Dolichurus sahyadriensis Anagha and Girish Kumar sp. nov.

(Figs. 8–22)

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Diagnosis. Dolichurus sahyadriensis is closely related to D. silvicola and females of D. sahyadriensis and D. silvicola are difficult to distinguish. Male and female D. sahyadriensis are characterised by having a distinct anterior bordering transverse carina on pronotal collar (Figs. 12 and 19) (in D. silvicola, distinct anterior bordering transverse carina absent). Male D. sahyadriensis have anterior half of T1 and T2 with punctures mostly separated by more than the diameter of a puncture (Fig. 15) (in D. silvicola, anterior half of T1 and T2 with punctures mostly separated by less than the diameter of a puncture). Both sexes of D. sahyadriensis also resemble D. albifacies but can be distinguished by following characteristics: both sexes of D. sahyadriensis have anterior bordering transverse carina on pronotal collar (in D. albifacies, anterior bordering transverse carina absent); clypeus black, without white markings (in D. albifacies, clypeus black, with white markings). The female D. sahyadriensis has black long macrosetae present on clypeus, frons, pronotum and scutellum (in D. albifacies, black long macrosetae absent on clypeus, frons, pronotum and scutellum); mesopleuron areolate rugulose postero-dorsally (Fig. 20) (in D. albifacies, mesopleuron with scattered fine punctures).

Description. MALE (Figs. 8–15). Head. rounded in frontal view, vertex slightly arched above eyes; clypeus hairy, clypeal lobe convex, with median carina, lobe emarginated on either side ending in a weak rounded angle; head 1.97× as wide as IOD at anterior ocellus; ocelli forming low triangle; POL 2.33× LOL and 0.66× OOL; frontal platform broader than long with apical margin sinuous, sides parallel, surface smooth with scattered punctures; most of frons with rugulose reticulations, usually with a frontal line forming carina (Fig. 9); vertex shiny with scattered punctures; F1 0.54× combined length of F2 and F3.

Mesosoma . Pronotal collar with distinct anterior bordering transverse carina (Fig. 12), dorso–lateral tubercle raised, median pronotal groove shallow, lateral pronotal surface anteriorly with a carina, rest of surface smooth with scattered fine setaceous punctures; scutum with scattered small setaceous punctures; notauli deeply impressed; scutellum with similar sculptures as on mesoscutum; metanotum with setaceous punctures; mesopleuron smooth with scattered small setaceous punctures except on ventral posterior portion along mesopleural suture, where several punctures are confluent in short rows (Fig. 13); sternaulus present; propodeum areolate, with certain number of longitudinal or oblique and varying number of transverse carina or rugulae, posterior surface irregularly rugose, propodeal sides with irregular rugulae that partly diminishes antero–medially.

Metasoma. Apical third of T1 and T2 without coarse punctation, punctures on T3 closer than T1 and T2 (Fig. 15).

Color. Body black; apical half of mandible, and tegula brownish, tibial apical spurs white to light brown, flagellomeres dark brown, dorso-lateral elevation of pronotal collar and apical margin of fontal platform white, a spot anteriorly on tegula translucent, fore wings evenly and slightly infumated.

Vestiture. Whitish vestiture mostly decumbent on clypeus, between antennal sockets and posterior internal margins of eyes, erect on frons, vertex and mesosoma, short and decumbent on anterior half of T1 and T2, and all of T3.

BL. 5.5 mm.

FEMALE (Figs. 16–22). Head. rounded in frontal view, vertex slightly arched above eyes; clypeus convex with weak median carina on its basal third; head 2.57× as wide as IOD at anterior ocellus; ocelli forming low triangle; POL 1.02× LOL and 0.36× OOL; frontal platform longer than broad, apical margin sinuous, sides parallel, surface with irregular weak wrinkles and punctures; eyes converging above; frons with scattered punctures and frontal line forming carina (Fig. 17); vertex glossy with scattered fine pits; F1 0.61× combined length of F2 and F3.

Mesosoma . Pronotal collar with distinct anterior bordering transverse carina (Fig. 19), dorsally with close small setaceous punctures, dorso-lateral tubercles low and rounded, median pronotal groove shallow; scutum with slightly larger setaceous punctures separated by about diameter of a puncture, scutellum with sparse small punctures; mesopleuron (Fig. 20) areolate rugulose postero-dorsally with antero-ventrally smooth and bare area, ventrally with scattered setaceous punctures; sternaulus distinctly foveolate on mesopleuron; dorsal surface of propodeum with Ushaped enclosure bearing complete or several incomplete longitudinal and few oblique carina or rugulae, propodeal sides with a extensively area smooth, few rugulae above and posteriorly.

Metasoma. T2–T5 latero–apically and T2 and T3 basally with row of close tiny setaceous punctures (Fig. 22).

Color. Mostly black; mandible brownish subapically and black apically with sub basal ivory spot (on tegument); tegula, tibial apical spurs and tarsi brownish, fore wing evenly and slightly infumated.

Vestiture. Black macrosetae on mandible, clypeus, frons, pronotum, scutum and scutellum. Whitish vestiture mostly decumbent between posterior internal margins of eyes, and clypeus, suberect on vertex, almost reclined on mesosoma, short and decumbent on sides and apex of T2–T5 and base of T2 and T3.

BL. 6.2 mm.

Type material. Holotype ♂, INDIA: Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram district, Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve, Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary, Pattankulichappara (8°37’24.24’’N, 77°8’8.52’’E), 20.i.2019, Coll. P. Girish Kumar, ZSI/WGRC/I.R.–INV.13582 . Paratypes: 1 ♂ and 1♀, same as holotype, ZSI/WGRC/I.R.– INV.13583 and 13584.

Distribution. India: Kerala.

Etymology. The species name is derived from ‘Sahyadri’ the vernacular name for Western Ghats where the types were collected.