Baeus tripurasundari 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 : 903-905

Baeus tripurasundari Veenakumari , sp. n. ( Figure 34 (a–e))

http://www.zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:36B90CD4-176B-4B70-8607-55D92C323D5A

Holotype. Female; body length = 0.64 (0.61–0.70) mm; n = 8

Colour ( Figure 34 (a)). Head, mesonotum and metasoma honey brown; hyperoccipital carina black; mesoscutum and mesoscutellum with a black band on posterior margins; A1 and A2 brown, remaining antennomeres yellowish brown; legs yellowish brown with black markings.

Head ( Figure 34 (a–e)). Head 1.22 (1.18–1.25)× as wide as high; IOS 0.53 (0.49–0.55)× width of head and 1.31 (1.28–1.33)× eye length; eye (L: W = 11.0:7.6) setose, not touching hyperoccipital carina posteriorly; head height 1.90 (1.78–1.98)× eye length; POL>LOL in ratio of 16.9:10.2; posterior ocelli away from orbits, OOL 0.15 (0.13–0.17)× MOD; distance between posterior margin of lateral ocellus and hyperoccipital carina 0.66 (0.65–0.69)× 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; facial striae long, extending 0.61 (0.58–0.63)× the length from mandibular end to lower orbit; malar striae absent; frons with weak semicircular striae except for smooth medial region; upper frons and vertex smooth; gena smooth, with a single costa on postero-ventral margin, 2.93 (2.81–3.0)× as long as wide; anterior margin of gena in contact with 0.42 (0.40–0.46)× length of ventral margin of eye; length of A here1 subequal to that of clava; length of A2 0.47 (0.45–- 0.49)× that of A1.

Mesosoma ( Figure 34 (a,c,e)). Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum 0.45 (0.41–0.49)× and 0.17 (0.16–0.18)× as long as wide, respectively; mesoscutum anteriorly imbricate and posteriorly smooth; mesoscutellum weakly reticulate to smooth; metascutellum not visible; propodeum smooth dorsally, 0.53 (0.51–0.56)× length of mesoscutellum medially; pilosity of moderate density, setae of medium length; antero-lateral margin of mesoscutellum with a fovea; lateral pronotal area dorsally imbricate, anteromedially weakly vertically striate, remainder smooth; postero-dorsal margin of lateral pronotal area with two short, weak projections; ventral margin of lateral pronotal area extending as a short blunt projection; transverse carinae on dorsal mesopleuron terminate above the level of dorsal metapleuron; mesopleuron ventrally weakly striate-reticulate followed by semicircular and oblique carinae, remainder smooth; mesopleuron extending as a short projection ventrally; mesopleural pit small; metapleuron predominantly smooth, except for shallow depression posteroventrally; posterior suture of metapleuron almost straight, gently bending dorsally towards mesopleuron; dorsal level of posterior metapleural suture above the level of antero-lateral margin of T 2; sculpturing of propodeum anterior to spiracle with two transverse short carinae; region posterior to spiracle smooth with a transverse carina; region ventral to spiracle with an oblique carina enclosing a short median carina with a seta on it; remainder of lateral propodeum smooth; propodeal spiracular opening round.

Metasoma ( Figure 34 (a,c,e)). Metasoma 0.86 (0.81–0.91)× 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 / P3599 ), INDIA: Tripura: Agartala, Tripura University ( TU), 23 ° 76 ʹ 28 ʹ ’ N 91 ° 26 ʹ 33 ʹ ’E, 17 m, YPT, 03.III.2016 ; Paratypes: 36 females ( ICAR / NBAIR / P3600 – P3618 , P3626 – P3640 , P3645 – P3646 ), same data as holotype, 03–10 .III .2016; 8 females ( ICAR / NBAIR / P3619 – P3625 , P3649 ), Tripura: Dhuptali Kukibari , 23 ° 40 ʹ 37 ʹ ’ N 91 ° 44 ʹ 37 ʹ ’E, 42 m, YPT, 08 .III .2016; 6 females ( ICAR / NBAIR / P3641 – P3644 , P3647 – P3648 ), same as holotype, PFT, 09 .III .2016.

Etymology. This species is named after the Hindu goddess Tripurasundari, the most beautiful in all the three worlds, after whom the state of Tripura – from where the type specimens were collected – takes its name. The name is treated as a noun in apposition.

Diagnosis. This species is closer to B. nbairus sp. n. and diagnosis is mentioned under the latter.

Figures

Figure 34. Baeus tripurasundari sp. n. (a) Habitus (colour); (b) Frons; (c) Habitus; (d) Antenna; (e) Habitus (lateral view).