Baeus sreedeviae 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 : 891-894

Baeus sreedeviae Veenakumari , sp. n. ( Figure 29 (a–e))

http://www. zoobank. org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:890DD1E2-E501-42AE-8E02-913BF268BFC4

Holotype. Female; body length = 0.62 (0.60–0.67) mm; n = 5

Colour ( Figure 29 (a)). Head, mesonotum and metasoma honey brown, propodeum pale; hyperoccipital carina black; mesoscutum and mesoscutellum with a black band on

posterior margins; A1 and A2 brown, remaining antennomeres yellowish brown; legs brownish yellow.

Head ( Figure 29 (a–e)). Head 1.12 (1.05–1.16)× as wide as high; IOS 0.56 (0.51–0.58)× width of head, 1.41 (1.39–1.45)× eye length; eye small (L: W = 9.0:7.0), setose, not touching hyperoccipital carina posteriorly; head height 1.91 (1.81–2.0)× eye length; POL>LOL in ratio of 14.1:8.8; lateral ocellus away from orbit, OOL 0.82 (0.80–0.85)× MOD; distance between posterior margin of lateral ocellus and hyperoccipital carina 0.72 (0.70–0.75)× MOD; pilosity of moderate density, setae of medium length, shorter than those on mesonotum and metasoma; interantennal process triangular, weakly rugose; central keel not distinct, weakly represented with faint longitudinal striae; facial striae long, extending 0.66 (0.62–0.73)× the length from mandibular end to lower orbit; malar striae absent; frons and vertex smooth; gena smooth with weak reticulations dorsally and no costae on postero-ventral margin, 3.21 (3.12–3.25)× as long as wide; anterior margin of gena in contact with 0.51 (0.49–0.53)× length of ventral margin of eye; length of A1 subequal to that of clava; length of A2 0.43 (0.41–0.46)× that of A1.

Mesosoma ( Figure 29 (a,c,e)). Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum 0.55 (0.51–0.61)× and 0.17 (0.15–0.18)× as long as wide, respectively; mesoscutum imbricate; mesoscutellum predominantly smooth; metascutellum not visible; propodeum smooth dorsally, 0.50 (0.41–0.52)× length of mesoscutellum medially; pilosity of moderate density, setae of medium length; lateral pronotal area dorsally imbricate, antero-medially with weak vertical striae, remainder smooth; 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 terminate above the dorsal level of metapleuron; mesopleuron with a small reticulate patch ventrally, remainder smooth; mesopleuron extending as a short projection ventrally; mesopleural pit short; metapleuron smooth, except for sparse uneven carinae ventrally; anterior mesopleural suture not distinct as a result of which lateral pronotal area and mesopleuron seem to merge; posterior suture of metapleuron almost straight not curving dorsally towards mesopleuron; dorsal level of posterior metapleural suture ventral to level of antero-lateral margin of T 2; sculpturing of propodeum anterior to spiracle smooth, posterior to spiracle with a short carina and a seta on dorsal and ventral margin; region ventral to spiracle with two oblique carinae with a seta on each; remainder of lateral propodeum smooth; propodeal spiracular opening round.

Metasoma ( Figure 29 (a,c,e)). Metasoma as long as wide; pilosity of moderate density, setae of medium length; T 2 anteriorly finely imbricate, posteriorly smooth; remaining tergites smooth.

Material examined. Holotype: Female ( ICAR / NBAIR / P3427 ), INDIA: Odisha: Bhubaneshwar, Sardapur , Puri Road , 20 ° 16 ʹ 23 ʹ ’ N 85 ° 47 ʹ 31 ʹ ’E, 46 m, YPT, 02.II.2016 ; Paratypes: 2 females ( ICAR / NBAIR / P3428 – P3429 ), same data as holotype; 2 females ( ICAR / NBAIR / P3430 , P3434 ), Odisha: Bhubaneswar, OUAT, 20 ° 15 ʹ 52 ʹ ’ N 85 ° 48 ʹ 50 ʹ ’E, 45 m, YPT, 29 .I .2016; 3 females ( ICAR / NBAIR / P3431 – P3433 ), Odisha: Bhubaneshwar, Bhagabatipur, Puri Road , 20 ° 00’37 ʹ ’ N 85 ° 49 ʹ 59 ʹ ’E, 88 m, YPT, 30 .I .2016; 6 females ( ICAR / NBAIR / P3435 – P3440 ), Karnataka: Mandya, Srirangapatna , 12 ° 25 ʹ 17 ʹ ’ N 76 ° 41 ʹ 36 ʹ ’E, 684 m, YPT, 26 .X .2015; 1 female ( ICAR / NBAIR / P3441 ), Tamil Nadu: Lower Pulney Hills , Thadiyankudisai, HRS, 10 ° 17 ʹ 58 ʹ ’ N 77 ° 42 ʹ 42 ʹ ’E, 990 m, YPT, 26 .XI .2016; 6 females ( ICAR / NBAIR / P3442 – P3447 ), Karnataka: Mandya , 12 ° 33 ʹ 51 ʹ ’ N 76 ° 44 ʹ 01 ʹ ’E, 749 m, YPT, 19 .III .2016; 2 females ( ICAR / NBAIR / P3448 – P3449 ), same as P3442, 16 . VII .2016; 1 female ( ICAR / NBAIR / P3450 ), Tamil Nadu: Periyakulam , 8 ° 59 ʹ 13 ʹ ’N 76 ° 82 ʹ 67 ʹ ’E, 53 m, YPT, 16 .VIII .2013.

Etymology. This species is named after our entomologist friend and colleague Dr. K. Sreedevi. The name is treated as a noun in the genitive case.

Diagnosis. B. sreedeviae sp. n. is closer to B. menaka sp. n. and B. densipilosus sp. n. but differs from them in having a smooth A1 and mesoscutellum whereas B. menaka sp. n. and B. densipilosus sp. n. have sculptured A1 and mesoscutellum.

Figures

Figure 29. Baeus sreedeviae sp. n. (a) Habitus (colour); (b) Frons; (c) Habitus; (d) Antenna; (e) Habitus (lateral view).