Athlophorus weii, Saini & Ahmad, 2012

Saini, M. & Ahmad, M., 2012, Four New Species Of The Genus Athlophorus Burmeister, 1847 From The Indian Himalayas (Hymenoptera: Symphyta: Tenthredinidae: Allantinae) With A Key To Indian Species, Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 58 (4), pp. 337-350 : 343-345

Athlophorus weii sp. n.

( Figs 3–4, 8, 12 , 17 )

Male. Colour – Head fuscoferruginous, black are: dorsal sides of scape and pedicel, apical ¼ and entire ventral side of antennal segment 5, segments 6–9 entirely; extreme tip and base of mandible; anterior ½ and extreme base of clypeus; supraclypeal area continuous with the frontal spot that covers anterior half of median fovea laterally not touching eye margin and posterolaterally joining a prominent temple spot; post-, inter-, and circumocellar furrows; a spot on lower 1/3 of posterior ½ of hind orbit. Yellowish white are: ventral sides of scape and pedicel; medial spot on mandible; labrum; middle of clypeus; broad lower ½ of inner orbit. Thorax fuscoferruginous, yellowish white are: extremely narrow anterodorsal, anterolateral and posterodorsal margins of pronotum; extreme posterodorsal margins of mesepimeron. Black are: pronotum except extreme margins; mesonotal middle lobe except lateral margins; an oval lateral spot on mesonotal lateral lobes continuous with each other in front of mesoscutellum; appendage; a spot before propodeum; mesepisternum; mesosternum; mesepimeron except its posterior border; metapleuron and metasternum. Abdomen fuscous, black are: propodeum; anterior 2/3 of tergite 2, posterior 2/3 of tergites 3 and 4, tergites 5–8 entirely and lateral sides of tergite 9. Yellowish white are: tergites 2, 3, 4 and 9 except their blackish parts. Legs fuscous, yellowish white are: lateral stripe on meso- and metacoxae; anterior aspects of protibia. Fuscoferruginous are: pro-, meso- and metalegs except their yellowish white parts. Wings hyaline except an infuscated longitudinal stripe running obliquely from extreme apex were it is covering the entire radial cells and most of the cubital cells, towards its anterior corner; costa and stigma fuscoferruginous, rest of venation piceous.

Structure – Length 8.5 mm. Antenna slightly incrassated in middle, 1.8× head width; scape four times as long as its apical width; pedicel 1.5× its apical width; segment 3 longer than 4 as 4.5:4.0; clypeus ( Fig. 8 ) rectangularly incised up to ½ of its medial length with triangular lateral teeth; labrum broader than long as 2.5:1.5 with roundly pointed anterior margin; malar space ½ the diameter of median ocellus; LID:IDMO:EL = 5.0:5.7:4.2; frontal area at the level of eyes; supra-antennal tubercles and frontal ridges insignificant; median fovea shallowly indicated in its anterior half and posteriorly not reaching median ocellus; postocellar furrow deep, interocellar furrow deep and distinct, circumocellar furrow shallowly indicated, lateral furrows distinct, excurved and reaching up to the hypothetical hind margin of head; postocellar area longer than broad as 2.7:2.0 with distinct medial longitudinal carina in its anterior 3/4; head converging behind eyes; OOL:POL:OCL = 2.0:1.5:2.8; mesoscutellum obtusely roundly raised with a distinct median longitudinal carina at least in its posterior half; appendage carinated; metabasitarsus longer than the following joints combined; IATS: MB:OATS = 1.5:7.0:1.3. Male genitalia: Penis valve ( Fig. 3 ); gonoforceps ( Fig. 4 ).

Sculpture and pubescence – Head with dense, irregular and confluent punctures, surface sub shining; mesonotum punctured like head, surface shining; mesoscutellum with large, dense and shallow punctures, surface sub shining; appendage with few scattered punctures; mesepisternum rugose with large, dense and pit-like confluent punctures; mesosternum with small and insignificant punctures, surface shinning; propodeum with dense, minute and confluent punctures on its anterior part but with large, shallow punctures on its lateral parts; tergite 3 with few scattered, shallow punctures, tergites 4–9 densely micro punctured, surface shining with general oily lustre. Body covered with golden pubescence.

Female – Unknown.

Material examined – Holotype male, India: Sikkim, Phodong , 1800 m, 15.v.1995, collected by

M. S. SAINI.

Distribution – India (Sikkim).

Diagnosis – This species runs close to A. puncticeps Benson but can be distinguished from the latter by the malar space ½ the diameter of median ocellus (malar space as long as diameter of median ocellus in A. punticeps ocellus; clypeus rectangularly incised up to ½ of its medial length with triangular lateral teeth (clypeus in shape strongly arched, the front margin being deeply emarginate, almost excised in A. puncticeps); temple area behind the eyes without any carina behind (temples behind the eyes with a well marked carina behind in A. puncticeps); mesoscutellum obtusely roundly raised with a median longitudinal carina at least in its posterior half (scutellum raised into a pyramid in A. puncticeps)

Etymology – The species name is after Dr. WEI MEICAI of China who made praise worthy contributions to the systematic of Chinese sawfly fauna.

Figures

Figs 1–14. Athlophorus spp.A.taegeri sp.n.: 1 = penis valve, 2 = gonoforcep, 7 = clypeus, 11 = tarsal claw. A.weii sp. n.: 3 = penis valve, 4 = gonoforcep, 8 = clypeus, 12 = tarsal claw. A. smithi sp. n.: 5 = lancet, 9 = clypeus, 13 = tarsal claw. A. toongensis sp. n.: 6 = lancet, 10 = clypeus, 14 = tarsal claw

Figs 15–18. Athlophorus adults in dorsal view: 15 = A. smithi sp. n., female, 16 = A. taegeri sp. n., male, 17 = A. weii sp. n., male, 18 = A. toongensis sp. n., female