Baeus tumburu 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 : 906-908

Baeus tumburu Veenakumari , sp. n. ( Figure 35 (a–e))

http://www.zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D7930424-A319-436B-88F2-1FEBC5BB4A53

Holotype. Female; body length = 0.58 (0.54–0.63) mm; n = 7

Colour ( Figure 35 (a)). Head, mesonotum and metasoma dark brown, except for paler mesoscutellum and propodeum; hyperoccipital carina black; posterior margins of mesoscutum and mesoscutellum with a black band; antenna brown except darker A1–A2; legs yellow with patches of brown.

Head ( Figure 35 (a–e)). Head 1.14 (1.08–1.16)× as wide as high; IOS 0.53 (0.52–0.56)× width of head and 1.10 (1.06–1.12)× eye length; eye small (L: W = 10.6:8.2) densely setose, not touching hyperoccipital carina posteriorly; head height 1.81 (1.76–1.85)× eye length; POL>LOL in ratio of 14.0:9.3; lateral ocellus away from orbits, OOL 0.16 (0.15–0.18)× MOD; distance between posterior margin of lateral ocellus and hyperoccipital carina 0.40 (0.- 39–0.42)× MOD; pilosity of moderate density, setae of medium length, shorter than those on mesonotum and metasoma; interantennal process triangular, rugose; central keel not distinct; weak rugae present along imaginary central keel; facial striae long, extending 0.76 (0.68–0.82)× the length from mandibular end to lower orbit; malar striae sparse; frons adjacent to central keel with semicircular striae; upper frons weakly imbricate, vertex smooth; gena weakly reticulate, 4.05 (3.92–4.15)× as long as wide, with costae posteroventrally; anterior margin of gena in contact with 0.64 (0.63–0.67)× length of ventral margin of eye; length of A1 0.90 (0.87–0.93)× that of clava; length of A2 0.43 (0.41–0.46)× that of A1.

Mesosoma ( Figure 35 (a,b,e)). Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum 0.52 (0.48–0.58)× and 0.17 (0.15–0.18)× as long as wide, respectively; mesoscutum and mesoscutellum imbricate; metascutellum not visible; propodeum dorsally smooth, 0.22 (0.20–0.25)× length of mesoscutellum medially; pilosity of moderate density, setae of medium length; anterolateral margin of mesoscutellum with a weak fovea; lateral pronotal area dorsally irregularly foveate, remainder smooth except for sparse weak vertical striae antero-medially; postero-dorsal margin of lateral pronotal area with two weak projections; ventral margin of lateral pronotal area truncate, not extending as a blunt projection; dorsal mesopleuron with uneven transverse carinae terminating above the dorsal level of metapleuron; mesopleuron ventrally with shallow uneven foveae, followed by semicircular carinae, remainder smooth; mesopleuron extending as a short, narrow, projection ventrally; mesopleural pit small; metapleuron smooth with shallow foveae ventrally; posterior suture of metapleuron curved medially, dorsally not bending towards mesopleuron; dorsal level of posterior metapleural suture ventral to level of antero-lateral margin of T 2; sculpturing of propodeum anterior to spiracle with a ‘C’ shaped and a short transverse carinae, region posterior to spiracle smooth with a short transverse carina; region ventral to spiracle with an obliquely wavy carina supporting a transverse carina medially; remain- der of lateral propodeum smooth with a transverse carina antero-ventrally; propodeal spiracular opening tear-drop shaped.

Metasoma ( Figure 35 (a,b,e)). Length and width of metasoma subequal; pilosity sparse, setae of medium length; T 2 predominantly reticulate; remaining tergites smooth.

Material examined. Holotype: Female ( ICAR / NBAIR / P3564 ), INDIA: Kerala: Thiruvananthapuram; Vellayani , 8 ° 43 ʹ 50 ʹ ’N 76 ° 99 ʹ 14 ʹ ’E, 11 m, YPT, 22.XI.2015 ; Paratypes: 22 females ( ICAR / NBAIR / P3565 – P3586 ), same data as holotype; 1 female ( ICAR / NBAIR / P3587 ), Tamil Nadu: Madurai: Agriculture College and Research Institute , 9 ° 58 ʹ 05 ʹ ’ N 78 ° 12 ʹ 13 ʹ ’E, 145 m, YPT, 18 .XI .2015.

Etymology. This species is named after the Gandharva (celestial musician in Hindu mythology) Tumburu. The name is treated as a noun in apposition.

Diagnosis. B. tumburu sp. n. is closer to B. rachanae sp. n. but differs from it in the following character states. In B. tumburu sp. n. frons with weak semicircular striae, gena weakly reticulate, posterior metapleural suture curving medially, mesopleural pit small, ventral margin of lateral pronotal area truncate and does not extend as a blunt projection and ventral metapleuron sculptured; whereas in B. rachanae sp. n. frons and gena smooth, posterior metapleural suture almost straight, mesopleural pit elongate, ventral margin of lateral pronotal area extending as a blunt projection and ventral metapleuron smooth.

Figures

Figure 35. Baeus tumburu sp. n. (a) Habitus (colour); (b) Habitus; (c) Antenna; (d) Frons; (e) Habitus (lateral view).