38. Tiphia (Tiphia) shajii Hanima & Girish Kumar sp. nov.

(Figs 496–508)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 0B9D306B-2647-46DA-99E7-7B983507E9C4

Type material. Holotype, ♂, INDIA: Kerala, Kozhikode district, Manipuram (11°24′45″N & 75°56′20″E, 61m), 16.v.2019, Coll. C. Binoy, (ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.18086 . Paratypes: 2♂ same collection data as that of holotype, (ZSIK) Regd. Nos. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.18087–18088; 1♂, Wayanad district, Muthanga, Machikudi (11°40′24″N & 76°17′21″N, 913 m), 19.ii.2021, Coll. K.A. Subramanian & Party, (ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI / WGRC / IR/INV.18911 .

Diagnosis. Dorsal side of propodeum transversely rugose; Gs 5 without orifice beneath edge of lateral denticle; Gs 6 with short, sparse setae; mandible without preapical denticle; Gt 1 without anterior transverse carina; fore wing with marginal cell distinctly less than second cubital cell in apical extension; tegula translucent; areola with basal width 2 × its apical width, median length 2 × its apical width.

Description. Holotype, ♂. Body length 8.7 mm. Paratypes, ♂. Body Length 7.2–8.4 mm.

Colour. Black with tegula amber translucent with basal portion black (Fig. 500); wings slightly yellowish infumate (Fig. 503).

Head. Head coarsely and adjacently punctate at lower frontal area except below anterior ocellus and upper frontal area with sparsely arranged punctures (Fig. 497); HW 1.96 × least distance between eyes; mandible without preapical denticle (Fig. 498); clypeus with its median extension very slightly emarginated; clypeal disk with minute punctures basally and remaining portion with coarse contiguous punctures (Fig. 498); POD 2.2 × LOD and 1.03 × OOD; scape shiny, with coarse setigerous punctures, pedicel basally with deep punctures and other flagellomeres with thick setae (Fig. 502); length of scape: pedicel: Fu 1: Fu 2: Fu 3: Fu 4: Fu 5: Fu 6: Fu 7: Fu 8: Fu 9: Fu 10: Fu 11 = 0.307: 0.129: 0.193: 0.198: 0.205: 0.205: 0.206: 0.204: 0.209: 0.208: 0.203: 0.192: 0.322 (Fig. 502).

Mesosoma. Dorsal side of pronotum anteriorly with obscurely ridged carina, most of the area with punctures and posteriorly (except lateral corner) with impunctate area (Fig. 500); lateral side of pronotum with distinct transdiscal groove, aciculations above the groove and ridges below the groove (Fig. 501); length of tegula 1.39× as long as its middle width (Fig. 500); mesoscutum with its notauli not connected to anteriomedian escarpment, most punctures sparsely placed (Fig. 500); scutellum with irregular sparse punctures (Fig. 500); metanotum mixed with large and small scattered punctures (Fig. 500); dorsal side of propodeum including areola coarsely rugose (Fig. 500); mesopleuron with coarse punctures (Fig. 501); lateral side of propodeum with oblique rugulae (Fig. 501); posterior side of propodeum strongly rugulose reticulate; fore wing with marginal cell distinctly less in apical extension than second cubital cell (Fig. 503). Length of mesosoma: 2.60 mm.

Metasoma. All tergites smooth and shiny with punctures (Fig. 504); Gt 1 without anterior transverse carina (Fig. 504); Gs 5 with tooth like projected denticle (Fig. 505); Gs 6 with short, sparse setae (Fig. 505). Length of metasoma: 4.50 mm.

Genitalia. Paramere shaped like spatula and covered with long and short setae; digitus basally broad and curved at apex; cuspis with punctures and setae and with a beak like apical part; aedeagus with rounded apical portion (Figs 506–508).

Female. Unknown.

Discussion. As per the key of Allen 1975, this new species comes close to T. (T.) madrasa Allen in having dorsal side of propodeum entirely and deeply transversely rugose; Gs 5 without orifice beneath edge of lateral denticle; Gs 6 with short, sparse setae; mandible without preapical denticle; Gt 1 without anterior transverse carina but this new species distinctly differs from T. (T.) madrasa in the following characters: fore wing with marginal cell distinctly less than second cubital cell in apical extension (in T. (T.) madrasa, fore wing with marginal cell greatly longer than second cubital cell in apical extension); tegula mostly orange brown colored without shagreened sculpture (in T. (T.) madrasa, tegula black with broadly shagreened sculpture); areola with basal width 2 × apical width and median length 2 × apical width (in T. (T.) madrasa, areola with basal width and median length only slightly longer than apical width).

Distribution. India: Kerala.

Etymology. The species is named in honor of Dr. C.P. Shaji for his dedication to the study of natural history and taxonomy of Indian freshwater fishes.