Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment (ATREE)

A new species of potter wasp has been discovered in Arunachal Pradesh, in the Eastern Himalayas, by entomologists from the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE). Pseumenes siangensis is the name of the wasp, which was found in the Siang Valley. This finding highlights the need of doing further study on insects in the area and demonstrates the richness of the region's biodiversity.

Pseumenes siangensis in India: Discovery

• Pseumenes siangensis, the second species of this genus known from India, is named after Siang Valley.
• The newly identified wasp is 30.2 mm in length and has is characterized by body alkaloids and coloration patterns distinguishing it from all other described species.
• Pseumenes siangensis: Eumeninae, the subfamily of potter wasps, mostly occurring in the Oriental region
• Potter wasps are an extremely beneficial insect, feeding on caterpillars and other insects and providing biocontrol.
• The finding highlights the urgency of more exploration of the Eastern Himalayas to provide the basic information necessary to have a biodiversity plan in place.