1. Tiphia (Tiphia) bijui Hanima & Girish Kumar sp. nov.

(Figs 1–10)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 2B96FC47-2E76-46B1-B4AB-6057A4881788

Type material. Holotype, ♀, INDIA: Kerala, Kozhikode district, Sarovaram Biopark (11°16′6.96″N & 75°47′33.72″E, 6 m), 25.x.2019, Coll. K.P. Hanima Raveendran & Party, (ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI / WGRC /IR/ INV.18387 . Paratypes: 8♀, (ZSIK) Regd. Nos. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.18388–18395, same collection locality as that of holotype. 1♀, Goa, North Goa district, Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary (15°26′23″N & 74°06′33″E, 196 m), 16.v.2018, Coll. P. Girish Kumar & Party, (ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.18440 . 1♀, Karnataka, Chikmagalur district, Bygoor, Kabbinhalli Coffee Estate (13°19′34″N & 75°42′40″E, 1137 m), 26.xii.2019, Coll. P. Girish Kumar & Party, (ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.18472 ; 6♀, Kodagu district, Bettathur (12°24′29″N & 75°39′40″E, 1194 m), 23.xii.2019, Coll. P. Girish Kumar & Party, (ZSIK) Regd. Nos. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.18460–18465 ; 4♀, Kodagu district, Bettathur near Madikeri (12°51′24.516″N & 77°51′20.952″E), 24.xii.2019, Coll. P. Girish Kumar & Party, (ZSIK) Regd. Nos. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.18466–18469 ; 4♀, Shimoga district, Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary, Hulikal FRH (13°43′45″N & 75°01′08″E, 579 m), 5.ix.2021, 6.ix.2021, Coll. V. D. Hegde & Party, (ZSIK) Regd. Nos. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.19328 & 19329, 19147 & 19148 ; 2♀, Shimoga district, Agumbe (13°30′14″N & 75°05′18″E, 681 m), 27.xii.2019, Coll. P. Girish Kumar & Party, (ZSIK) Regd. Nos. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.18470 & 18471 ; 1♀, Shimoga district, Hosagadde, near Kudajadri (13°51′45″N & 74°52′0″E, 1130 m), 29.xii.2019, Coll. P. Girish Kumar & Party, (ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.18473 ; 1♀, Shimoga district, Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary, Yadooru (16°34′31″N & 74°39′31″E, 537 m), 6.ix.2021, Coll. V. D. Hegde & Party, (ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.19149 ; 1♀, Shimoga district, Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary, Udupi district, Beedikeri (14°15′13″N & 74°26′43″E, 4 m), 2.ix.2021, Coll. V. D.Hegde & Party, (ZSIK) Regd.No. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.19150 . 2♀, Kerala, Idukki district, Chinnar, Kootaram (10°18′22″N & 77°12′24″E, 596 m), 28.xi.2018, Coll. M. Jafer Palot & Party, (ZSIK) Regd. Nos. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.18410 & 18411 ; 1♀, Idukki district, Kulamavu (9°47′31.2″N & 76°53′11.4″E, 724 m), 24.vi.2019, Coll. Tessy Rajan, (ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.18428 ; 1♀, Kannur district, Kannapuram (11°58′04″N & 75°19′08″E, 7 m), 3.iii.2019, Coll. C. Charesh, (ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI / WGRC / IR/INV.18419 ; 1♀, Kannur district, Keezhara (12°00′11″N & 75°19′44″E, 4 m), 2.iii.2016, Coll. K.M. Rajesh, (ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.18424 ; 1♀, Kottayam district, Pala, Cherpunkal (9°41′05″N & 76°38′18″E, 22 m), 26.xii.2019, Coll. Tessy Rajan, (ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.18429 ; 1♀, Kottayam district, Pala, Paika, Urulikunnam (9°38′37″N & 76°42′37″E, 52 m), 20.i.2021, Coll. Tessy Rajan, (ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI / WGRC / IR/INV.18430 ; 3♀, Kozhikode district, Kakkadampoyil (11°20′10″N & 76°06′36″N, 672 m), 24.v.2019, Coll. P.M. Sureshan & Party, (ZSIK) Regd. Nos. