Tuberidelus indicus Gupta & Pattar, 2025

Gupta, Ankita, Pattar, Rohit & Ajaykumara, K. M., 2025, First report of two Braconidae genera Chrysopophthorus Goidanich and Tuberidelus Chen & van Achterberg (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) with description of two new species from India, Zootaxa 5642 (5), pp. 485-492 : 489-492

Tuberidelus indicus Gupta & Pattar sp. nov.

( Figs 4–6 )

Material examined: Holotype: female on card; India: Karnataka: Doddaballapura; 09.x.2023; ex dried wood logs of Senna siamea (Lam.) Irwin et Barneby infested with indeterminate Coleoptera and Ceratina sp. ( Apidae ); coll. R. Pattar; Code-NIM/NBAIR/Brac/Tub/091023-H ( NIM) .

Description. Holotype, female ( Fig. 4 ), length of body 4.35 mm, fore wing 2.7 mm.

Head. Width of head in dorsal view 2.3 × its length ( Fig. 5B ); 15 antennomeres, antenna shorter than combined length of head and mesosoma (0.85 ×), shorter than fore wing (0.7 ×), length of third antennomere 1.3 × fourth antennomere ( Fig. 5D ), length of third, fourth and penultimate antennomeres 2.7, 2.1 and 2.0 × their width, respectively; occipital carina present, shortly interrupted medio-dorsally, angular in dorsal view; OOL:OD:POL = 24:7:19; eyes large, length of eye in dorsal view 1.9 × temple; temple distinctly narrowed behind eyes; vertex narrow dorsally; temple and vertex punctate; frons wide, distinct longitudinal striations in between toruli, largely flat; face distinctly rugose punctate rugulose; inter-tentorial line 2.8 × tentorial-ocular line; clypeus small, slightly convex, largely smooth; length of malar space 0.3 × basal width of mandible.

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.7 × its height; mesosoma entirely and densely reticulate-punctate ( Fig. 5C ).

Wings. Fore wing ( Fig. 6E ): length of vein 1-R1 0.4 × length of pterostigma; r:2-SR: SRl+3-SR = 2:26:56; 1-CU1:2-CU1 = 9:24. Hind wing: lr-m:2-SC+R = 20:25. Legs. Hind coxa smooth; length of hind femur, tibia and basitarsus 3.5, 11.4 and 10.6 × their width, respectively; length of hind tibial spurs 0.32 and 0.28 × hind basitarsus.

Metasoma. Length of first tergite 2.3 × its apical width ( Fig. 6B ), its surface basally distinctly longitudinally punctate-rugose, subapically punctate, and apically smooth; length of ovipositor sheath 0.32 × fore wing, and subequal to first tergite.

Colour. Head reddish brown; eyes, ocellar region, mesosoma, metasoma, ovipositor sheath black; mandible tip dark brown; tegulae dark brown; antenna black, scape pedicel yellowish brown; coxa, middle and hind femora dark brown to black; wing membrane sub-hyaline, pterostigma dark brown; vein C+SC+R of fore wing brownish.

Male: Unknown.

Comments. This species differs from the only known species T. flavicephalus Chen & van Achterberg, 1997 in having antenna about 0.85 × combined length of head and mesosoma (subequal in T. flavicephalus ), length of third, fourth and penultimate antennomeres 2.7, 2.1 and 2.0 × their width (3.3, 2.7 and 2.7 × their width in T. flavicephalus ); length of eye in dorsal view 1.9 × temple (2.7 × in T. flavicephalus ); frons with distinct longitudinal striations in between toruli (rugose punctate in T. flavicephalus ); intertentorial line 2.8 × tentorial-ocular line (3.2 × in T. flavicephalus )

Etymology. The species name is derived from the country “ INDIA ” from where it was collected.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Tuberidelus indicus Gupta & Pattar sp. nov. Female, holotype, habitus, lateral view.

FIGURE 5. Tuberidelus indicus Gupta & Pattar sp. nov. Female, holotype.A. Head in frontal view; B. Head in dorsal view; C. Head (in part) and mesosoma in dorsal view; D. Antenna; E. Mesosoma in lateral view.

FIGURE 6. Tuberidelus indicus Gupta & Pattar sp. nov. Female, holotype. A. Propodeum; B. First metasomal tergite; C. Metasoma in lateral view; D. Metasoma in dorsal view; E. Wings.