Baeus urvashi 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 : 908-910

Baeus urvashi Veenakumari , sp. n. ( Figure 36 (a–d))

http://www.zoobank. org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:761D1CC6-0A92-4EB0-BDAF-D45DC1158FAA

Holotype. Female; body length = 0.76 (0.75–0.79) mm; n = 2

Colour ( Figure 36 (a)). Head brownish black, mesonotum and metasoma dark brown except paler propodeum; hyperoccipital carina black; mesoscutellum with a bluish black line on posterior margin; antenna dark brown with an apical yellowish brown patch on A1, dorsal clava light brown; legs yellowish brown to dark brown.

Head ( Figure 36 (a–d)). Head 1.26 (1.23–1.28)× as wide as high; IOS 0.51 (0.48–0.53)× width of head and 1.25 (1.22–1.28)× eye length; eye large (L: W = 13.6:11.0) setose, not touching hyperoccipital carina posteriorly; head height 1.97 (1.94–2.01)× eye length; POL>LOL in ratio of 17.8:11.6; lateral ocellus away from orbit, OOL 0.57 (0.54–0.59)× MOD; distance between posterior margin of lateral ocellus to hyperoccipital carina 1.21 (1.17–1.24)× MOD; pilosity of medium density, setae of medium length, shorter than those on mesonotum and metasoma; interantennal process triangular, rugose; central keel weak, reaching 0.46 (0.43–0.49) × distance from interantennal process to median ocellus; facial striae very long extending up to lower orbit; malar striae distinct; frons adjacent to central keel smooth, followed by semicircular striae and reticulations; upper frons smooth to weakly reticulate; vertex weakly reticulate; gena predominantly smooth with weak reticulations dorsally, costate on postero-ventral margin, 3.05 (2.- 93–3.15)× as long as wide; anterior margin of gena in contact with 0.69 (0.65–0.72)× length of ventral margin of eye; length of A1 0.95 (0.91–0.98)× that of clava; length of A2 0.40 (0.34–0.46)× that of A1.

Mesosoma ( Figure 36 (a,c,d)). Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum 0.37 (0.33–0.41)× and 0.16 (0.13–0.18)× as long as wide, respectively; mesoscutum and mesoscutellum coriaceous reticulate, with posterior margins smooth; metascutellum not visible; propodeum smooth dorsally, narrow, 0.20 (0.17–0.23)× 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 imbricate, antero-medially with a furrow, remainder predominantly smooth except for sparse transverse striae postero-ventrally; postero-dorsal margin of lateral pronotal area with two short projections; ventral margin of lateral pronotal area extending as a short blunt projection; transverse carinae on dorsal mesopleuron terminate above the level of dorsal metapleuron; mesopleuron ventrally weakly coriaceous reticulate followed by oblique carinae, remainder smooth; mesopleuron extending as a short projection ventrally; mesopleural pit small; metapleuron smooth, except for shallow foveae ventrad; posterior suture of metapleuron straight except for 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 transverse carinae; region ventral to spiracle with an inverted horse-shoe shaped carina enclosing two oblique carinae which extend towards posterior propodeum; remainder of lateral propodeum smooth with a short transverse carina ventrally; propodeal spiracular opening tear-drop shaped.

Metasoma ( Figure 36 (a,c,d)). Length and width of metasoma subequal; pilosity of medium density, setae of medium length; T 2 entirely imbricate except for a smooth margin posteriorly; remaining tergites smooth.

Material examined. Holotype: Female ( ICAR / NBAIR / P3417 ), INDIA: Karnataka: Tumkur, Kunigal , 13 ° 02 ʹ 01 ʹ ’ N 77 ° 03 ʹ 48 ʹ ’E, 784 m, SN, 19.IX.2014 ; Paratype: 1 female ( ICAR / NBAIR / P3418), same data as holotype.

Etymology. This species is named after Urvashi, the most beautiful Apsara or celestial maiden in Hindu mythology. The name is treated as a noun in apposition.

Diagnosis. This species is closer to B. airavata sp. n. but differs from it in the following characters; B. urvashi sp. n. has a short propodeum, an inverted horse-shoe shaped carina ventral to propodeal spiracle; whereas B. airavata sp. n. has a long propodeum, with several transverse carinae beneath propodeal spiracle; while pilosity is denser in B. urvashi sp. n. than in B. airavata sp. n.

Figures

Figure 36. Baeus urvashi sp. n. (a) Habitus (colour); (b) Frons; (c) Habitus; (d) Habitus (lateral view).