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.18400–18402 ; 4♀, Kozhikode district, Vilakottur (11°45′22″N & 75°39′06″E, 34m), 3.vi.2021, Coll. K.P. Hanima Raveendran, (ZSIK) Regd. Nos. ZSI / WGRC /IR/ INV.18412–18415 ; 1♀, Kozhikode district, Nanminda (11°25′15″N & 75°49′53″E, 46 m), 16.x.2017, Coll. P. Girish Kumar, (ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.18416 ; 1♀, Kozhikode district, East Hill (11°17′22″N & 75°46′25″E, 16 m), 25.iii.2015, Coll. P.M. Sureshan, (ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.18417 ; 1♀, Kozhikode district, Kakkavayal (11°38′48″N & 76°08′26″E, 778 m), 19.xi.2018, Coll. A. P. Ranjith, (ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI / WGRC /IR/ INV.18418 ; 1♀, Kozhikode district, Kovoor (11°16′14.16″N & 75°49′52.32″E, 31 m), 19.xii.2018, Coll. P. Girish Kumar, (ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.18422 ; 1♀, Kozhikode district, Chengottukaavu (11°25′20.64″N & 11°25′20.64″N, 17 m), 30.iv.2019, Coll. C. Binoy, (ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.18423 ; 1♀, Kozhikode district, Edakkara (11°21′ 41.4″N & 76°35′24.72″E), 17.v.2019, Coll. K.P. Hanima Raveendran, (ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.19327 ; 1♀, Kozhikode district, Kakkadampoyil (11°20′10″N & 76°06′36″N, 672 m), 4.i.2022, Coll. V. D. Hegde & Party, (ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.20034 ; 1♀, Kozhikode district, Madappally (11°38′48″N & 75°34′13″E, 28 m), 7.ii.2020, Coll. S. Anagha, (ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.18425 ; 2♀, Kozhikode district, Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kakkayam (11°33′27″N & 75°54′41″E, 543 m), 11.iii.2019, Coll. S. Anagha, (ZSIK) Regd. Nos. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.18403 & 18404 ; 1♀, Kozhikode district, Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kakkayam dam site (11°33′27″N & 75°54′41″E, 543 m), 10.i.2021, Coll. Tessy Rajan, (ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.18431 ; 1♀, Kozhikode district, Purameri (11°40′18″N & 75°37′46″E, 33 m), 22.iv.2019, Coll. K.P. Hanima Raveendran, (ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.18432 ; 4♀, Kozhikode district, Purameri (11°40′18″N & 75°37′46″E, 33 m), 24.x.2020, 25.x.2020, 15.xii.2020, 04.iv.2021, Coll. K.P. Hanima Raveendran, (ZSIK) Regd. Nos. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.18433–18436 ; 1♀, Malappuram district, Kerala Forest Research Iinsitute Campus, Nilambur (11°18′0.36″N & 76°15′1.44″E, 48 m), 29.ii.2020, Coll. Tessy Rajan & Party, (ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.18427 ; 2♀, Pathanamthitta district, Kochupampa, Goodrical range (9°15′53.12″N & 76°47′13.34″E, 1036 m), 1.xi.2021, Coll. P.M. Sureshan & Party, (ZSIK) Regd. Nos. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.19370 & 19371 ; 4♀, Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala University (8°30′11.52″N & 76°56′50.28″E, 34 m), 28.ix.2019, Coll. K.P. Hanima Raveendran & Party, (ZSIK) Regd. Nos. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.18396–18399 ; 2♀, Thiruvananthapuram district, Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve, Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kothiram (8°39′45″N & 77°09′00″E, 125 m), 17.i.2019, Coll. P. Girish Kumar, (ZSIK) Regd. Nos. