Baeus pygmaeus 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 : 879-881

Baeus pygmaeus Veenakumari , sp. n. ( Figure 24 (a–e))

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Holotype. Female; body length = 0.51 (0.49–0.54) mm; n = 3

Colour ( Figure 24 (a)). Head, mesoscutum and metasoma honey brown, metasoma darker and mesoscutellum and propodeum paler than remainder; hyperoccipital carina black; mesoscutum and mesoscutellum with a black band on posterior margins; antenna brown, A3–A6 paler; legs brown with uneven patches of yellow and black.

Head ( Figure 24 (a–e)). Head 0.93 (0.91–0.96)× as wide as high; IOS 0.49 (0.48–0.51)× width of head, and 1.43 (1.41–1.46)× eye length; eye small (L: W = 8.7:8.1) touching hyperoccipital carina posteriorly; head height 2.45 (2.42–2.51)× eye length; POL>LOL in ratio of 12.6:8.0; lateral ocellus contiguous with orbit; distance from posterior margin of lateral ocellus to hyperoccipital carina 0.57 (0.54–0.6)× MOD; pilosity of moderate density, setae shorter than those on mesonotum and metasoma; interantennal process triangular, weakly rugose; length of central keel 0.54 (0.51–0.59)× distance from interantennal process to median ocellus; facial striae extending 0.8× the length from mandibular end to lower orbit; malar striae sparse; frons with semicircular striae on either side of central keel; upper frons and vertex imbricate; gena predominantly smooth, 6.43 (6.41–6.48)× as long as wide; anterior margin of gena in contact with 0.50 (0.48–0.53)× length of ventral margin of eye; length of A1 subequal to that of clava; length of A2 0.43 (0.41–0.47)× that of A1.

Mesosoma ( Figure 24 (a,c,e)). Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum 0.60 (0.57–0.62)× and 0.26 (0.24–0.30)× as long as wide, respectively; mesoscutum and mesoscutellum imbricate with smooth posterior margin; metascutellum not visible; propodeum smooth dorsally, 0.27 (0.24–0.30)× the length of mesoscutellum; pilosity of moderate density, setae of medium length; lateral pronotal area dorsally imbricate, remainder smooth except for sparse weak transverse carinae antero-medially; postero-dorsal margin of lateral pronotal area with two short weak 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 coriaceous reticulate patch, remainder smooth; mesopleuron extending as a short, narrow, projection ventrally; mesopleural pit small; metapleuron smooth with weak foveae ventrally; posterior suture of metapleuron straight curving gradually towards mesopleuron dorsally, not meeting the posterior mesopleural suture; dorsal level of posterior metapleural suture almost level with antero-lateral margin of T 2; sculpturing of propodeum anterior to spiracle carinate, region posterior to spiracle smooth, with a short transverse carina; region ventral to spiracle with five uneven carinae, variously oriented; remainder of lateral propodeum smooth with sparse transverse carinae antero-ventrally; propodeal spiracular opening tear-drop shaped.

Metasoma ( Figure 24 (a,c,e)). Metasoma 0.70 (0.68–0.76)× as long as wide; pilosity sparse, setae of medium length; T 2 predominantly smooth; remaining tergites smooth.

Material examined. Holotype: Female ( ICAR / NBAIR / P3664 ), INDIA: Kerala: Thiruvananthapuram; Vellayani , 8 ° 43 ʹ 50 ʹ ’N 76 ° 99 ʹ 14 ʹ ’E, 11 m, YPT, 22.XI.2015 ; Paratypes: 8 females ( ICAR / NBAIR /P3664–P3672), same data as holotype.

Etymology. This species is named ‘pygmaeus’ because of the small size of the wasp. The name is treated as an adjective.

Diagnosis. This species is closer to B. striatus sp. n. In B. pygmaeus sp. n. posterior ocellus is closer to hyperoccipital carina, genal suture sinuate, metasoma smooth and carinae of dorsal mesopleuron extend below the dorsal level of metapleuron. Whereas in B. striatus sp. n. posterior ocellus away from hyperoccipital carina, genal suture almost straight, metasoma reticulate and carinae of dorsal mesopleuron terminate above the level of dorsal metapleuron.

Figures

Figure 24. Baeus pygmaeus sp. n. (a) Habitus (colour); (b) Frons; (c) Habitus; (d) Antenna; (e) Habitus (lateral view).