Stictomischus sahyadriensis Surya & Sureshan, 2024

Surya, Kolencheri Suresh & Sureshan, Pavittu Meethal, 2024, Two new species and a new generic record of Pteromalidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) from Western Ghats, India, Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics 10 (2), pp. 195-205 : 200-202

Stictomischus sahyadriensis Surya & Sureshan sp. nov. ( Figs 3A–H)

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:7F663A7C-7DAB-47BD-B8B1-F1E8D3ED6AA0

Type material. Holotype ♀, mounted on triangular card, deposited at ZSIK. India: Kerala, Pathanamthitta district, Gavi (9°25'45"N, 77°08'52"E, 1036 m a.s.l.), 10.iv.2013, Coll. P. M. Sureshan, ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/ WGRC /IR/INV.9061.

Etymology. The species name is derived from “Sahyadri”, the vernacular name for the Western Ghats mountain ranges.

Diagnosis. This species closely resembles S. gangtokicus ( Narendran, 2011) in having gaster brown; antenna inserted in middle of face; clava longer than preceding two segments combined and in general morphology but differs from the same in having: 1) Body bright metallic green ( Fig. 3A) (in S. gangtokicus body black with metallic greenish blue lustre); 2) vertex with long bristles ( Fig. 3C) (in S. gangtoticus , vertex without long bristles); 3) clypeus smooth (in S. gangtoticus , clypeus weakly reticulate); 4) POL 1.25×OOL ( Fig. 3C) (in S. gangtokicus POL 1.54×OOL); 5) fore wing 2.3× as long as broad ( Fig. 3C) (in S. gangtoticus , fore wing 1.3× as long as broad); 6) SMV 2.2×PMV ( Fig. 3G) (in S. gangtoticus, SMV 1.3×PMV); 7) prepectus shorter than tegula ( Fig. 3F) (in S. gangtoticus , prepectus as long as tegula). The new species S. sahyadriensis sp. nov differs from the other Indian species S. turneri in having: 1) body bright metallic green ( Fig. 3A) (in S. turneri body bright metallic blue); 2) mesoscutum with mid lobe moderately reticulate ( Fig. 3E) (in S. turneri mesoscutum with mid lobe punctate reticulate); 3) prepectus shorter than tegula ( Fig. 3F) (in S. turneri prepectus as long as tegula) and 4) SMV 2.2× PMV ( Fig. 3G) (in S. turneri SMV 1.7× PMV). Stictomischus sahyadriensis sp. nov. is also reported from higher elevations from forest patches belonging to the Western Ghats. Stictomischus sahyadriensis sp. nov. also resembles S. japonicus Kamijo, 1960 in general body colouration, abdominal petiole longer than propodeum, thorax arched in profile and Gt 1 more than half of gaster but differs in: 1) petiole 1.8× as broad as long ( Fig. 3H) (in S. japonicus petiole 1.5× as broad as long); 2) speculum narrow ( Fig. 3G) (in S. japonicus speculum absent); 3) scape 1.2× long as fu 1 and fu 2 combined ( Fig. 3D) (in S. japonicus scape as long as fu 1 and fu 2 combined), 4) funicles with three or four rows of sensillae ( Fig. 3D) (in S. japonicus funicles with two rows of sensillae) and 5) PMV 2× STV (PMV 2.2× STV) ( Fig. 3H).

Description. Holotype ♀. Body length 1.85 mm, length of forewing 1.88 mm.

Colour. Body bright metallic green, except for gaster brown, with bluish lustre; antennae brown, except scape testaceous; mesepisternum black; tegulae brown; legs testaceous with tips of tarsi brown, coxae concolorous with thorax; wings hyaline, venation brown.

Head. In frontal view ( Fig. 3B) head width 1.3× length, moderately reticulate; clypeus smooth, shiny, left mandible tridentate and right mandible tetradentate; POL 1.26× OOL; face moderately reticulate; malar groove distinct; gena engraved reticulate; malar space 0.24× as long as eye length in lateral view ( Fig. 3D); eyes bare, eye height 1.5× width in profile view; vertex reticulate; occipital carina absent; scrobal area deep, not reaching median ocellus; antennae ( Figs 3B, 3D, 3F) inserted in middle of the face, with two anelli, six funiculars, clava with three clavomeres, scape not reaching median ocellus, 1.2× as long as first two funiculars combined; pedicel 1.4× as long as broad, 0.52× fu 1 0.77× longer than fu 2, fu 2 0.85× fu 3; clava 1.2× longer than last two preceding segments combined, funiculars with three or four rows of long white irregularly arranged sensilla.

Mesosoma ( Fig. 3E). Mesosoma 0.74× as broad as long dorsally; pronotum moderately reticulate with backwardly directed long pubescence; mesoscutum 1.6× as broad as long; mid lobe moderately reticulate, lateral lobes and axillae engraved reticulate; notauli complete; mesoscutellum engraved reticulate, 0.8× as broad as long; frenum present, frenal groove distinct; dorsellum broad and shiny; propodeum 3× as broad as long medially, engraved reticulate, median carina distinct; spiracles oval, close to metanotum; post spiracular groove reaching posterior margin; callus with long white pubescence; prepectus shorter than tegula, engraved reticulate with sharp anterior carina; nucha short; upper and lower mesepimeron, smooth except for a narrow reticulate punctate area; mesepisternum reticulate punctate; metapleuron engraved reticulate ( Fig. 3F); legs slender, hind tibia with one spur; hind coxa moderately reticulate; fore wing ( Fig. 3G) 2.35× as long as broad, discal pubescence dense, speculum very narrow, basal cell bare, basal vein with few hairs, marginal fringe moderately long; stigma conspicuously enlarged; uncus distinct, discal pubescence dense; relative lengths of SMV, MV, PMV and STV in the ratio 76:35:52:25.

Metasoma ( Fig. 3H). Gaster petiolate; metasoma 0.82× as long as combined lengths of head and mesosoma; petiole 1.85× longer than broad, with anteriorly converging sides, reticulate punctate, 3.45× length of gaster; Gt 1 and Gt 2 covering most of gaster; Gt 1 0.53× length of gaster; Gt 2 1.8× as long as Gt 2; remaining tergites strongly retracted; ovipositor and ovipositor sheath slightly exerted.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. India: Kerala.