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.18405 & 18406 ; 1♀, Thiruvananthapuram district, Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve, Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kaalippara, near temple side (8°31′35″N & 77°08′32″E, 168 m), 17.i.2019, Coll. P. Girish Kumar & Party, (ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.20433 ; 1♀, Thiruvananthapuram district, Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve, Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary, Pattankulichapara (8°37′22″N & 77°08′07″E, 135 m), 20.i.2019, Coll. P.Girish Kumar, (ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.18407 ; 1♀, Thiruvananthapuram district, Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve, Ponmudi (8°46′32″N & 77°13′39″E, 1268 m), 18.i.2019, Coll. P. Girish Kumar, (ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.18408 ; 1♀, Thiruvananthapuram district, Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve, Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary, Kanithadam (8°39′45″N & 77°09′00″E, 125 m), 19.i.2019, Coll. P. Girish Kumar, (ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.18409 ; 1♀, Wayanad district, Mangavayal (11°35′02″N & 76°05′35″E, 761 m), 19.x.2016, Coll. P. Girish Kumar, (ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.18420 ; 1♀, Wayanad district, Muthanga (11°40′17″N & 76°22′06″E, 848 m), 28.ii.2021, Coll. K.A. Subramanian & Party (ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.18426 ; 1♀, Wayanad district, Machikudi (11°40′24″N & 76°17′21″N, 913 m), 18.ii.2021, Coll. K.A. Subramanian & Party, (ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.19151 . 14 ♀, Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore district, Valparai (10°19′38″N & 76°57′15″E, 1086 m), 1.i.2019, Coll. P. Girish Kumar, (ZSIK) Regd. Nos. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.18441–18454 ; 1♀, Coimbatore district, Anaikatti (11°06′16″N & 76°46′25″E, 621 m), 4.i.2019, Coll. P. Girish Kumar, (ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI / WGRC /IR/ INV.18457 ; 1♀, Coimbatore district, Kullanadimedu, near Anamalai Tiger Reserve (10°25′23″N & 77°07′32″E, 1048 m), 2.i.2019, Coll. P. Girish Kumar, (ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.18459 ; 1♀, Nilgiris district, Ooty (11°24′51″N & 76°41′25″E, 2241 m), 8.i.2019, Coll. P. Girish Kumar, (ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.18455 ; 1♀, Nilgiris district, Coonoor (11°21′11″N & 76°47′45″E, 1835 m), 7.i.2019, Coll. P. Girish Kumar, (ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.18456 ; 1♀, Tenkasi district, Old Courtallam (10°59′58″N & 76°58′22″E, 414 m), 3.x.2018, Coll.P.Girish Kumar, (ZSIK) Regd.No. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.18458 ; 3♀, Thirunelveli district, Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Kuthiravetti (8°41′18″N & 77°18′33″E, 228 m), 22.viii.2019, Coll. B.H.C.K. Murthy & Party, (ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.20428–20430 ; 1♀, Thirunelveli district, Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Kuthiravetti (8°41′18″N & 77°18′33″E, 228 m), 23.viii.2019, Coll. B.H.C.K. Murthy & Party, (ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.18474 . 1♀, Uttarakhand, Dehradun district, ZSI Campus (30°20′46″N & 78°00′52″E, 682 m), 18.vii.2019, Coll. P. Girish Kumar, (ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.18437 . 4♀, West Bengal, South-24 Parganas district, Sagar Island, Harinbari (21°44′30″N & 88°05′15″E, 6 m), 22.iv.2018, Coll. D. Gosh, (ZSIK) Regd. Nos. ZSI / WGRC /IR/INV.18438–18439, 20431–20432 .

