Psix sunithae, Singh, Longjam Roni Kumar, Johnson, Norman F. & Y, R A M A M U Rt H, 2012

Singh, Longjam Roni Kumar, Johnson, Norman F. & Y, R A M A M U Rt H, 2012, New species of the genus Psix Kozlov & Lê (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae), Zootaxa 3530, pp. 35-42 : 36-39

1. Psix sunithae sp. nov.

( Figures 1–16 )

Holotype female.

Body length: 1.24 mm. Forewing: length 0.98 mm, width 0.38 mm. Hind wing: length 0.86 mm, width 0.18 mm.

Body blackish, legs and antenna yellowish, except clava deep brown, radicle dark brown, scape yellowishbrown; eye deep brown; mandible dark to reddish-brown; coxae dark brown, basal half of fore femur brownish and last tarsomere greyish-brown; wings hyaline, veins light brown.

Head in dorsal view transverse, 2x as wide as long (56:26), in frontal view subtriangular, wider then high (56:39); lateral ocellus separated by its longest diameter from eyes, not connected by furrow; POL:LOL:OD = 18.5:10:4; temple short, only about 0.25x eye height; occipital carina complete; vertex medially strongly reticulate, with scattered setae; frons with well-developed central keel, distinct submedian carinae, central keel effaced midway between antennal foramina and median ocellus; scrobes not delimited by carinae, frons dorsad of scrobe with 2–3 longitudinal rugae, sculpture effaced near central keel ( Fig. 9 ); area between submedian and orbital carinae with single longitudinal row of setae, setal bases pustulate; frons width> eye height> malar space (31:26:15); genal carina parallel to posterior orbits; mandible short, wide, flat, 0.38x as long as eye height ( Fig. 10 ).

Antenna 11-segmented; clava 5-segmented; scape 5.6x as long as wide, 3.1x as long as radicle; antennal segments in relative proportions (length: width) from scape: 24:4.25, 7.62:3.3, 5.75:2.96, 3.75:3.0, 3.62:3.25, 3.25:3.72, 3.5:4.62, 4.87:6.0, 5.25:6.17, 5.12:5.87, 6.75:4.5.

Mesosoma slightly wider than long (47:44), narrower than head; netrion obscured by general sculpture of pronotum; mesoscutum reticulate-rugose throughout, anterior declivous portion of mesoscutum obscurely reticulate-rugulose to smooth anteriorly, with scattered setae, setal bases pustulate ( Fig. 11 ); notaulus absent; disc of mesoscutellum rounded apically; mesoscutellum with same sculpture as mesoscutum, but reticulations comparatively smaller on mesoscutum ( Fig. 13 ); metascutellum weakly protruding; ventral lip of metascutellum coarsely areolate-rugose ( Fig. 12 ); fore and middle coxae contiguous, intercoxal space occluded; acetabular field, anteroventral portion of mesepisternum setose ( Fig. 14 ); mesopleural carina flanked by foveae both posteriorly and anteriorly; postepimeral foveae with 5–6 impressions dorsally; course of metapleural carina indicated by line of foveae; forewing exceeding tip of metasoma in flexed position; postmarginal vein 3.35x as long as marginal vein ( Fig. 4 ); proportions (length) of postmarginal, marginal, and stigmal veins: 19.25:5.75:10.75.

Metasoma longer than its greatest width (62:46); T1 trapezoidal, usually with one pair of sublateral setae; T2 longitudinally striate in basal half, feebly striate in posterior half; interstices inbetween striae on T2 interrupted with impressions; apex of T2 weakly punctulate ( Fig. 15 ); T3–T5 transverse, punctulate; lateral sulci on S2 broadly separated posteriorly; setal fields well developed ( Fig. 16 ); area between sulci with setigerous punctures on posterior half of sulci.

Diagnosis. Psix sunithae sp. nov. closely resembles P. a s p e r Johnson & Masner and P. fusus Johnson & Masner , but differs from them in the following features: central keel distinctly reaching median ocellus (vs. not reaching median ocellus in P. f u s u s), genal carina parallel to posterior orbit (vs. carina curved towards eye in P. fusus ), netrion obscured by specialized structure (vs netrion distinct, not obscured by sculpture of pronotum, narrow in P. a s p e r and broad in P. f u s u s), notaulus absent (vs. notaulus present in P. as p e r), T1 usually with one pair of sublateral setae (vs. 1–2 pairs of sublateral setae on T 1 in P. a s p e r and no sublateral setae in P. fu s u s), and posterior half of T2 with longitudinal striation feeble (vs. T2 longitudinally rugulose in P. a s p e r and longitudinally striate in P. f u s u s).

It also resembles Psix lacunatus Johnson & Masner , in the absence of netrion, notauli, and presence of welldeveloped submedian carinae, T1 with one pair of sublateral setae; it differs from it in having the frons width greater than the eye height (vs. less than eye height in P. lacunatus ), ventral lip of metascutellum coarsely areolaterugose (vs. punctate), and with the area between the central keel and submedian carinae dorsally longitudinally rugose, the sculpture not reaching the keel (vs. transversely rugose, rugae dorsally reaching central keel).

Material Examined. Holotype female: INDIA: Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad, Herbal garden, 5.VI.2010, from coreid eggs, laid on the leaf of nux vomica ( Strychnos nux-vomica Linnaeus ), coll. P. Sunitha; Paratypes: 4 females, one female mounted in two slides; antenna and legs in one slide and wings on another slide and one female on SEM stub with wings on slide, data same as of holotype.

Etymology. Named after the collector of the specimens P. Sunitha, Scientist, APHU, Venkataramannagudem, West Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh.

Biology. Collected from eggs ( Figure 17 ) of coreid bugs (Heteroptera: Coreidae ) infesting Strychnos nuxvomica (Loganiaceae) at Herbal garden, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Psix sunithae sp. nov. female. 1, lateral habitus; 2, dorsal habitus; 3, antenna; 4, fore wing; 5, hind wing; 6 – 8,

FIGURES 9 – 16. Psix sunithae sp. nov. female. 9 – 10, head. 9, frontal view, showing ‘ CK’: central keel, ‘ SM’: submedian carinae, ‘ OC’: orbital carinae; 10, ventral view, showing ‘ GC’: genal carina; 11 – 14, mesosoma; 11, antero-frontal view showing ‘ SK’: anterior declivous portion of mesoscutum; 12, posterior view showing ‘ VL’: ventral lip; 13, dorsal view; 14, lateral view showing ‘ AF’: acetabular field, ‘ PF’: postepimeral foveae; 15 – 16, metasoma; 15, dorsal view showing ‘ SL’: sublateral setae; 16, ventral view showing ‘ SF’: setal field. Scale = 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 17 – 22. 17, eggs of host (coreid). 18 – 19, Psix abnormis Kozlov & Lê, female. 18, lateral habitus; 19, frontal view showing head and ‘ SK’: anterior declivous portion of mesoscutum; 20 – 22, Psix saccharicola (Mani), female. 20, fronto-lateral view showing ‘ N’: netrion; 21, head, fronto-ventral view; 22, mesosoma, posterior view showing ‘ VL’: ventral lip. Scale = 0.2 mm.