Enicospilus nikami Shimizu sp. nov. Figs 2J, 19

Etymology.

The specific name is dedicated to Dr P.K. Nikam who studied Ophioninae as well as other groups of Hymenoptera mainly of India.

Material examined.

1♀: Nepal .

Type series: holotype ♀, Kathmandu (1,300 m), Nepal, XI.1982, M.G. Allen leg. (LT) (NHMUK) (Figs 2J, 19) .

Distribution.

Nepal.

Description.

Female (Holotype) (Fig. 19). Body length ca 23.0 mm.

Head with GOI = 2.9 (Fig. 19C). Lower face 0.6 × as wide as high, shiny, rather finely punctate with setae (Fig. 19B). Clypeus 1.6 × as wide as high, sparsely and finely punctate with setae, almost flat in profile, and its lower margin acute (Fig. 19B, C). Malar space 0.2 × as long as basal mandibular width (Fig. 19B, C). Mandible weakly twisted by ca 25°, long, proximally strongly narrowed, centrally to apically subparallel sided, its outer surface flat and smooth without a diagonal groove and line of punctures (Fig. 19B, C). Upper mandibular tooth 1.3 × as long as lower one (Fig. 19B). Frons, vertex and gena moderately shiny with fine setae (Fig. 19B-D). Posterior ocellus almost touching eye (Fig. 19B-D). Ventral end of occipital carina joining oral carina. Antenna with 59 flagellomeres; first flagellomere 1.9 × as long as second; 20th flagellomere 1.5 × as long as wide.

Mesosoma entirely moderately shiny with setae (Fig. 19E). Pronotum finely coriaceous with punctures to closely strigose (Fig. 19E). Mesoscutum 1.5 × as long as its maximum width, finely punctate with setae, strongly shiny, and evenly rounded in profile (Fig. 19E). Notauli absent (Fig. 19E). Scutellum moderately convex, with lateral longitudinal carinae almost reaching posterior end, and moderately punctate with setae (Fig. 19E). Epicnemium densely punctate with setae. Epicnemial carina present, evenly weakly curved to anterior, its dorsal end not reaching anterior margin of mesopleuron (Fig. 19E). Mesopleuron entirely moderately punctate, and ventral margin longitudinally finely strigose (Fig. 19E). Submetapleural carina broadened anteriorly (Fig. 19E). Metapleuron diagonally closely strigose (Fig. 19E). Propodeum declivous in profile; anterior transverse carina complete centrally, its lateral end not joining pleural carina; pleural carina absent posteriorly; anterior area longitudinally striate medially and smooth laterally; spiracular area finely coriaceous; posterior area concentrically striate; propodeal spiracle elliptical, its outer margin not joining pleural carina by a ridge (Fig. 19E).

Wings. Fore wing length ca 15.0 mm with AI = 0.5, CI = 0.6, DI = 0.3, ICI = 0.8, SDI = 1.5, SI = 0.1, SRI = 0.3; vein 1m-cu&M moderately sinuous; vein 2r&RS very slightly bowed but almost straight, and RS evenly curved; fenestra and sclerites of discosubmarginal cell as in Figure 19F; proximal sclerite linear, weakly pigmented and virtually unsclerotised so that vestigial, separated from distal sclerite; central sclerite absent; distal sclerite almost absent but anterodistal part slightly pigmented; proximal corner of marginal cell uniformly setose; posterodistal corner of second discal cell ca 90°; posterodistal corner of subbasal cell ca 65°; vein 1cu-a antefurcal to M&RS by 0.2 × 1cu-a length (Fig. 19F). Hind wing with NI = 2.6, RI = 1.7; vein RS straight; vein RA with 11 uniform hamuli.

Legs. Outer surface of fore tibia with very few spines. Hind leg with coxa in profile 1.7 × as long as deep; basitarsus 2.2 × as long as second tarsomere; fourth tarsomere 0.6 × as long as third tarsomere and 2.6 × as long as wide; tarsal claw simply pectinate except lacking pecten proximally.

Metasoma with PI = 3.2, DMI = 1.3, THI = 2.5; dorsal margin of tergite 1 not sinuous; thyridium elongate (Fig. 19A).

Colour (Fig. 19). Entirely testaceous except for apex of mandible black. Wings hyaline; sclerites of fore wing fenestra very slightly pigmented, testaceous; veins black to testaceous.

Variation. Unknown

Male. Unknown

Differential diagnosis.

Enicospilus nikami sp. nov. is similar to E. biharensis, E. maruyamanus, E. pudibundae, and E. transversus and these species are rather difficult to separate from each other. However, E. nikami sp. nov. can be distinguished from E. biharensis, E. maruyamanus and E. transversus by the proximally incomplete pectinae of hind tarsal claw (Fig. 2J) (hind tarsal claw completely pectinate from its base to apex in E. biharensis, E. maruyamanus and E. transversus, as in e.g. Figure 2I), from E. biharensis and E. pudibundae by the sinuous fore wing vein 1m-cu&M (Fig. 19F) (1m-cu&M evenly curved in E. biharensis and E. pudibundae as in Figures 6F, 23F), from E. maruyamanus by the entirely moderately punctate mesopleuron (Fig. 19E) (mesopleuron entirely longitudinally punctostriate in E. maruyamanus) and the angle of posterodistal corner of second discal cell (i.e. ca 90° in E. nikami sp. nov. as in Figure 19F, but ca 115° in E. maruyamanus), and from E. transversus by the entirely moderately punctate mesopleuron (Fig. 19E) (mesopleuron entirely longitudinally striate in E. transversus).