Diagnosis. Dorsal side of pronotum anteriorly with complete carina; lateral side of pronotum with distinct transdiscal groove; metanotum with less number of punctures; propodeal areola tricarinate; carina of propodeal areola margined by crenulations; Gs 2 without anterior transverse carina; hind basitarsus without groove; fore wings brown infumated.

Description. Holotype, ♀. Body length 10.8 mm. Paratypes, ♀. Body length 6.5–11.2 mm.

Colour. Black with the following parts as follows: lower part and outer margin of tegula yellowish brown (Fig. 9), mandible dark brown (Fig. 8).

Head. Head with medium sized punctures concentrated adjacently in lower frontal area and sparsely on upper frontal area (Fig. 8); HW 1.56 × least distance between eyes; POD 2.4 × LOD and 0.73 × OOD; mandible without strong preapical denticle (Fig. 4); clypeus with its median extension nearly straight or very slightly emarginated, basal part of median extension of clypeus imbricate, half of apical part of median extension of clypeus with coarse and dense punctures, extreme apex smooth (Fig.4); scape, pedicel and first flagellomere shiny with punctures, second flagellomere with its apical small region smooth and shiny, other flagellomeres with thick setae (Fig.3); length of scape: pedicel: fu 1: fu 2: fu 3: fu 4: fu 5: fu 6: fu 7: fu 8: fu 9: fu 10 = 0.493: 0.197: 0.204: 0.208: 0.209: 0.209: 0.210: 0.211: 0.211: 0.211: 0.214: 0.388 (Fig. 3).

Mesosoma. Dorsal side of pronotum anteriorly with carina, most of disc with punctures and posterior area with impunctate area (Fig. 9); lateral side of pronotum with distinct transdiscal groove across middle of disc, smooth with faint aciculations above groove and striations below the groove (Fig. 5); length of tegula 1.36 × as long as its middle width (Fig. 9); mesoscutum with its notauli not connected to anteriomedian escarpment, mesoscutum medially with closely placed punctures and sparse punctures in other areas (Fig. 9); scutellum with large punctures on posterior margin and small ones at basal part; metanotum with small, sparsely placed punctures (Fig. 9); dorsal side of propodeum entirely finely imbricate with small scattered punctures, strong submarginal carina on lateral side (Fig. 9); lateral carina of areola convex on basal portion and straight in apical portion, areolar carina with crenulations, length of areola 1.8 × basal width and 2.1 × apical width (Fig. 9); mesopleuron coriaceous punctate with setae; upper part of lateral side of propodeum with uniformely spaced rugulae and lower part smooth (Fig. 5); fore wing brownish infumate (Fig. 10); hind basitarsus without groove on inner surface. Length of mesosoma: 3.5 mm.

Metasoma. All tergites with setigerous punctures, distribution of punctures less in Gt 1 compared to other remaining segments (Fig. 6); pygidium imbricate punctate on more than half of basal portion and smooth on apical part. Length of metasoma: 5.36 mm.

Male. Unknown.

Variations. In some specimens, metanotum with coarse deep punctures; carina of propodeal areola not margined by crenulations.

Discussion. As per the key of Allen (1975), this new species comes close to Tiphia cinchonae Allen in the following features: lateral side of pronotum with a distinct transdiscal groove; dorsal side of propodeum with submarginal carina, hind basitarsus without groove, dorsal pronotum with complete transverse carina, not inflated hind tibia, Gs 2 without anterior transverse carina, and dorsal side of propodeum without longitudinal carina between areola and lateral margin but this new species differs from T. (T.) cinchonae in the following features: wings brown infumated (in T. (T.) cinchonae, wings yellowish hyaline); carina of propodeal areola margined by crenulations (in T. (T.) cinchonae, carina of propodeal areola not margined by crenulations); tegula brownish black (in T. (T.) cinchonae, tegula yellowish orange), and medium-sized (6.5–11.2 mm) species ( T. (T.) cinchonae are small-sized (5.5–6 mm) species).

Distribution. India: Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, West Bengal.

Etymology. The species is named in honor of Mr. T. Biju (Forest watcher at Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary, Kannur, Kerala and former GSDP student of WGRC, ZSI, Kozhikode), who is an expert field assistant and collected various Tiphia specimens for the present study.