New potter wasp species discovered in Eastern Himalayas

Bengaluru: Entomologists from the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) have discovered a new species of potter wasp from Arunachal Pradesh, in the Eastern Himalayas.

The new species, Pseumenes siangensis, was found in Upper Siang. Rich in biodiversity, the region is also one of the country’s least explored in terms of insect taxonomy, the researchers said. India has previously reported only one species of the genus, making the discovery “a significant addition” to the country’s wasp diversity, they said.

The species, named after Siang Valley where it was found, was recently described in the journal Entomon. Its discovery was led by Femi Ezhuthupallickal Benny, A P Ranjith, and Priyadarsanan Dharma Rajan.

At about 30.2 mm in length, the new species differs from others in having specific morphological features and colour patterns. It was collected during an expedition using sweep nets, and further morphological analysis confirmed its novelty, the researchers said.

The genus Pseumenes belongs to the subfamily Eumeninae, commonly called potter wasps. It is primarily distributed across the Oriental region. These are solitary wasps identified with their construction of small, pot-like mud structures that they use as nests for their larvae. Around 3,795 species of these wasps have been described across 205 genera.

The researchers underlined the species’ critical role in controlling pest populations as the larvae primarily feed on caterpillars and other insects. They also traced the discovery to the underexplored biodiversity of the Eastern Himalayas and called for extensive taxonomic research in these regions.