Baeus giganteus 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 : 853-857

Baeus giganteus Veenakumari , sp. n. ( Figure 13 (a–e))

http://www.zoobank. org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:584490B2-C533-4095-8727-41F14D03D536

Holotype. Female; body length = 0.96 (0.89–1.02) mm; n = 2

Colour ( Figure 13 (a)). Head, mesonotum and metasoma black except brownish black mesoscutellum with a blue line on posterior margin; hyperoccipital carina black; antenna honey brown except A2 darker than other antennomeres, A1 with yellow apical marking, clava dorsally yellow; legs brownish black.

Head ( Figure 13 (a–e)). Head 1.13 (1.10–1.15)× as wide as high; IOS short, 0.38 (0.36–- 0.39)× width of head, 0.83 (0.8–0.85)× eye length; eye large (L: W = 18.7:15.2), setose, touching hyperoccipital carina posteriorly; head height 1.98 (1.85–2.13)× eye length; POL>LOL in ratio of 21.7:14.4; distance between posterior margin of lateral ocellus from hyperoccipital carina 0.43 (0.41–0.45)× MOD; pilosity dense, setae of medium length, shorter than those on mesonotum and metasoma; interantennal process triangular, pointed, rugose; central keel long, reaching 0.77 (0.74–0.79)× distance to median ocellus; facial striae very long extending up to lower orbit; orbital carina extending ventrally below the dorsal level of facial striae; malar striae distinct; frons adjacent to central keel smooth followed by longitudinal reticulations; upper frons finely reticulate; vertex smooth; gena smooth, ventrally weakly striate, with short costae on posterior margin, 4.08 (4.0–4.16)× as long as wide; anterior margin of gena in contact with 0.63 (0.61–0.65)× length of ventral margin of eye; length of A1 0.88 (0.85–0.92)× that of clava; length of A2 0.43 (0.40–0.45)× that of A1.

Mesosoma ( Figure 13 (a,b,d)). Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum 0.57 (0.52–0.61)× and 0.24 (0.21–0.26)× as long as wide, respectively; mesoscutum and mesoscutellum finely imbricate; metascutellum not visible; propodeum smooth dorsally, narrow, 0.3 (0.26–0.33)× length of mesoscutellum medially; pilosity dense, setae of medium length; dorso-lateral pronotum extending laterally as a broad spine; lateral pronotal area dorsally imbricate, with transverse carinae postero-dorsally, striate-reticulate antero-medially, remainder smooth except for sparse transverse carinae ventrally; 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 extend below the dorsal level of metapleuron; mesopleuron ventrally coriaceous reticulate followed by a few uneven carinae, remainder smooth; mesopleuron extending as a short projection ventrally; mesopleural pit not distinct; metapleuron predominantly smooth, except for wavy carina ventrally; posterior suture of metapleuron almost straight but the basal curve, gently bending dorsally towards mesopleuron; metapleural pit elongate; dorsal level of posterior metapleural suture ventral to level of antero-lateral margin of T 2; sculpturing of propodeum anterior to spiracle transversely carinate; region posterior to spiracle predominantly smooth; region ventral to spiracle with a crescent shaped carina; remainder of lateral propodeum smooth except for two short transverse carinae antero-ventrally; propodeal spiracular opening big, round, with margins raised, cone-like.

Metasoma ( Figure 13 (a,b,d)). Length and width of metasoma subequal; pilosity dense, setae of medium length; T 2 anteriorly finely imbricate, posteriorly smooth; remaining tergites smooth.

Material examined. Holotype: Female ( ICAR / NBAIR / P3408 ), INDIA: Meghalaya, Umiam, ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region , 25 ° 40 ʹ 52 ʹ ’ N 91 ° 54 ʹ 56 ʹ ’E, 970 m, YPT, 21.XII.2013 ; Paratypes: 1 female ( ICAR / NBAIR /P3409), same as holotype; 1 female ( ICAR / NBAIR /

P3410), Rajasthan: Udaipur, Badagaon , KVK, 24 ° 38 ʹ 11 ʹ ’ N 73 ° 40 ʹ 48 ʹ ’ E, 178 m, MT, 29 . IX .2016.

Etymology. The species name ‘giganteus’ refers to the relatively large size of the wasp. The name is treated as an adjective.

Diagnosis. B. giganteus sp. n. is closer to B. tilottama sp. n. In B. giganteus sp. n. posterior ocellus is closer to hyperoccipital carina, dorsal level of posterior metapleural suture ventral to the level of antero-lateral margin of T2, pilosity dense and region ventral to propodeal spiracle with a crescent shaped carina; whereas in B. tilottama sp. n. posterior ocellus is further away from hyperoccipital carina, dorsal level of posterior metapleural suture above the level of antero-lateral margin of T2, pilosity of moderate density and region ventral to propodeal spiracle with an oblique carina.

Figures

Figure 13. Baeus giganteus sp. n. (a) Habitus (colour); (b) Habitus; (c) Frons, OC- orbital carina; (d) Habitus (lateral view); (e) Antenna.