Athlophorus smithi, 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 : 345-346

Athlophorus smithi sp. n.

( Figs 5, 9, 13 , 15 )

Female. Colour – Head fuscoferruginous, black are: apical 1/2 of antennal segment 5, segments 6–9 entirely; spot on dorsal side of scape; mandible base; lateral spot on supraclypeal area not extending above the base of antennae; a spot on supra-antennal pit; small triangular spot on temple; spot on lateral sides of lateral ocelli connected with a medial rectangular spot on postocellar area in the form of an arrow head; spot on lower hind orbit. Yellowish white are: scape except dorsal black spot; labrum; broad lower 1/2 of inner orbit. Thorax fuscoferruginous, yellowish white are: anterodorsal and narrow posterodorsal margins of pronotum. Black are: an irregular medial spot on pronotum; an oval large spot on mesonotal lateral lobe; posterior and lateral sides of mesoscutellum; appendage; spot before propodeum; propodeum except a narrow medial line and a posterior rectangular spot; meso and metapleuron and sternum entirely. Abdomen blackish, Yellowish white are: narrow medial stripe and a posterior-medial rectangular spot on propodeum; anterior and posterior margins of tergites 2, 3 and 4 widening along the lateral sides connected by a medial stripe; narrow posterior margins of tergites 5–8; tergite 9 entirely; sternites 2–4 entirely. Legs fuscoferruginous, yellowish white are: lateral spot on all coxae; trochanters of metaleg and adjoining parts of all femora more or less; entire protibia anteriorly; basal 1/5 of meso- and metatibia. Wings hyaline except an infuscated spot below stigma covering radial cells and most of cubital cells; costa and stigma fuscoferruginous; rest of venation piceous.

Structure – Length 10.5 mm. Antenna slightly incrassated in middle, 2× head width; scape thrice as long as its apical width; pedicel twice as long as its apical width; segment 3 longer than 4 as 4.8:4.0; clypeus ( Fig. 9 ) subrectangularly to roundly incised up to 1/3 of its medial length with triangularly pointed lateral teeth; labrum broader than long as 2:1, with rounded anterior margin; malar space half the diameter of median ocellus; LID:IDMO:EL = 7.0:7.5:6.0; frontal area at the level of eyes; supra-antennal tubercles and frontal ridges insignificant; median fovea in the form of broad deep ditch like in its anterior half, shallowly reaching median ocellus; postocellar furrow deep; inter- and circumocellar furrows indicated; lateral furrows distinct, excurved and reaching up to the hypothetical hind margin of head; postocellar area longer than broad as 1.5:1.0, with distinct medial longitudinal furrow in its anterior 3/4; head parallel behind eyes; OOL:POL:OCL = 2.3:1.5:3.5; mesoscutellum obtusely roundly raised with a median longitudinal carina at least in its posterior half; appendage ecarinate; tarsal claw ( Fig. 13 ) with subapical tooth shorter than apical one; metabasitarsus longer than the following joints combined; IATS:MB:OATS = 2.0:8.5:1.5. Lancet ( Fig. 5 ) with 23 serrulae.

Sculpture and pubescence – Head covered with, dense, irregular, confluent punctures, surface sub shining; mesonotum punctured like head, surface sub shining; mesoscutellum with large, dense, deep punctures; appendage with deep dense punctures surface still shining; mesepisternum rugose with large, deep, dense, pit-like confluent punctures; mesosternum with few scattered minute punctures, surface shining with general oily lustre; propodeum with dense, deep confluent punctures; tergite 2nd with few, scattered, shallow punctures, tergites 3–9 densely micro punctured, surface dull. Body covered with golden pubescence,

Male – Unknown.

Material examined – Holotype female, India, Sikkim, Rongli , 800m, 15.v.2010, collected by

Muzamil Ahmad.

Distribution – India (Sikkim).

Diagnosis – This species runs close to A. weii sp. n. but can be distinguished from the latter by the mesonotal middle lobe entirely fuscoferruginous (only lateral margins in A. weii ); mesoscutellum fuscoferruginous except the posterior and lateral sides which are blackish (mesoscutellum entirely fuscoferruginous in A. weii ); postocellar area longer than broad as 1.5:1.0, with distinct medial longitudinal furrow in its anterior ¾ (postocellar area longer than broad as 2.7:2.0 with distinct medial longitudinal carina in its anterior 3/ 4 in A. weii ); clypeus subrectangularly to roundly incised up to 1/3 of its medial length (clypeus rectangularly incised up to ½ of its medial length in A. weii ); tarsal claw with subapical tooth shorter than apical one (tarsal claw with subapical tooth almost equal to apical one in A. weii ).

Etymology – The species is named after Dr. D. R. SMITH of USNM, an established signature in the field of sawfly systematics.

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