13. Taxonomic study on potter wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae) of Malakand, Pakistan
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Abstract
The present study was done in district Malakand, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. This study was conducted to record the biodiversity of subfamily Eumeninae indistrict Malakand. The specimens were collected from diverse localities of Malakand through active search with the use of hand net. The captured specimens were then killed by spraying insecticides in the hand nets. The killed specimens were transferred to bottles having 95% ethanol, cyanide and ethyl acetate. The specimens were then placed in freezer for 1 or 2 days to prevent any fungal contamination. The entomological pins were used for the pining of dead specimens. The dried wasps were labeled and transferred to insect boxes having naphthalene balls as a preservative. The dried wasps were then observed and identified up to species and subspecies level with the help of pervious published literature. A total of 7species (Delta dimidiatipenne, Antodynerus limbatus, Rhynchium carnaticum, Allorhynchium argentatum, Katamenes dimidiatus, Antepipona sibilans and Antepipona deflenda), 3 subspecies (Delta pyriformepyriforme, Delta esuriensesuriens and Antodynerousflavesens flavesens) under 6 genera (Delta, Antodynerus, Rhynchium, Allorhynchium, Katamene and Antepipona) of the subfamily Eumeninaeare reported. These taxaare recorded for the first time from district Malakand, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
Keywords: Antepipona; Antodynerus; Allorhynchium; Delta; Katamene; Rhynchium