Megachalcis sp.

Binoy, C., Nasser, M. & Santhosh, S., 2022, The Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot: the example of Chalcididae (Hymenoptera) with the description of a new species of Phasgonophora Westwood and a review of the regional species, Journal of Natural History 56 (41 - 44), pp. 1627-1655 : 1647-1649

Megachalcis sp.

( Figures 12 , 13a–h , 14a–d )

Material examined

♂, India: Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram district, Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary (8.530°N, 77.152° E; alt. 93 m), 17 January 2019, Coll . P . Girish Kumar.

Recognition

Antenna attached at lower margin of clypeus ( Figure 13d ); scrobal margin distinctly carinate, forming sharp, conspicuously produced angle in front of eye; postorbital carina distinct, slightly obsolete at genotemporal margin ( Figure 13a ); two short projections over POL ( Figure 13b ); pronotum subquadrate; scutellum with a tuft of golden yellow setae; hind coxa with dorsobasal protuberance or tooth; hind femur ventrally with 9–10 teeth, basal one sharp and large ( Figure 14a ); mesosoma with raised rasp-like sculpture in profile ( Figure 13g ); dorsally with large irregular and smooth variably sized areola ( Figure 13f ); Gt1 with basal ridge and fovea, dorsum shiny red with scattered pits anteriorly, posterior 1/3rd coarsely pitted; Gt2–Gt4 distinctly pitted, two rows of well-impressed pits, pits on Gt 5 in 3– 4 rows, punctures becoming larger posteriorly ( Figure 14c, d ); Gt6 coarsely punctate with six rows of large punctures, spiracle rounded, prominent, peritreme forming distinct ring; syntergum distinctly pitted ( Figure 14d ).

Description

♂ Body length 3.58 mm; length of fore wing 2.91 mm.

Colour. Body black with the following parts variably coloured: eyes and ocelli reflective golden, scape and pedicel dark brown, flagellar segments dark brown to paler brown, with clava dark brown ventro-apically, mandible red-brown with teeth black, tegula dark brown, wing hyaline with dark brown veins; all coxae black, trochanters dark brown, fore and mid femora and tibia red-brown with apex paler, with golden yellow setae ventroapically, hind coxa brown-black with apex red, hind trochanter red-brown, hind femur brown-black, hind tibia black with apex red-brown, all tarsi testaceous to pale brown, metasoma red-brown, apical terga more black, sterna similarly coloured.

Setation. Pubescence on head arising from punctures, stout bristle-like and golden yellow on upper face, sparse and white on lower face; mesosoma with very sparse pubescence, tuft of golden setae below axilla; propodeum with dense, golden yellow setae; legs with short, moderately dense golden yellow to brown setae; metasoma with scattered pubescence laterally.

Head. Head as wide as mesosoma in dorsal view, coarsely rugose-punctate; OOL 1.8× POL, 2.4× OD; occiput longitudinally rugate ( Figure 13e ); in frontal view, head 1.5× as wide as long, rugose punctate with large shiny setigerous areola; preorbital carina feebly indicated; scrobal margin distinctly carinate, scrobal margin prominently angulate in profile in front of eye, scrobal surface smooth, maximum width 0.6× median interocular width, scrobe occupying median ocellus; interantennal projection regularly punctate, 0.3× as long as scrobe ( Figure 13c, d ); mandible bidentate ( Figure 13d ); scape not attaining median ocellus; pedicel long, 3.4× as long as fu1; anelli indicated; clava 3-segmented; genotemporal margin reflexed, carinate; post-orbital carina distinct, branching and reaching lateral ocelli along the occiput ( Figure 13a ); relative length of scape, pedicel, anellus, funiculars and clava = 6.3:1.5:0.5:0.5:1.4:1.4:1.1:1.0:1.2:1.1:1.1:2.8.

Mesosoma. Pronotum quadrate, 3.0× as wide as long, with varyingly sized areola, anteriorly small becoming large posteriorly, margins conspicuously carinate, posterior margin of pronotum more or less straight; mesoscutum with irregular variable sized punctures, anteriorly small, becoming large posteriorly, margins carinate; 2.2× as wide as long; scutellum small, 1.5× as wide as long with irregular lozenge-shaped areola, basad of axillae with prominent tuft of golden yellow setae, apical margin of scutellum emarginated ( Figure 13f ); lateral lobe of pronotum transversely strigose; meso and metapleura with similar sculpturing to that of thoracic notum ( Figure 13g ); propodeum gradually declining onto metasoma, with dense golden yellow setae along the costula, spiracles horizontal, bean-shaped and well exposed, lateral teeth distinct ( Figure 13h ).

Legs. Hind coxa ventrally finely rugose with setigerous punctures, dorsally somewhat smooth with tooth-like projection basally; hind femur deep with inner and outer surfaces, shiny, finely punctate with moderately dense golden yellow setae dorsally, ventrally with 11 teeth, basal one largest and sculptured; hind tibia pitted ( Figure 14a ).

Wings. Hyaline with veins deep brown; fore wing with PMV 2.6× MV, MV 1.86× STV; Rs vein obsoletely marked; lamina faintly setose ( Figure 14b ).

Metasoma. Metasoma longer than mesosoma (1.1×), Gt1 0.6× length of remaining tergites combined, with basal ridge and fovea, dorsum shiny red with scattered pits anteriorly, posterior 1/3rd coarsely pitted; Gt2–Gt4 distinctly pitted, subequal, with two rows of well impressed pits, pits on Gt 5 in 3–4 rows, punctures becoming larger posteriorly; Gt6 coarsely punctate with six rows of large punctures, spiracle rounded, prominent, peritreme forming distinct ring; syntergum distinctly pitted ( Figure 14c, d ).

Female

Unknown.

Figures

Figure 12. ♂ Megachalcis sp.

Figure 13. Megachalcis sp. ♂. (a) Head and antenna, lateral view; (b) postocellar distance with frontal projections, enlarged view; (c) head, frontal view; (d) lower face and clypeus, frontal view; (e) head, dorsal view; (f) mesosoma, dorsal view; (g) mesosoma, lateral view; (h) propodeum.

Figure 14. Megachalcis sp. ♂. (a) Hind leg; (b) fore wing; (c) metasoma, dorsal view; (d) metasoma, lateral view.