Baeus bharathiae Veenakumari, 2020

Kamalanathan, Veenakumari, Mohanraj, Prashanth, Samuel, D. K. & Reddy, M. Krishna, 2020, Revision of Indian species of Baeus Haliday (Hymenoptera: Platygastroidea: Scelionidae), Journal of Natural History 54 (13 - 14), pp. 813-917 : 838-839

Baeus bharathiae Veenakumari , sp. n. ( Figure 6 (a–e))

http: //www.zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:50D49540-2787-4BF6-A69B-7FCA2E3AB361

Holotype. Female; body length = 0.73 (0.68–0.78) mm; n = 5

Colour ( Figure 6 (a)). Head, mesonotum and metasoma brown, vertex and mesoscutellum darker than the remainder; hyperoccipital carina black; posterior margin of mesoscutum with a black band and mesoscutellum with a black band followed by whitish-blue band; antenna yellowish brown; legs yellow with patches of brown.

Head ( Figure 6 (a–e)). Head 1.42 (1.38–1.45)× as wide as high; IOS 0.49 (0.48–0.52)× width of head and 1.05 (0.95–1.10)× eye length; eye (L: W = 13.8:8.7) setose,not touching hyperoccipital carina posteriorly; head height 1.57 (1.51–1.60)× eye length; POL>LOL in ratio of 16.5:9.8; lateral ocellus contiguous with orbit; distance between posterior margin of lateral ocellus to hyperoccipital carina 0.47 (0.45–0.49)× MOD; pilosity of medium density, setae of medium length, shorter than those on mesonotum and metasoma; interantennal process triangular, smooth; length of central keel 0.45 (0.42–0.48)× distance from interantennal process to median ocellus; facial striae long extending up to lower orbit; malar striae distinct; frons adjacent to central keel smooth followed by semicircular striae, in turn followed by longitudinal reticulations; upper frons imbricate, vertex weakly imbricate; gena dorsally weakly reticulate, remain- der smooth, with costae on postero-ventral margin, 3.72 (3.64–3.75)× as long as wide; anterior margin of gena in contact with 0.53 (0.50–0.56)× length of ventral margin of eye; length of A1 subequal to that of clava; length of A2 0.33 (0.31–0.36)× that of A1.

Mesosoma ( Figure 6 (a,b,e)). Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum 0.39 (0.38–0.42)× and 0.17 (0.15–0.19)× as long as wide, respectively; mesoscutum and mesoscutellum imbricate; metascutellum not visible; propodeum smooth dorsally, 0.72 (0.70–0.74)× length of mesoscutellum medially; pilosity of medium density, setae of medium length; lateral pronotal area dorsally coriaceous-reticulate, antero-medially with weak sparse striae, remainder smooth; postero-dorsal margin of lateral pronotal area with two short projections; ventral margin of lateral pronotal area extending as a blunt projection; transverse carinae on dorsal mesopleuron terminate above the level of dorsal metapleuron; mesopleuron ventrally with a reticulate patch, followed by oblique carinae, remainder smooth; mesopleuron extending as a narrow projection ventrally; mesopleural pit small; metapleuron smooth; posterior suture of metapleuron straight; dorsal level of posterior metapleural suture ventral to level of antero-lateral margin of T 2; sculpturing of propodeum anterior to spiracle smooth, followed by transverse carinae, region posterior to spiracle smooth with short transverse carinae, a pair each, on dorsal and ventral margins; region ventral to spiracle with a crescent shaped carina enclosing two setae; remainder of lateral propodeum smooth but for two short transverse carinae antero-ventrally; propodeal spiracular opening tear-drop shaped.

Metasoma ( Figure 6 (a,b,e)). Metasoma 1.12 (1.10–1.21)× as long as wide; pilosity of medium density, setae of medium length; T 2 smooth; remaining tergites smooth.

Material examined. Holotype: Female ( ICAR / NBAIR / P3534 ), INDIA: Andaman Islands : South Andaman, Garacharma, CIARI, 11 ° 61 ʹ 29 ʹ ’N 92 ° 71 ʹ 54 ʹ ’E, 63 m, YPT, 26.III.2016 ; Paratypes: 1 female ( ICAR / NBAIR / P3535 ), South Andaman : Sippighat, 11 ° 36 ʹ 17 ʹ ’ N 92 ° 41 ʹ 12 ʹ ’E, 8 m, YPT, 23 .II .2012; 8 females ( ICAR / NBAIR / P3536 – P3543 ), South Andaman , Chouldari, Bloomsdale, 11 ° 38 ʹ 25 ʹ ’ N 92 ° 39 ʹ 40 ʹ ’E, 11 m, YPT, 26 .III .2016; 1 female ( ICAR / NBAIR / P3544 ), Great Nicobar : Campbell Bay, 7 ° 00 ʹ 77 ʹ ’N 93 ° 91 ʹ 47 ʹ ’E, 13 m, SN, 20 .III .2016.

Etymology. This species is named after Ms. K. Bharathi who helped image the specimens. The name is treated as a noun in the genitive case.

Diagnosis. B. bharathiae sp. n. is closer to B. krishnareddyi sp. n. but has shorter head height,T2 smooth, malar striae present, propodeal spiracle of medium size and tear-drop shaped whereas in B. krishnareddyi sp. n. head height long, malar striae absent, propodeal spiracle small and round, T2 anteriorly reticulate and posteriorly smooth; in addition to these characters the sculpturing ventral to propodeal spiracle is also different.

Figures

Figure 6. Baeus bharathiae sp. n. (a) Habitus (colour); (b) Frons; (c) Habitus; (d) Antenna; (e) Habitus (lateral view).