Baeus vichitra 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 : 910-912

Baeus vichitra Veenakumari , sp. n. ( Figure 37 (a–d))

http://www.zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:4CB12297-EF78-4D6E-9D69-6691986D6A12

Holotype. Female; body length = 0.95 mm; n = 1

Colour ( Figure 37 (a–d)). Head and metasoma black; mesonotum blackish brown; hyperoccipital carina black; mesoscutellum with a yellow line on posterior margin; A1–A3 dark

brown, A4–A6 paler than preceding antennomeres, clava basally yellowish brown remain- der brown; legs brownish yellowish.

Head ( Figure 37 (a–d)). Head 1.16× as wide as high; IOS 0.38× width of head and 0.84× eye length; eye (L: W = 17.9:13.1) setose, not touching hyperoccipital carina posteriorly; head height 1.83× eye length; POL>LOL in ratio of 16.7:11.2; lateral ocellus contiguous with orbit; distance between posterior margin of lateral ocellus and hyperoccipital carina 0.46× MOD; pilosity of moderate density, setae of medium length, shorter than those on mesonotum and metasoma; interantennal process triangular, weakly rugose; central keel short, reaching 0.32× distance from interantennal process to median ocellus; facial striae long, extending 0.78× the length between mandibular end and lower orbit; malar striae distinct; frons adjacent to central keel finely vertically reticulate followed by semicircular reticulations; frons above central keel and vertex reticulate; gena finely reticulate, 4.13× as long as wide; anterior margin of gena in contact with 0.62× length of ventral margin of eye; length of A1 0.84× that of clava; length of A2 0.44× that of A1.

Mesosoma ( Figure 37 (a,d)). Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum 0.58× and 0.28× as long as wide, respectively; mesoscutum and mesoscutellum coriaceous reticulate; metascutellum not visible; propodeum plicate dorsally, 0.48× length of mesoscutellum medially; pilosity of moderate density, setae of medium length; lateral pronotal area imbricatereticulate in dorsal half with weak striations antero-medially, remainder vertically reticulate except for smooth region posteriorly; 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 terminate above the dorsal level of metapleuron; ventral one third of mesopleuron imbricate-reticulate, remainder smooth; mesopleuron extending as a short, sharp, projection ventrally; mesopleural pit not distinct; metapleuron smooth with ventral half carinate; posterior suture of metapleuron straight, not curving dorsally towards mesopleuron; dorsal level of posterior metapleural suture ventral to level of antero-lateral margin of T 2; sculpturing of propodeum anterior and posterior to spiracle carinate; region ventral to spiracle with an oblique carina supporting two transverse carinae posteriorly; remainder of lateral propodeum with three transverse carinae in ventral half; propodeal spiracular opening round.

Metasoma ( Figure 37 (a,d)). Metasoma as long as wide; pilosity of moderate density, setae of medium length; T 2 anteriorly coriaceous reticulate, posteriorly smooth; remaining tergites smooth.

Material examined. Holotype: Female ( ICAR / NBAIR / P3283 ), INDIA: Tamil Nadu: Kodaikanal, Shenbaganur , 10 ° 14 ʹ 01 ʹ ’ N 77 ° 30 ʹ 47 ʹ ’E, 1865 m, YPT, 02.IV.2014.

Etymology. This species is named after the beautiful Vichitra, one of the 36 Yakshinis or nature spirits in Hindu mythology. The name is treated as a noun in apposition.

Diagnosis. B. vichitra sp. n. is closer to B. flaviscapus sp. n. Diagnosis is mentioned under the latter.

Figures

Figure 37. Baeus vichitra sp. n. (a) Habitus (dorsal view); (b) Antenna; (c) Frons; (d) Habitus (lateral view).