Xiphogramma hayati, Khan & Ahmad & Anis & Dawah, 2018

Khan, Mohd Talib, Ahmad, Syed Kamran, Anis, Shoeba Binte & Dawah, Hassan Ali, 2018, A new species of Xiphogramma Nowicki (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) from Saudi Arabia, Zootaxa 4410 (2), pp. 393-396 : 394-396

Xiphogramma hayati sp. nov. ( Figs 1–7 )

Description. Female. Holotype. Length, 0.92 mm (excluding exserted ovipositor sheath, 0.43); (paratypes, 0.92–0.97 mm). Head with frontovertex, scrobe, gena and occiput yellowish to pale brown. Mandible brown. Antenna dark brown except ventral scape pale brown. Mesosoma yellowish. Fore wing hyaline, slightly infuscate below venation but with dark brown patch below stigmal vein; hind wing hyaline. Legs uniformly yellow to light brown. Gaster mostly yellowish except TI laterally with brown patches, two brown bands from across TIII and TIV, and a large dark brown spot at junction of posterior TV and anterior TVI of gaster; ovipositor sheaths dark brown.

Head, in frontal view, broader than high (11:9) ( Fig. 1 ). Mandible tridentate ( Fig. 2 ). Antenna ( Fig. 5 ) with scape 4.8 × as long as broad; pedicel cylindrical, 2.5 × as long as broad; 2 anellus present, second anellus short, closely adpressed to F1; funicle two-segmented (F1 and F2), 3.18 × as long as broad; F1 slightly longer than F2 and F1 and F2 with one PLS; clava unsegmented, 2.48 × as long as broad and with 5 PLS. Relative measurements (holotype, card): head dorsal length, 6; head frontal width, 11; head height, 9. Antennal segments, length (width) (slide, at 400×): scape, 48 (10); pedicel, 30 (12); funicle 35 (11); F1 and F2, 18:16; clava, 67 (27).

Mesosoma ( Figs 6, 7 ). Pronotal collar with two pairs of setae, one pair at anterolateral corner, longer, and other near mid dorsal line posteriorly; mid lobe of mesoscutum with 4 setae; each side lobe, one seta; axilla with one seta; scutellum with 4 setae; propodeum on each side anterior to spiracle with one seta; mesopleuron with one short seta; mid lobe of mesoscutum with faint elongate-reticulate sculpture, cells closely placed medially; scutellum with sculpture similar to that of mid lobe of mesoscutum; propodeum slightly angular posteriorly and distinctly longer than metanotum. Fore wing ( Fig. 4 ) 2.42 × as long as broad; disc densely setose, setae not arranged in rows except a few linear tracks basally which become obsolescent apically; marginal vein broad at apex, twice longer than premarginal vein; marginal vein with 3 strong setae and premarginal vein with 2 long and strong setae, marginal fringe very short; hind wing with three rows of setae and a few more setae dispersed in between. Relative measurements (holotype, slide, at 400×): length of mesosoma, 129; median length of metanotum, 6; median length of propodeum, 14; fore wing, length (width), 340 (140); submarginal vein, 67; marginal vein 52; premarginal vein, 25; stigmal vein, 7; marginal fringe of fore wing, 9; hind wing, length (width), 256 (23); marginal fringe of hind wing, 23; length hind tibia, 116.

Metasoma. Gaster longer than mesosoma, (260:120); hypopygium reaching apex of gaster; ovipositor long, extending from metanotum and strongly exserted, exserted part 1.38× of gaster. Relative measurements (holotype, slide, at 400×): length of gaster, 260; length of ovipositor, 460. (Ovipositor 3.96 × as long as hind tibia.).

Male. Unknown.

Material examined. Holotype ♀ (on slide) ( ZDAMU, registration No. HYM.CH. 726) SAUDI ARABIA: NAJRAN; Al–Shurfa, Saleh Maqbol farm, 17.ix.2014, coll. HA Dawah. Paratypes: 34 ♀ ♀ (2 on slides), with same data as holotype . SAUDI ARABIA: JAZAN: Sabya, Basahy Farm, Mango Farm , 05.viii.2014, coll. HA Dawah (4 females) ; JAZAN: Sabya, Al–Sunef Mango Farm , 20.ix.2014, coll. HA Dawah (1 female) ( ZDAMU; registration No. HYM. CH. 726).

Host. Unknown.

Distribution. Saudi Arabia (Najran, Jazan).

Comments. This new species is similar to X. anneckei Doutt (1975) , but differs from it by the head broader than high; malar space, mesoscutum, scutellum and mesopleura uniformly yellowish; fore wing with marginal vein broader at apex, twice longer than premarginal vein and with a dark brown patch below the stigmal vein. In X. anneckei the head is as broad as high; malar space brown; anterior half of mesoscutum and scutellum pale brown, thoracic pleurae edged with dark brown; marginal vein normal, not widened at apex. See also key to species given above.

Etymology. The species is named after the eminent taxonomist Dr. Mohammad Hayat, who made significant contributions to the taxonomy of Indian Encyrtidae and other chalcidoid groups.

Figures

FIGURES 1–7. Xiphogramma hayati sp. nov. female: 1, head; 2, mandible; 3, habitus; 4, fore wing; 5, antenna; 6, mid lobe of mesoscutumand scutellum; 7, mesosoma.