regiscolia azurea , R. alecto and R. fulvifrons , the area around and between the posterior ocelli has sparser and coarser punctures; and the length of the dorso-median area of propodeum is significantly greater than that of the metanotum.

R. almoraensis is distinguished from R. capitata in males by having an entirely black mesosoma. Whereas in R. capitata , the mesosoma is marked with yellow on the scutellum, metanotum and dorso-median area of the propodeum.

Description of the female ( Fig. 55 View FIGURE 55 ). Length 28–33 mm.

Head ( Figs 55B, C View FIGURE 55 ). Mandibles long and slender. Median mandibular tooth small and prominent, sometimes blunt. Anterior margin of clypeus rounded, without prominent lateral lobes; disk of clypeus not-domed and punctate apically and laterally; impunctate in the middle. Fissura frontalis distinct, ending in the frontal pit. Frons with numerous and dense punctures. Vertex densely punctate.

Mesosoma ( Fig. 55D View FIGURE 55 ). Pronotum with fine and dense punctures near the occiput, with coarse and sparse punctures on the rest. Tegula with coarse and sparse punctures at base and along scutum. Scutum with coarse and dense punctures on the basal quarter; with sparse and coarse punctures laterally; largely impunctate medially; with a fine, dense, and continuous band of punctures apically. Scutellum with fine and dense punctures basally and medially, with sparse and coarse punctures laterally, largely impunctate apically. Metanotum with fine, tight and dense punctures laterally, with sparse and coarser punctures medially. Dorso-lateral area of propodeum with very dense, tight and fine punctures, without an impunctate area (mirror) anteriorly. Dorso-median area of propodeum with two protruding projections prolonged towards the rear; approximately equal to the length of the metanotum; with very fine, tight dense punctures. Upper plate of metapleura impunctate on the lower two-thirds, densely punctate on the rest. Anterior margin of marginal cell longer than posterior margin. Forewing with three submarginal cells. Hind tibiae spurs of similar length.

Metasoma ( Fig. 55E View FIGURE 55 ). T1 with a tubercle depressed in the middle; coarsely and sparsely punctate basally revealing a large impunctate area near the tubercle; very densely and finely punctate laterally and apically. T2 with scattered and coarse punctures basally and medially; with very fine, tight and dense punctures apically. T3 almost entirely impunctate basally and medially; with dense, tight and fine punctures apically. T4 to T5 with similar punctation. S1 with dense and fine punctures laterally, mostly impunctate on the rest. S2 without distinct tubercle; basally with fine and dense punctures; with sparse and coarse punctures medially; with dense and fine punctures apically, with sparse punctures medially. S3 to S5 with similar punctation.

Coloration ( Fig. 55 View FIGURE 55 ). Head marked with orange-reddish on frons, vertex and tempora; ocellar region brownish. Antennae black. Mesosoma entirely black. Metasoma with T3 with two orange-reddish spots, T4 sometimes weakly marked with orange-reddish coloration. Legs black. Wings almost entirely dark with bluish-green iridescence, yellowish area restricted to the costal margin near the marginal cell. Pilosity black, except in the colored areas.

Redescription of the male ( Fig. 56 View FIGURE 56 ). Length 19-25 mm.

Head ( Figs 56B, C View FIGURE 56 ). Inner margin of mandible with three distinct tooth (third apical tooth sometimes blunt and barely visible). Disk of clypeus with sparse punctures apically, dense and coarse punctures basally and laterally. Fissura frontalis visible reaching anterior ocelli. Frontal cross-furrow visible, its extension reaching the upper part of the ocular sinus. Frontal spatium with dense, tight and fine punctures. Anterior ocelli depressed, larger than posterior ocelli. Frons with dense, fine and tight punctures, impunctate in front of the anterior ocellus. Vertex with fine, tight and dense punctures, particularly around the posterior ocelli.

Mesosoma ( Fig. 56D View FIGURE 56 ). Pronotum with dense, tight and fine punctures over its entire surface, inter-points spaces almost coalescent. Tegula with dense and coarse punctures anteriorly and along the scutum, largely impunctate near the wing. Scutum with fine, tight and dense punctures in its anterior third; with dense and fine punctures on the rest. Scutellum with fine and dense punctures basally, sparser medially and mostly impunctate apically. Metanotum with fine and dense punctures laterally, impunctate line in the middle. Dorso-lateral area of propodeum without impunctate area (mirror) anteriorly; with fine, dense and tight punctures. Dorso-median area of propodeum with two protruding projections prolonged towards the rear; with very fine, tight dense punctures. Anterior margin of the marginal cell longer than posterior margin. Forewing with three submarginal cells.

Metasoma ( Fig. 56E View FIGURE 56 ). T1 with a strong tubercle; with dense, fine and tight punctures over its entire surface. T2 with fine, tight and dense punctures, clearly sparse medially. T3 with sparse punctures laterally; dense punctures medially; fine and dense punctures apically. T4-T6 densely punctate. S1 raised in the middle, with dense punctures medially. S2 without tubercle; with dense and fine punctures basally and laterally, sparser medially and apically. S3 with sparse punctures medially, more denser laterally. S4-S6 similarly punctate.

Coloration ( Fig. 56 View FIGURE 56 ). Head black, marked with orange-reddish on the ocular sinus and behind the eyes.Antennae black. Mesosoma entirely black. Metasoma with T3 with two orange-reddish spots, T4 sometimes weakly marked with orange-reddish coloration. Legs black. Wings almost entirely dark with bluish-green iridescence, yellowish area restricted to the costal margin near the marginal cell. Pilosity black, except in the colored areas.

Genitalia. See Fig. 31B View FIGURE 31 .

Distribution. India ( Uttarakhand), Pakistan ( Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; new record) (Guta & Jonathan 2003) ( Fig. 57 View FIGURE 57 ).

Biology. The specimens were observed foraging on the flowers of Pseudocaryopteris sp. ( Lamiaceae ) ( Fig. 59 View FIGURE 59 ).

Remarks. Gupta & Jonathan (2003) described Megascolia ( Regiscolia) almoraensis from India on the basis of two males deposited at the Zoological Survey of India (state, city). They have brought this species closer to R. fulvifrons in their diagnosis by its habitus. However, although this species shares a similar habitus with Oriental species, it is morphologically much closer to the Mediterranean Regiscolia , particularly in the punctation of the scutum and the shape and punctation of the dorso-median area of the propodeum, thus appearing to represent a transitional form with species from the Indo-Malayan region.