Calotelea malabarica (Narendran & Ramesh Babu, 1999) comb. nov.

Fig. 5, Table 1

Calliscelio malabaricus Narendran & Ramesh Babu, 1999: 2, 9 (original description, keyed).

Diagnosis

Female

Head black; mesosoma and metasoma till T3 reddish brown; T3 medially yellowish brown; T4 onwards brownish black to black; mesoscutum medially with obscure reddish brown longitudinal patches; horn on T1 black; fore wing without transverse band. Head coriaceous, with moderately dense setigerous punctate; dorsal mesosoma with coriaceous leathery sculpture throughout; lateral ocelli nearly contiguous with orbits; gena striate; skaphion present; scutoscutellar sulcus foveolate; posterior scutellar sulcus complete, foveolate; metascutellar lamina transparent, longitudinally striate, but, margined anteriorly by a row of minute fovea, posterior margin with distinct concave notch medially. Metasoma narrow, elongate, 5.5× as long as its maximum width; T1 with strong longitudinal striae; T2–T4 with longitudinal striolae, interspersed with dense reticulations; T5 and T6 mat.

The following combination of characters serves to distinguish C. malabarica (Narendran & Ramesh Babu, 1999) comb. nov. from the rest of the Oriental species: head with moderately dense setigerous punctate, metascutellar lamina longitudinally striate and with a deep medial notch, metasoma very elongate (5.5 × as long as wide), T1–T4 longitudinally striate.

Type material

Holotype INDIA • ♀; Kerala, Malappuram, Chandakunnu; 24 Apr 1989; Narendran and party leg.; card mounted; ZSI/WGRC/IR.INV.1337.

Remarks

This generic transfer is based on the study of the holotype. Even the original description (Narendran & Ramesh Babu, 1999) stating “lower frons and gena with radiating carinae from the distal tip of the malar groove; skaphion slightly indicated”, supports the new placement of the species under Calotelea .