Carinadelius medicus Ranjith & van Achterberg sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 14CAFC1F-18D8-4E5C-A0E8-F4B957764516

Material examined. Holotype, female, “ INDIA: Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, JNTBGRI, 06.i.2020, sweep net, coll. Ranjith, A.P. ” . Paratypes: 2 females with same data as holotype, except 07.i.2020, 2 males with same collection data except 08.i.2020 (DZUC) .

Description, holotype, female. Body length 4.0 mm, fore wing 3.2 mm

Head. Head 1.2 × as wide as long in anterior view and dorsal view. Face smooth setose (Fig. 1B), 1.5 × as wide as long. Ratio of height of clypeus: intertentorial distance: tentorio-ocular distance = 1: 2.1: 1.3. Length of malar space 1.6 × basal width of mandible. Length of eye 1.4 × as long as temple in dorsal view. Frons, vertex and occiput smooth, setose except frons with a shallow depression medially (Fig. 1C). Ratio of POL: transverse diameter of ocellus: OOL = 1.1: 1: 2.6. Antenna as long as body. Scape 1.5 × as long as maximum width. Pedicel as long as wide. Third antennomere 1.1 × as long as fourth antennomere. Third, fourth and terminal antennomeres 1.9, 1.7 and 2.1 × as long as maximum width respectively.

Mesosoma. Mesosoma 1.9 × as long as high. Scutellar sulcus divided by 11 crenulae (Fig. 1D). Propodeal areola 1.9 × as long as maximum width.

Wings. Fore wing 1.1 × as long as maximum width. Pterostigma 2.7 × as long as wide. Vein 1-R1 as long as pterostigma. Vein m-cu 0.27 × as long as vein 1-M. Vein 2-SR 1.3 × as long as vein r. Vein r 1.2 × as wide as pterostigma.

Legs. Hind femur, tibia and basitarsus 4.0, 4.3 and 5.5 × as long as maximum width, respectively.

Metasoma. Metasoma 0.6 × as long as head and mesosoma combined. Metasomal tergites smooth, sparsely setose (Fig. 2B). Hypopygium acute apically. Ovipositor sheath 0.2 × as long as hind tibia.

Colour. Body yellow to brownish yellow, except scape, pedicel, antennomeres 1–4, maxillary and labial palps, fore and mid legs, hind coxa, trochanter, femur and metasomal tergite 1–3 yellow; eyes, ocelli, antennomeres 5–19, sides and posterior end of scutellum, pterostigma, wing membrane below pterostigma, junction of fore wing veins 1-M, Cu1 and cu-a, hind femur apically, hind tibia in apical 2/3 rd, basitarsus, claw and metasomal tergites 4–6 brown.

Etymology. Named after Friedrich Kasimir Medikus (1738–1808), a German physician and botanist. We dedicate this species with gratitude to all doctors and nurses for their timeless and uncompromising efforts to control COVID-19.

Male. Same as female, except for slenderer antenna.

Distribution. India (Kerala).

Biology. Unknown.