DefinePK

Abstract

The present study was conducted to document the biodiversity of potter wasps (subfamily Eumeninae, family Vespidae) from Malakand District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Specimens were collected from various localities using active search with a hand net and subsequently preserved, pinned, and identified to species level based on standard taxonomic literature. A total of twelve species and five subspecies were recorded, among which five species—Knemodynerus excellens (Perez, 1907), Oreumenoides edwardsi (de Saussure, 1852), Eumenes placens (Nurse, 1903), Euodynerus semisaecularis (Dalla Torre, 1889), and Delta campaniforme (Fabricius, 1775)—and two subspecies—Anterhynchium abdominale abdominale (Illiger, 1802) and Rhynchium brunneum brunneum (Fabricius, 1793)—are newly reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The identified species were measured, photographed, and compared with previously published descriptions, with distributional data also documented. Earlier studies in Pakistan reported Eumeninae primarily from Punjab, Sindh, and Gilgit-Baltistan, but data from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remained scarce. This study highlights the unexplored diversity of potter wasps in the region and expands the known distribution range of several species and subspecies. The findings further emphasize the ecological significance of Eumeninae, as they act as natural regulators of insect populations, with larvae feeding on various pest species and adults utilizing nectar resources. By documenting new records from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, this work provides baseline data that will facilitate future taxonomic, ecological, and conservation studies of solitary wasps in Pakistan. Such research is essential to understand regional biodiversity patterns and to enhance the role of natural enemies in integrated pest management programs.