Baeus menaka 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 : 872-874

Baeus menaka Veenakumari , sp. n. ( Figure 21 (a–e))

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Holotype. Female; body length = 0.65 (0.61–0.69) mm; n = 2

Colour ( Figure 21 (a)). Head, mesonotum and metasoma honey brown, propodeum paler than rest; hyperoccipital carina black; posterior margins of mesoscutum and mesoscutellum with a black band followed by a yellow line; A1, A2 dark brown, remaining antennomeres yellowish brown; clava ventrally dark brown, dorsally yellow; legs yellowish brown to dark brown

Head ( Figure 21 (a–e)). Head 1.17 (1.15–1.19)× as wide as high; IOS 0.48 (0.46–0.50)× width of head and 1.33 (1.28–1.37)× eye length; eye (L: W = 9.1:7.6) setose, not touching hyperoccipital carina posteriorly; head height 2.37 (2.34–2.40)× eye length; POL>LOL in ratio of 14.9:10.1; lateral ocellus away from orbits by 0.72 (0.69–0.75)× MOD; pilosity dense, setae of medium length, shorter than those on mesonotum and metasoma; distance from posterior margin of lateral ocellus to hyperoccipital carina 0.50 (0.47–0.52)× MOD; interantennal process triangular, pointed, weakly rugose; central keel not distinct (very short, consisting of a few vertical weak reticulations); facial striae prominent, extending up to 0.76 (0.70–0.82)× length from base of mandible to lower orbit; malar striae absent; frons adjacent to central keel smooth, followed by weak reticulations, with scutes longer than wide; upper frons and vertex weakly reticulate; gena smooth, 3.23 (3.20–3.26)× as long as wide; anterior margin of gena in contact with 0.63 (0.61–0.65)× length of ventral margin of eye; length of A1 0.84 (0.79–0.88)× that of clava; length of A2 0.32 (0.29–0.34)× that of A1.

Mesosoma ( Figure 21 (a,c,e)). Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum 0.51 (0.48–0.53)× and 0.17 (0.15–0.19)× as long as wide, respectively; mesoscutum and mesoscutellum weakly coriaceous reticulate; metascutellum not visible; propodeum smooth dorsally, subequal in length to that of mesoscutellum; pilosity dense, setae of medium length; lateral pronotal area dorsally imbricate, reticulations elongate anteriorly, remainder smooth; 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 a small reticulate patch, remainder smooth; mesopleuron extending as a short narrow projection ventrally; mesopleural pit elongate; metapleuron smooth; posterior metapleural suture straight, except for a gentle curve medially; dorsal level of posterior metapleural suture ventral to level of antero-lateral margin of T 2; propodeal spiracle closer to anterior margin of lateral propodeum; region posterior to propodeal spiracle smooth with three transverse carinae extending towards posterior margin of lateral propodeum; region ventral to spiracle with two oblique carinae; remainder of propodeum smooth; propodeal spiracular opening tear-drop shaped.

Metasoma ( Figure 21 (a,c,e)). Metasoma as long as wide; pilosity dense, setae of medium length; T 2 anteriorly finely imbricate, posteriorly smooth; remaining tergites smooth.

Host. Reared from eggs of unidentified spider.

Material examined. Holotype: Female ( ICAR / NBAIR / P3270 ), INDIA: Karnataka: Mandya, Madduru , 12 ° 35 ʹ 02 ʹ ’ N 77 ° 04 ʹ 34 ʹ ’E, 646 m, reared from spider eggs on sugarcane, 15.I.2009 ; Paratypes: 4 females ( ICAR / NBAIR /P3271–P3274) same data as holotype.

Etymology. This species is named after Menaka, an enchanting Apsara or celestial female spirit of the clouds and waters in Hindu and Buddhist mythology. The name is treated as a noun in apposition.

Diagnosis. B. menaka sp. n. is closer to B. densipilosus sp. n. and the diagnosis is mentioned under the latter. B. menaka sp. n is also closer to B. sreedeviae sp. n. but differs from it in having sculptured A1 and mesoscutellum while both are smooth in B. sreedeviae sp. n.

Figures

Figure 21. Baeus menaka sp. n. (a) Habitus (colour); (b) Frons; (c) Habitus; (d) Antenna; (e) Habitus (lateral view).