Parastephanellus narendrani Binoy, van Achterberg & Santhosh sp. nov.

(Figs 73–83)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: DA69B4AC-DFB9-438B-A29E-18DBA6DEBAC3

Type material. Holotype ♀, India: Kerala, Idukki district, Elappara (9°38’18.1”N & 76°58’56.8”E, 1030 m), 23.v.2019, Coll. C. Binoy, (ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI/ WGRC /IR/INV.13597 . Paratype 1 ♀, (ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI/ WGRC /IR/INV.13598, same collection data as that of holotype .

Diagnosis. Head in dorsal view almost oblique behind eyes; pronotum posteriorly well emarginate, entire surface finely transverse rugose joining onto the mesoscutum and with scattered setae; sdc1 of fore wing robust and 2.3× longer than wide; hind coxa with strong transverse rugae and without a dorsal tooth, long scattered setae arising from the surface; first three metasomal tergites dark brown to black, first tergite apically and second tergite basally brownish orange; first metasomal segment narrow in lateral view; first tergite 9.1× as long as its maximum width with strong irregular coarsely transverse rugae. The new species runs close to P. malabaricus in having mesoscutum with median longitudinal row of pits and no median carina and metapleuron with a smooth area separating it from propodeum. But it differs from P. malabaricus as follows: ovipositor sheath 0.6× as long as body (in P. malabaricus ovipositor sheath subequal to length of body); vertex rugate, rugae almost reaching the occiput (medially strong) (in P. malabaricus vertex smooth posteriorly, median area weakly rugate); pronotum finely transversely striate (in P. malabaricus pronotum smooth).

Description. Holotype, ♀. Body length 13 mm, ovipositor sheath length 6.7 mm, fore wing length 3.9 mm.

Colour. Brownish black; tegula and palpi dark brown; scape brown with apical tip honey brown, pedicel, F1–F4, F5 and F6 basally honey brown, rest of flagellomeres deep brown; malar space with a pale yellow patch below eyes (Fig. 53); mandibles brown with apices black; all coxae, and femora liver brown; trochanters paler, all tibia liver brown in basal half, followed by paler are apically; all tarsi brown; wing membrane slightly brownish at cubital cells, pterostigma and veins deep brown, base of pterostigma pale; ovipositor sheath brownish black with a small pale spot apically.

Head. Antenna with 28 antennomeres; F2 onwards surface distinctly pitted; frons uniformly rugose near the inner eye margin, coarsely rugose medially, with scattered setae; five anterior coronal teeth, antero-medial one largest, followed by two pairs of posterior arcuate ones, with few carinae radiating from middle teeth to the last pair through the median ocellus (Fig. 76); a curving carinae present behind the posterior teeth forming a subtriangular to pentagonal space with a small median carinae and irregular rugae; vertex rugose beyond the lateral ocellus, turning into irregular fine striae reaching the occipital carina, widely smooth laterally; temples non-angulate, largely smooth and shiny (Fig. 75); occipital carina complete, reaching the mandibles anteriorly.

Mesosoma . Neck short with strong transverse and emarginate rugae, in level with pronotum without forming a cavity medially; pronotum strongly rugose without any distinct carinae, sparsely setose, posterior margin emarginated; propleuron smooth and shiny, sparsely setose; mesonotum irregularly foveolate with smooth interspaces, truncating on a straight scutellar line posteriorly; median grove distinct, notauli distinctly foveolate delimiting large coarsely rugose axillae (Fig. 77); mesopleuron dorsally with coarse rugae extending as alutaceous sculpturing ventro-laterally with scattered white setae; scutellum small, coriaceous, medially smooth with scattered large setigerous pits; metapleuron finely rugose without setae (Fig. 78); propodeum variable, anteriorly with fine alutaceous rugae turning into large irregular areola posteriorly, a smooth area flanging apical fovea delimited by a transverse carina, a median protuberance apically joining first metasomal tergite; fore wing semi-hyaline with scattered minute setae, 1-M 2.9× 1-SR, almost straight; vein r reaching before the apex of pterostigma; sdc1 robust, 2.3× as long as its maximum width; cu-a obsolete or absent (Fig. 80); hind coxa robust, without a dorsal teeth and with strong rugae throughout; hind femur widened, smooth with alutaceous sculpturing and scattered sparse white setae, ventrally with 2 large teeth and several denticles in between; hind tibia alutaceous with moderate pubescence, 1.4× as long as hind femur, apical inflated part (i.e., apical part with sculpture different from basal petiolate part) 1.9× as wide as narrow basal part, narrow part 1.4× as long as wider part, widened part with distinct oblique inverted obsolete V shaped carinae; hind tarsus with three tarsomeres, sub-parallel sided 4.3× as long as wide medially and 2.6× as long as second tarsal segment (Fig. 79).

Metasoma. First tergite 9.15× as long as its maximum width, 2.39× as long as second tergite, cylindrical with irregular strong rugae throughout the length and white setae along the lateral margins, apically smooth (Fig. 81); second tergite smooth and shiny medially, fine alutaceous laterally and apically; third to seventh tergites finely reticulate to alutaceous with scattered small white setae; eighth tergite finely pitted, setose and deeply furcate apically, no pygidial protuberance present apically (Fig. 82); ovipositor sheath 0.5× as long as body and 1.69× as long as fore wing (Fig. 83).

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Oriental: India (Kerala).

Biology. Unknown, presumably attacking wood boring beetles infesting fallen woods.

Etymology. The species is named after the late Prof. Dr. T.C. Narendran for his large contributions in the field of hymenopteran taxonomy in India.