Platygaster neostriatitergitis Veenakumari and Buhl, 2013, 2023

Anjana, M., Rajmohana, K. & Saleem, U. K. A., 2023, New records and new host associations of genus Platygaster Latreille (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) from India, Records of the Zoological Survey of India 123 (1), pp. 21-26 : 23-24

2. Platygaster neostriatitergitis Veenakumari and Buhl, 2013 ( Figure 2 )

Platygaster neostriatitergitis Veenakumari, Buhl, and Mohanraj, 2013: 896 . Original description, diagnosis.

Description: Female. Body length 1.05 mm; Black, coxae brownish black; legs brown, hind femur dark brown, A1 yellowish, A2 and A3 brown, tegula brown, antennal clava dark brown.

Head: 1.49 × as wide as long in dorsal view; 1.7 × as wide as mesosoma; eyes bare; vertex beneath posterior ocelli reticulate; IOS 1.08 × eye height; eye height 2.64 × as long as temples; frons reticulate; strong curved ridges above toruli, POL 1.48 × OOL; LOL 1.04 × OOL; OOL 1.87 × OD; scape 7.04 X as long as wide; length to width ratio of antennomeres being: 0.34: 0.05, 0.09: 0.03, 0.05: 0.03, 0.08: 0.04, 0.08: 0.04, 0.09: 0.04, 0.09: 0.05, 0.08: 0.05, 0.08: 0.05, 0.12: 0.05 respectively.

Mesosoma: 1.77 × as long as wide; mesoscutum convex, 1.7 × as long as wide; epomial carina well developed, notauli reaching anterior lateral margin of mesoscutum, mesoscutum convex, lateral pronotal area smooth, internotular area reticulate, scutellum globose with short blunt protrusions, 1.24 × as wide as long; mesopleuron smooth; metapleuron with white setae. Forewings hyaline with scattered microtrichia at apex, 3 × as long as wide, with short marginal cilia.

Metasoma: Spindle shaped, 4.93 × as long as wide; T 1 with lateral setae, T 2 striate laterally, smooth medially, T 3- T 6 longitudinally striate; length to width ratio of metasomal tergites T 1- T 6 being: 0.19: 0.28; 0.89: 0.44; 0.21: 0.37; 0.34: 0.25; 0.37: 0.19; 0.18: 0.12 respectively.

Host: Unknown

Distribution: India: Karnataka ( Veenakumari and Buhl, 2013)

Specimens examined: f. INDIA: Kerala, Ponmudi, Trivandrum ; 12.xii.2015; Coll. Anjana; on card; Reg No. ZSI/ WGRC /IR.INV.5154; 2 f. INDIA: Kerala, Mullaperiyar, Idukki ; 16.iv.2013; Coll. Rajmohana; on card; Reg. No. ZSI/ WGRC /IR.INV.5334; f . INDIA: Kerala, Mullaperiyar, Idukki ; 16.iv.2013; Coll. Abhilash; on card; Reg. No. ZSI/ WGRC /IR.INV.4146; f . INDIA: Kerala, Anjuruli, Idukki ; 09.iv.2013; Coll. Rajmohana; on card; Reg. No. ZSI/ WGRC /IR.INV.4556; f . INDIA: Kerala, Kakkayam , Kozhikode; 29.iv.2012; Coll. Rajmohana; on card; Reg. No. ZSI/ WGRC /IR.INV.4557; f . INDIA: Kerala, Pandipath, Trivandrum ; 15.xii.2015; Coll. Rajmohana; on card; Reg. No. ZSI/ WGRC /IR.INV.5198; f . INDIA: Kerala, Pandimotta, Kollam ; 17.xii.2015; Coll. Rajmohana; on card; Reg. No. ZSI/ WGRC /IR.INV.5199; f . INDIA: Kerala, Parepally, Changanassery, Kottayam; 13.iii.2015; Coll. Anjana; on card; Reg. No. ZSI / WGRC / IR.INV.5714; f. INDIA: Kerala, Pekkavu, Pathanamthitta ; 23.i.2014; Coll. Bijoy; on card; Reg. No. ZSI/ WGRC / IR.INV.4555 .

Discussion: Veenakumari et al. (2013) described Platygaster neostriatitergites from South India, based on male specimens. The female of P. neostriatitergitis Veenakumari and Buhl is described for the first time. The female is very similar to the male, in body colour and all taxonomic characters except in body size and measurements of sexually dimorphic structures like antennal segments. Also, metasoma was found more elongate in female compared to male.

II. New host plant associations

Figures

Figure 2. Platygaster neostriatitergitis Veenakumari and Buhl sp. nov. (Female). A. Habitus B. Head font view C. Mesosoma lateral view D. Antenna E. Mesosoma dorsal view F. Head dorsal view G. Metasoma dorsal view H. Forewing.