Baeus xanthoclavatus Veenakumari, 2020

Kamalanathan, Veenakumari, Mohanraj, Prashanth, Samuel, D. K. & Reddy, M. Krishna, 2020, Revision of Indian species of Baeus Haliday (Hymenoptera: Platygastroidea: Scelionidae), Journal of Natural History 54 (13 - 14), pp. 813-917 : 913-915

Baeus xanthoclavatus Veenakumari , sp. n. ( Figure 38 (a–e))

http://www.zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:051B1E1C-6538-4E3F-B239-248CE94C3A02

Holotype. Female; body length = 0.65 (0.61–0.68) mm; n = 3

Colour ( Figure 38 (a)). Head, mesonotum and metasoma honey brown, vertex and mesoscutellum darker than remainder; hyperoccipital carina black; posterior margins of mesoscutum and mesoscutellum with a black band; A1 brown and apically yellow; A2 honey brown, A3 brown, A4–A6 yellow, clava bright yellow; legs yellow with patches of brown.

Head ( Figure 38 (a–e)). Head 1.21 (1.19–1.23)× as wide as high; IOS 0.49 (0.48–0.51)× width of head and 1.33 (1.28–1.37)× eye length; eye, setose, as long as wide, not touching hyperoccipital carina posteriorly; head height 2.31 (2.27–2.41)× eye length; POL>LOL in ratio of 18.2:10.8; lateral ocellus contiguous with orbit; distance from posterior margin of lateral ocellus to hyperoccipital carina 0.72 (0.70–0.76)× MOD; pilosity of medium density, setae of medium length, shorter than those on mesonotum and metasoma; interantennal process triangular, sparsely rugose; length of central keel 0.48 (0.45–0.50)× distance from interantennal process to median ocellus; facial striae very long, extending up to base of lower orbit; malar striae distinct; frons adjacent to central keel smooth, followed by semicircular striae and longitudinal reticulations; upper frons imbricate, vertex smooth; gena predominantly smooth, except for weak reticulations dorsally, with short costae on postero-ventral margin, 3.05 (2.95–3.18)× as long as wide; anterior margin of gena in contact with 0.56 (0.50–0.58)× length of ventral margin of eye; length of A1 subequal to that of clava; length of A2 0.41 (0.39–0.43)× that of A1.

Mesosoma ( Figure 38 (a,c,e)). Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum 0.53 (0.48–0.56)× and 0.20 (0.18–0.22)× as long as wide, respectively; mesoscutum and mesoscutellum imbricate except for smooth posterior margins; metascutellum not visible; propodeum smooth dorsally, narrow, 0.18 (0.17–0.2)× length of mesoscutellum medially; pilosity of medium density, setae of medium length; antero-lateral margin of mesoscutellum with a weak fovea; lateral pronotal area dorsally coriaceous reticulate, antero-medially with weak striae, postero-ventrally transversely carinate, remainder smooth; postero-dorsal margin of lateral pronotal area with two short projections; ventral margin of lateral pronotal area extending as a blunt projection; transverse carinae on dorsal mesopleuron terminate above the level of dorsal metapleuron; mesopleuron ventrally with a foveate patch, followed by semicircular carinae, remainder smooth; mesopleuron extending as a short, narrow projection ventrally; mesopleural pit elongate; metapleuron smooth with sparse, weak foveae ventrally; posterior suture of metapleuron straight, with a basal curve; dorsal level of posterior metapleural suture ventral to level of antero-lateral margin of T 2; sculpturing of propodeum anterior to spiracle transversely carinate, region posterior to spiracle smooth with two short carinae; region ventral to spiracle with a long oblique carina abutting a ‘C’ shaped carina dorsally and a short transverse carina ventrally; remainder of lateral propodeum smooth with a few short transverse carinae anteroventrally; propodeal spiracular opening round.

Metasoma ( Figure 38 (a,c,e)). Metasoma 0.81 (0.78–0.87) × as long as wide; pilosity of medium density, setae of medium length; T 2 anteriorly weakly imbricate, remainder smooth; remaining tergites smooth.

Material examined. Holotype: Female ( ICAR / NBAIR / P3558 ), INDIA: Andaman Islands : South Andaman, Garacharma, CIARI, 11 ° 61 ʹ 29 ʹ ’N 92 ° 71 ʹ 54 ʹ ’E, 63 m, YPT, 26.I.2013 ; Paratypes: 5 females ( ICAR / NBAIR / P3559 – P3563 ), Andaman Islands : Little Andaman, Harminder Bay, 10 ° 59 ʹ N 92 ° 54 ʹ E, 7 m, MT, 30 .I .2013.

Etymology. The Greek adjectival epithet ‘xanthoclavatus’ refers to the bright yellow clava. The name is treated as an adjective.

Diagnosis. B. xanthoclavatus sp. n. is closer to B. bagheera sp. n. In B. xanthoclavatus sp. n. gena is wide, malar striae distinct, mesoscutellum predominantly sculptured and an oblique carina present ventral to propodeal spiracle. Whereas in B. bagheera sp. n. gena is narrow, malar striae not distinct, mesoscutellum smooth, a crescent shaped carina present ventral to propodeal spiracle. B. xanthoclavatus sp. n. is also closer to B. krishnareddyi sp. n. In B. xanthoclavatus sp. n. malar striae distinct, clava bright yellow, gena predominantly smooth, dorsal propodeum narrow and ventral metapleuron sculptured. Whereas in B. krishnareddyi sp. n. malar striae not distinct, clava light brown, gena weakly reticulate, dorsal propodeum at least 3/4 th as long as mesoscutellum and entire metapleuron smooth.

Figures

Figure 38. Baeus xanthoclavatus sp. n. (a) Habitus (colour); (b) Frons; (c) Habitus; (d) Antenna; (e) Habitus (lateral view).