Baeus rambha 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 : 883-885

Baeus rambha Veenakumari , sp. n. ( Figure 26 (a–e))

http://www.zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:A4BA431F-BCD2-4363-B74F-D7AA1DED5E93

Holotype. Female; body length = 0.88 (0.78–0.91) mm; n = 10

Colour ( Figure 26 (a)). Head, mesonotum and metasoma blackish brown, anterior metasoma paler than remainder; a blue line present along posterior mesoscutum and mesoscutellum; A1–A6 dark brown except for a light yellow patch on apical A1, clava yellowish brown; legs yellowish brown.

Head ( Figure 26 (a–e)). Head 1.24 (1.12–1.28)× as wide as high; IOS 0.54 (0.51–0.56)× width of head and 1.22 (1.19–1.26)× eye length; eye (L: W = 18.0:13.5) not setose, touching hyperoccipital carina posteriorly; head height 1.90 (1.85–1.98)× eye length; POL>LOL in ratio of 23.0:16.9; lateral ocellus contiguous with orbits; distance between posterior margin of lateral ocellus and hyperoccipital carina 0.83 (0.81–0.85)× MOD; pilosity on head sparse, setae short; interantennal process triangular, smooth; central keel generally absent, if present weak and visible only at certain angles; facial striae prominent, short, reaching only 0.42 (0.39–0.44)× length from base of mandible to lower orbit; malar striae distinct; frons smooth; vertex weakly reticulate; gena dorsally weakly striate, remainder smooth, 6.5 (5.9–6.8)× as long as wide, tapering dorsally, with no costae on posteroventral margin; anterior margin of gena in contact with 0.33 (0.31–0.35)× length of ventral margin of eye; length of A1 0.93 (0.90–0.98)× that of clava; length of A2 0.41 (0.39–0.45)× that of A1.

Mesosoma ( Figure 26 (a,c,e)). Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum 0.34 (0.31–0.39)× and 0.17 (0.15–0.19)× as long as wide, respectively; mesoscutum reticulate; mesoscutellum smooth; metascutellum not visible; propodeum smooth dorsally, 0.84 (0.80–0.88)× the length of mesoscutellum; pilosity sparse, setae short; lateral pronotal area dorsally coriaceous reticulate, remainder smooth, except for a deep furrow antero-medially followed by weak vertical striations; postero-dorsal margin of lateral pronotal area with two short projections; ventral margin of lateral pronotal area extending as a short blunt projection; transverse carinae on dorsal mesopleuron extending ventral to the level of dorsal metapleuron, ventrally with a coriaceous reticulate patch with two oblique carinae on either side, remainder smooth; mesopleuron extending as a long, narrow projection ventrally; mesopleural pit elongate; metapleuron predominantly smooth; posterior metapleural suture straight, gradually curving dorsally to touch posterior mesopleural suture; dorsal level of posterior metapleural suture level with antero-lateral margin of T 2; a transverse carina delineating dorsal and lateral propodeum present; sculpturing of propodeum antero-ventral to spiracle with furrows and carinae, region posterior to spiracle smooth; region ventral to spiracle with a short crescent shaped carina followed by an oblique carina; remainder of lateral propodeum smooth with two weak transverse carinae anteroventrally; propodeal spiracular opening tear-drop shaped.

Metasoma ( Figure 26 (a,c,e)). Metasoma 1.21 (1.12–1.31)× as long as wide; pilosity sparse, setae short; T 2 anteriorly weakly reticulate, remainder smooth; remaining tergites smooth.

Material examined. Holotype: Female ( ICAR / NBAIR / P3297 ), INDIA: Tamil Nadu: Yercaud , HRS, 11 ° 47 ʹ 44 ʹ ’ N 78 ° 12 ʹ 42 ʹ ’E, 1399 m, YPT, 06.VIII.2016 ; Paratypes: 84 females ( ICAR / NBAIR / P3317 – P3399 , P3308 ), Karnataka: Mudigere, College of Horticulture , 13 ° 06 ʹ 54 ʹ ’ N 75 ° 37 ʹ 57 ʹ ’E, 976 m, YPT, 28 .IX .2015– 02.X .2015 ; 9 females ( ICAR / NBAIR / P3298 – P3306 ), same as holotype; 1 female ( ICAR / NBAIR / P3307 ), Tamil Nadu: Dindugul , Thandikudi, RCRS, 10 ° 18 ʹ 34 ʹ ’ N 77 ° 38 ʹ 34 ʹ ’E, 1305 m, YPT, 27 .XI .2016 ; 1 female ( ICAR / NBAIR / P3309 ), Great Nicobar: Campbell Bay , 7 ° 00 ʹ 77 ʹ ’N 93 ° 91 ʹ 47 ʹ ’E, 13 m, YPT, 23 .III .2016 ; 1 female ( ICAR / NBAIR / P3310 ), South Andaman: Sippighat , 11 ° 36 ʹ 17 ʹ ’ N 92 ° 41 ʹ 12 ʹ ’E, 8 m, YPT, 22 . III .2016 ; 1 female ( ICAR / NBAIR / P3311 ), same as P3310, PFT, 24 .IV .2012 ; 4 females ( ICAR / NBAIR / P3312 - P3314 , P3501 ), Andaman Islands: South Andaman , Garacharma, CIARI, 11 ° 61 ʹ 29 ʹ ’N 92 ° 71 ʹ 54 ʹ ’E, 63 m, YPT, 22 .II .2012 ; 1 female ( ICAR / NBAIR / P3315 ), South Andaman, Chouldari, Bloomsdale , 11 ° 38 ʹ 25 ʹ ’ N 92 ° 39 ʹ 40 ʹ ’E, 11 m, MT, 24 .II .2012 ; 1 female ( ICAR / NBAIR / P3316 ), South Andaman: Mt . Harriet, 11 ° 43 ʹ 12 ʹ ’ N 92 ° 44 ʹ 00 ʹ ’E, 354 m, SN, 01 .II .2013.

Etymology. This species is named after ‘Rambha’, one of the Apsaras or celestial nymphs in Hindu mythology, who rose from the ocean of milk when churned by the gods and the Asuras (demons). The name is treated as a noun in apposition.

Diagnosis. This species is similar to B. arachnophagus sp. n., B. krumbiegeli sp. n., B. mareecha sp. n. and B. reticulatus sp. n. in having short sparse setae on body. But this species differs from all these species by the absence of the central keel, even if present as in some paratypes, it is weak and visible only at certain angles. B. rambha sp. n. has a smooth mesoscutellum while in others it is sculptured.

Figures

Figure 26. Baeus rambha sp. n. (a) Habitus (colour); (b) Antenna; (c) Habitus; (d) Frons; (e) Habitus (lateral view).