Telenomus elegans, Veenakumari & Prashanth, 2019

Veenakumari, Kamalanathan & Prashanth, Mohanraj, 2019, Eight new species of xanthic Telenominae Thomson, 1860 (Platygastroidea, Scelionidae) from India, Zoosystema 41 (18), pp. 341-358 : 354

Telenomus elegans n. sp.

( Fig. 9 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:FCA3325F-DA74-4689-9E05-B5A69C880153

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype. ♀, ICAR / NBAIR / P2050 , India: Tamil Nadu: Lower Pulney Hills, Thadiyankudisai, Horticulture Research Station , 10°17’58”N, 77°42’42”E, 990 m, YPT, 27.XI.2016.

Paratypes. 5 ♀: ICAR / NBAIR /P2051, 1 ♀, Karnataka: Bengaluru, Hesaraghatta , 13°13’02”N, 77°48’54”E, 859 m, SN, 18.III.2014 . — ICAR / NBAIR /P2052, 1 ♀ , Karnataka: Bengaluru, Attur , 13°09’25”N, 77°56’41”E, 936 m, YPT, 05.II.2015 . — ICAR / NBAIR /P2053, 1 ♀, same as P2052, 28.III.2015 . — ICAR / NBAIR /P2054, 1 ♀ , Karnataka: Bengaluru, Jarakabande Kaval , 13°05’41”N, 77°32’35”E, 921 m, YPT, 31.VII.2013 . — ICAR / NBAIR /P2055, 1♀, same as P2054, YPT, 30.III.2015 .

DIAGNOSIS. — This species is very unique among xanthic Telenomus because of the elongate habitus, an additional sulcus beneath malar sulcus, unusually long and narrow wings with very long microtrichia. ETYMOLOGY. — This species is named ‘elegans’ because of the beautiful or graceful nature of the habitus. The name is treated as an adjective.

DESCRIPTION

Measurement

Body length = 1.33 mm; (m = 1.36 [1.33 to 1.41] mm, SD=0.03, n= 6).

Colour

Elongate species; Head and mesosoma black; T1 golden yellow; T2 golden yellow with lateral and posterior margins dark brownish black; remaining tergites brownish black; legs pale yellow; radicle, A1-A4 yellow, remainder brown, clava darker than preceding antennomeres; mandibles reddish brown ( Fig. 9A ).

Head ( Fig. 9A, B , D-F)

FCI=1.17; LCI=1.05; cuboidal; IOS subequal to eye length; upper and lower frons smooth; frons laterally reticulate and medially weakly striate; gena smooth; an additional sulcus found beneath malar sulcus extending towards gena; vertex weakly reticulate, sparsely setose; eyes almost as wide as long, bare; POL: LOL in ratio of 8.7: 5.2; lateral ocelli contiguous with orbits; anterior pit present beneath median ocellus; hyperoccipital carina and preoccipital area absent; occiput reticulate.

Mesosoma ( Fig. 9A, C, E )

Mesoscutum (L: W= 20.0: 22.4) setose and predominantly reticulate except for smooth areas posterolaterally; lateral pronotal area anteriorly reticulate, postero-dorsally striate, remainder weakly reticulate to smooth; mesopleuron predominantly smooth, prespecular and mesepimeral sulci nonfoveate; sternaulus nonfoveate; mesopleural pit distinct; mesopleural carina weak, mesopleural depression predominantly smooth with weak punctae medially; metapleuron smooth with sparse foveae on posterior margin; metapleural pit distinct; scutoscutellar sulcus medially narrow and laterally wide and foveate; mesoscutellum semicircular, entirely smooth, setose, posterior mesoscutellar sulcus deeply foveate; metascutellum medially smooth, vertically costate laterally without anterior foveae; metanotal trough smooth; lateral propodeal area not wide apart, smooth with sparse uneven vertical carinae; wings narrow; fore wing (L: W =89.2: 20.1) and hind wing (L: W= 80.0: 8.2) with dense microtrichia; length of fore wing and hind wing marginal cilia 0.40 × and 1.23 × width of their respective wings.

Metasoma ( Fig. 9A )

(L: W =56.4: 19.8); metasoma as long as head and mesosoma; T1 as long as wide, costate the entire length and with two lateral setae with no anterior foveae;T1 with two lateral setae;T2 with basal foveae and striate, striae extending ¾ length of tergite, remainder smooth;T2 3 × × as long as wide; remaining tergites smooth; length and width of tergites T1: T 2 in ratio of 9.6: 9.1, 37.8: 12.2, respectively; ovipositor not visible externally.

Male

Not known.

Figures

FIG. 9. — Telenomus elegans n. sp., female: A, habitus (dorsal view); B, head and antennae; C, wings; D, frons; E, head and pleuron; F, head showing additional sulcus beneath malar sulcus. Scale bars: 0.05 mm.