Baeus himalayanus 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 : 857-858

Baeus himalayanus Veenakumari , sp. n. ( Figure 14 (a–e))

http://www.zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:8B520782-64A8-4FCA-9788-340C562F0B9D

Holotype. Female; body length = 0.69 (0.67–0.71) mm; n = 2

Colour ( Figure 14 (a)). Head, mesonotum and metasoma dark brown, propodeum pale; hyperoccipital carina black; posterior margin of mesoscutum and mesoscutellum with a black band followed by a yellow line; antenna dark brown except paler A2–A3; legs dark brown.

Head ( Figure 14 (a–e)). Head as wide as high; IOS 0.62 (0.58–0.66)× width of head, 1.30 (1.28–1.32)× eye length; eye (L: W = 10.0:7.8) setose, not touching hyperoccipital carina posteriorly; head height 2.43 (2.30–2.55)× eye length; POL>LOL in ratio of 15.5:13.5; lateral ocellus away from orbits, OOL 0.51 (0.45–0.56)× MOD; pilosity of moderate density, setae of medium length, setae shorter than those on mesonotum and metasoma; distance from posterior margin of lateral ocellus to hyperoccipital carina 1.60 (1.51–1.68)× MOD; interantennal process triangular, pointed, weakly rugose; central keel 0.50 (0.46–0.54)× distance to median ocellus; facial striae long, extending 0.70 (0.65–0.75)× length from mandibular end to lower orbit; malar striae absent; frons with semicircular striae followed by weak reticulations, with scutes longer than wide; upper frons and vertex weakly reticulate; gena weakly reticulate, with sparse short foveae postero-ventrally, 3.13 (3.05–- 3.21)× as long as wide; anterior margin of gena in contact with 0.78 (0.74–0.82)× length of ventral margin of eye; length of A1 subequal to that of clava; length of A2 0.43 (0.40–- 0.46)× that of A1.

Mesosoma ( Figure 14 (a,c,e)). Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum 0.54 (0.48–0.62)× and 0.16 (0.14–0.18)× as long as wide, respectively; mesoscutum and mesoscutellum imbricate; metascutellum not visible; propodeum smooth dorsally, 0.71 (0.62–0.78)× length of mesoscutellum medially; pilosity of moderate density, setae of medium length; antero-lateral margin of mesoscutellum with a weak fovea; lateral pronotal area dorsally imbricate with long setae, remainder smooth except for sparse weak vertical striae antero-medially; ventral margin of lateral pronotal area extending as a short blunt projection; transverse carinae on dorsal mesopleuron terminate above the dorsal level of metapleuron; mesopleuron ventrally with an imbricate patch with four short carinae ventrad, remainder smooth; mesopleuron extending as a short narrow projection ventrally; mesopleural pit small; antero-ventral suture of mesopleuron not distinct, resulting in merger of ventral lateral pronotal areas and ventral mesopleuron; metapleuron smooth with sparse weak transverse carinae ventrally; posterior metapleural suture almost straight and not bent towards mesopleuron, ventrally indicated by a carina, dorsally by a furrow and smooth medially; dorsal level of posterior metapleural suture ventral to level of antero-lateral margin of T 2; sculpturing of propodeum anterior to spiracle smooth, posteriorly smooth with a short carina bearing a long seta, region ventral to spiracle with two transverse and one short oblique carinae; remainder of lateral propodeum smooth except for a transverse carina antero-ventrally; propodeal spiracular opening round.

Metasoma ( Figure 14 (a,c,e)). Metasoma 1.16 (1.12–1.20)× as long as wide; pilosity of medium density, setae of medium length; T 2 anteriorly imbricate, posteriorly smooth; remaining tergites smooth.

Material examined. Holotype: Female ( ICAR / NBAIR / P3253 ), INDIA: Jammu and Kashmir: Leh , 34 ° 09 ʹ 09 ʹ ’ N 77 ° 34 ʹ 37 ʹ ’E, 3416 m, SN, 05.VIII.2010 ; Paratypes: 4 females ( ICAR / NBAIR / P3254–P3257), same as holotype.

Etymology. This species is named after the mighty Himalaya Mountains from where the type specimens were collected. The name is treated as an adjective.

Diagnosis. This species is closer to B. kubera sp. n. but differs from it in the following characters. In B. himalayanus sp. n. IOS 1.3× eye length, propodeal spiracle of medium size, posterior metapleural suture straight; in B. kubera sp. n. IOS shorter than eye length, propodeal spiracle small and posterior metapleural suture curves towards posterior mesopleuron dorsally. This species is also closer to B. longiabdominalis sp. n., and the diagnosis is mentioned under the latter.

Figures

Figure 14. Baeus himalayanus sp. n. (a) Habitus (colour); (b) Frons; (c) Habitus; (d) Antenna; (e) Habitus (lateral view).