Dicopomorpha lathae Manickavasagam and Athithya, 2023

Athithya, Ayyavu & Manickavasagam, Sagadai, 2023, Descriptions of three new species of Dicopomorpha Ogloblin (Hymenoptera Chalcidoidea: Mymaridae) from India, with one new country record and a revised key to Indian species, Zootaxa 5284 (2), pp. 377-389 : 378-381

Dicopomorpha lathae Manickavasagam and Athithya sp. n.

( Figs 1–6 )

Description. FEMALE. (Holotype, Fig. 1 ) Body length 200 µm. Head dark brown to black, eye reddish brown, and antenna brown. Mesosoma completely white excluding legs; legs dark brown except procoxa and profemur white. Metasoma dark brown.

Head ( Fig. 2 ) 1.2× as wide as high. Antenna ( Fig. 3 ) with scape 4.8× as long as wide, 2.2× as long as pedicel; pedicel 2× as long as wide; funicle 6-segmented, all segments longer than wide but each narrower at base and widening apically, Fl 1 the shortest segment, remaining segments subequal in length, all segments without mps; clava 2.8× as long as wide, longer than preceding three segments, and with 3 mps.

Mesosoma ( Fig. 4 ) 1.2× as long as metasoma and 1.5× as long as wide; scutellum shorter than frenum. Fore wing 11.2× as long as wide ( Fig. 6 ); longest marginal seta 3.6× maximum wing width; disc with a line of at least 10 microtrichia. Hind wing 21× as long as wide, longest marginal seta 6× maximum wing width; disc with one longitudinal row of microtrichia.

Metasoma ( Fig. 5 ) 1.1× as long as wide; ovipositor equal in length to mesotibia.

Measurements (µm): (length:width or length): head, 140:180; eye, 70; malar space, 50; antenna: scape, 110:23; pedicel, 50:25; Fl 1, 13:13; Fl 2, 23:13; Fl 3, 23:13; Fl 4, 25:15; Fl 5, 25:18; Fl 6, 25:20; clava, 115:40; fore wing, 450:40; longest marginal seta, 150; hind wing, 420:20; longest marginal seta, 120; mesosoma, 200:130; metasoma, 160:140; mesotibia, 140; metatibia, 120; ovipositor, 140.

MALE. Unknown.

Type material. Holotype female [ EDAU / Mym 41/2022] on slide labelled, “ India: Karnataka, Mudigere 13°06’56.13”N; 75°37’47.13”E, 28.xi.2019, yellow pan trap, forest, coll. S. Palanivel ”.

Distribution. India: Karnataka.

Etymology. The species is named after Mrs. Latha Manickavasagam who personally motivated the author constantly to excel in her career.

Remarks. The only known female of this species is similar to females of D. albithorax in having a white mesosoma and 6-segmented funicle, but differs conspicuously by its shorter funicular segments, with Fl 1 being quadrate and the remaining funiculars less than twice as long as wide ( Fig. 3 ). Further, the fore wing disc lacks microtrichia ( Fig. 6 ), and the ovipositor is as long as mesotibia. Females of D. albithorax have all funicular segments more than twice as long as wide ( Rameshkumar & Manickavasagam 2016, fig. 3), 5 setae medially on the fore wing disc ( Rameshkumar & Manickavasagam 2016, fig. 4), and the ovipositor shorter than the mesotibia.

Figures

FIGURES 1‒2. Dicopomorpha lathae sp. n. ♀ holotype: 1, lateral habitus; 2, head, frontal view.

FIGURES 3‒6. Dicopomorpha lathae sp. n. ♀ holotype: 3, antenna; 4, mesosoma; 5, metasoma; 6, fore wing.