Yelicones elaeodendronicus Gupta, 2024

Gupta, Ankita, Pattar, Rohit, Hemanth Kumar, H. M. & Sushil, S. N., 2024, A taxonomic revision of the genus Yelicones Cameron (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from India with description of two new species, Zootaxa 5512 (1), pp. 35-52 : 41-45

II. Yelicones elaeodendronicus Gupta sp. nov.

( Figs 6–8 )

Holotype, male (antennae partially missing); INDIA: Bangalore , 18.xi.1957, CIBC-BS, ex Pyralid caterpillar on Elaeodendron glaucum (Rottb.) Pers . Paratype, one male, same data as holotype. Deposited in ICAR-NBAIR ( NIM), Bengaluru, India .

Description (holotype). Length of body 7.55 mm ( Fig. 6 ), length of fore wing 6.34 mm. Antenna broken (17 antennomeres intact). First flagellomere 1.2 × as long as F2 and F3, respectively; first flagellomere 1.93 × as long as wide; second flagellomere 1.6 × as long as wide; third flagellomere 1.54 × as long as wide; height of clypeus: inter-tentorial distance: tentorio-ocular distance (relative) = 16.4: 60: 21.4. Tentorial pits 2.8 × as far from each other as to nearest point of eye. Clypeus sparsely punctate; face mostly deeply transverse rugose striate ( Fig. 7A ) with mid-longitudinal carina present throughout the face but not reaching upto clypeus; inner eye margin adjacent to antennal socket weakly indented; height of eye: width of face: width of head (relative) = 9.0: 10.7: 17; length of face 0.55 × width of face; temple region densely setose. Head in dorsal view transverse, 1.6 × as wide as long, eye 1.45 × as long as temple; post-ocellar length (POL): transverse diameter of posterior ocellus: shortest distance between posterior ocellus and eye (OOL) = 0.74: 1.93: 3.5; with complete occipital carina; OOL 4.7 × POL. Vertex ( Fig. 7B ) areolate-rugulose on sides, rugose transverse striate in ad-petiolar region. Antennal sockets in depression with transverse striations.

Mesosoma areolate-rugulose and setose ( Fig. 7C ), 1.5 × longer than high; mesoscutum with mid-longitudinal carina, posteriorly with prominent longitudinal irregular rugae; notauli present; scuto-scutellar sulcus with 10–11 carinae; scutellum sparsely punctate medially and rugose on sides, setose; mesopleuron rugulose, anteriorly and posteriorly with irregular rugae; mesopleural suture distinctly crenulate; propodeum distinctly aerolate-rugose ( Fig. 7E ).

Fore wing ( Fig. 7D ) (relative measurements): Fore wing 0.84 × as long as body. Length of vein SR1 (bent before reaching apex): 3-SR: r =13.47: 4.77: 4.05; vein 2-SR+M interstitial. Pterostigma 3.4 × as long as wide, vein r arising near middle of pterostigma, subequal to pterostigma width and 0.85 × as long as 3-SR. Lengths of veins 2-SR: 3-SR: r-m =3.5: 4.77: 2.96; lengths of veins 2-SR+M: 2-M: m-cu = 3.6: 7.0: 4.45; lengths of veins 2-CU1: 1-CU1 7.3: 4.1, 2-CU1 1.8 × as long as 1-CU1; 2-SR 0.73 × as long as 3-SR; SR1 2.8 × as long as 3-SR. Hind wing (relative measurements): lengths of veins 1-rm: SC+R1 = 6.94: 1.72; veins 2+SC+R not distinct; vein SR reduced distally, 2m-cu directed towards wing base; marginal cell, basal cell and base of wing evenly setose; marginal cell of hind wing not strongly expanded at basal quarter.

Length of fore femur: tibia: tarsus = 0.83: 1.4: 0.9; fore femur 1.9 × longer than maximally deep; fore tibia with mid-longitudinal ridge. Hind femur 3.0 × longer than maximally deep; lengths of hind femur: tibia: basitarsus = 1.3: 1.6: 0.54; hind basitarsus 2.1 × longer than maximally deep.

Metasomal tergites moderately setose; first metasomal tergite coarsely longitudinally striate with mid longitudinal carina terminating before apical margin ( Fig. 7F ), 1.2 × longer than wide, anteriorly with smooth triangle formed by uniting dorsal carinae in anterior one-third; second metasomal tergite largely punctate, coarse and sparse striations in anterior one-third, 2.8 × wider than medially long, with triangle anteriorly followed by median ridge; second suture distinct, little convex; third metasomal tergite 3.8 × wider than long, punctate ( Fig. 8B ); metasomal tergites 4–7 with sparse punctations.

Colour: Body largely yellowish brown; antenna yellowish brown (scape with dark brown edges); eyes black; mandibular tip, inter-ocellar region, prescutellar furrow and axilla dark brownish-black; brown infuscation near occiput; mesoscutum anterio-medially, anterio-laterally and posterio-laterally yellowish brown, rest dark brown (in ‘H’ shaped impression); mesopleuron dark brown above posterior region; propodeum yellowish brown; wings infuscate; fourth tergite with black coloration in anterior two-third regions; six and seven tergites with dark brown band.

Comments. Yelicones elaeodendronicus sp. nov. comes nearest to Y. koreanus Papp, 1985 in having similar round shaped and non-constricted temple and first tergite about as long as wide however differs in having OOL 4.73 × POL (vs 1.9–2 × in Y. koreanus ); tentorial pits 2.8 × as far from each other as to nearest point of eye (vs 2 × in Y. koreanus ); r 0.85 × 3-SR (vs equal); SR1 distinctly bent before reaching apex (vs curved in Y. koreanus ); second tergite anterior one third with coarse striations, posterior two-third and following tergites punctate (vs anterior two-third with finer though denser striations than of first tergite, remaining T2 and T2 onwards polished in Y. koreanus ).

Yelicones elaeodendronicus sp. nov. can be separated from Y. belokobylskiji Quicke, Chishti and Chen, 1997 in having face mostly deeply transverse rugose striate (vs punctations of face not merging into transverse striations in Y. belokobylskiji ); pterostigma uniformly pale yellow (vs distinctly bicolorous in Y. belokobylskiji ); T2 with basal triangular area punctate (vs smooth in Y. belokobylskiji ).

Biology. Reared from a pyralid caterpillar ( Lepidoptera : Pyralidae ) ( Fig. 9 ) feeding on the host plant Elaeodendron glaucum (Rottb.) Pers.

Etymology. The species epithet ‘ elaeodendronicus ’ is derived from the host plant genus Elaeodendron on which the caterpillar was feeding before mummification.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Yelicones elaeodendronicus sp. nov. (holotype, habitus, dorsal view).

FIGURE 7. Yelicones elaeodendronicus sp. nov. (male) A. Head in anterior view; B. Vertex in dorsal view; C. Mesoscutum; D. Wings; E. Propodeum; F. First tergite.

FIGURE 8. Yelicones elaeodendronicus sp. nov. A. Head and mesosoma in lateral view; B. Metasoma in dorsal view.

FIGURE 9. Mummified host of Y. elaeodendronicus sp. nov.