Pseudectroma annamalaicus Chaitanya & Manickavasagam, 2016

Krishnachaitanya, T. & Manickavasagam, S., 2016, Description of three new species of Encyrtidae Walker (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) from India, Zootaxa 4085 (2), pp. 285-295 : 286-288

Pseudectroma annamalaicus Chaitanya & Manickavasagam sp. nov.

( Figs 1−6 )

Diagnosis. Female body ( Fig. 1 ) yellowish brown; eye in frontal view 1.6× as high as wide; scape slightly flattened, 2.7× as long as wide; pedicel 1.9× as long as wide; F1 smallest funicular, 1.5× as wide as long; F5 1.8× as wide as long; clava 1.7× as long as broad. Fore wing 2.9× as long as wide; costal cell 15.6× as long as wide; hind wing 5.8× as long as wide; legs with all trochanters, femora and tibiae flat; ovipositor 3.6× as long as mid tibia.

Female. Holotype. Length, 1.9 mm. Female body yellowish brown; head light brownish yellow; antenna dusky brown except clava basally brown; mesosoma with brown setae; forewing infuscate as in ( Fig. 5 ); gaster with venter yellow, dorsum of TI brown across base and TII–TVI each with a distinct brown cross-band; ovipositor sheath brownish yellow.

Head ( Fig. 2 ) in frontal view, 1.1× as wide as high and subprognathous; mandible with two acute teeth; posterior ocellus separated from eye by less than its own diameter; antennal torulus situated below lower margin of eye and 2× as long as wide; eye in frontal view1.6× as high as wide; frontovertex 0.4× head width. Antenna ( Fig. 3 ) with scape slightly flattened, 2.7× as long as wide; pedicel 1.9× as long as wide; funicle segments all transverse, width and length gradually increasing, F1 smallest, 1.5× as wide as long; F5 1.8× as wide as long; clava 1.7× as long as broad; apically more or less round and longer than F1−F5 combined. Relative measurements: (slide mounted @ 400×)—head height:width, 86:99; antennal toruli length:width, 20:10; eye height:width, 37:23; frontovertex width 40; POL 26; OOL 3; OCL 3; AOL 11; scape length:width, 35:13; pedicel length:width, 19:10; funicle length:width, F1, 4:6; F2, 4:7; F3, 4:8; F4, 5:10; F5, 7:13; clava length:width, 35:21.

Mesosoma ( Fig. 4 ) imbricate, 1.6× as long as wide; mesoscutum 1.4× as long as wide, with 35−38 setae; each axilla with 7 setae; scutellum as long as wide, with 28−35 setae. Propodeum with 6−8 setae on each side distad spiracles. Fore wing ( Fig. 5 ) 2.6× as long as wide; costal cell 15.6× as long as wide; stigmal vein long, postmarginal vein absent; hind wing 5.8× as long as wide; legs with all trochanters, femora and tibiae flat. Relative measurements: (card mounted @ 80×)—mesosoma length:width, 18:11; mesoscutum length:width, 15:11; scutellum length:width, 10:10; (slide mounted @ 400×)—fore wing length:width, 225:85; costal cell length:width, 78:5; stigmal vein length 15; hind wing length:width, 151:26; (slide mounted @ 100×)—mid tibia length 15; mid basitarsus length 4; mid tibial spur length 3.

Metasoma longer than mesosoma (24:18); hypopygium extending to apex of gaster; ovipositor ( Fig. 6 ) originating from about level of posterior margin of TI, and ovipositor 3.6× as long as mid tibia. Relative measurements: (card mounted @ 80×)—gaster length 24; (slide mounted @ 100×)—ovipositor length 55.

Material examined. Holotype female (on slide under 5 cover slips) labeled “ INDIA: Tamil Nadu, Chidambaram, Annamalainagar (N11 23; E079 43), 18.vii.2014, Coll. T. Krishnachaitanya & S. Manickavasagam, through yellow pan traps.” ( EDAU, Registration. No. Enc /013/2015).

Paratypes (9 females): 1♀ with same data as holotype (dissected, head and antenna on slide under 2 cover slips, remainder on card); 1♀ with same data as holotype (dissected antenna on slide under 1 cover slip, remainder on card); 7♀ on card, labeled “ INDIA: Tamil Nadu, Vellore (N12 92; E079 13), 05.v.2011, Coll. S. Manickavasagam & A. Rameshkumar, through yellow pan traps ” (8 females in EDAU, Registration No. Enc /013/ 2015; 1 female, on card to be deposited in NBAIR) .

Host. Unknown.

Male. Unknown.

Comments. Females of this species can be easily separated from those of the two other known species, P. samare and P. indicum by the characters given in the key.

Etymology. The species epithet is derived after the type locality, Annamalainagar of Chidambaram.

Figures

FIGURES 1 − 3. Pseudectroma annamalaicus sp. nov., ♀ holotype: 1, lateral habitus; 2, head, frontal view (paratype); 3, antenna (paratype).

FIGURES 4 − 6. Pseudectroma annamalaicus sp. nov., ♀ holotype: 4, dorsolateral view of nota; 5, fore wing; 6, ovipositor.