Athlophorus toongensis, Saini & Ahmad, 2012

Saini, M. & Ahmad, M., 2012, Four New Species Of The Genus Athlophorus Burmeister, 1847 From The Indian Himalayas (Hymenoptera: Symphyta: Tenthredinidae: Allantinae) With A Key To Indian Species, Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 58 (4), pp. 337-350 : 347-348

Athlophorus toongensis sp. n.

( Figs 6, 10, 14 , 18 )

Female. Colour – Head fuscoferruginous, black are: dorsal spot on scape, antennal segments 6–9 entirely; extreme mandibular tip; apical margins and basal ¼ of clypeus; supraclypeal area; broad frontal spot anteriorly continuous with supraclypeal area and posteriorly covering an anterior half of median fovea; a spot on supra-antennal pit extending along supra-antennal furrow up to lateral ocellus laterally not touching eye margins; post-, inter-, and circumocellar furrows; an oblique spot on temple; spot on lower ½ of posterior ½ of hind orbit. Yellowish white are: labrum; clypeus except apical margin and basal ¼ portion; narrow inner and hind orbits. Thorax fuscoferruginous, blackish are: an irregular medial spot on pronotum; mesonotal middle lobe except lateral margins; a broad spot before mesoscutellum; appendage; spot before propodeum; mesepisternum except its posterior margin; mesosternum; meso- and metepimeron except their posterior margins and metasternum. Abdomen fuscoferruginous, black are: propodeum except posteromedial spot; anterior margins of tergite 2 broadened in the middle; anterior 2/3 of tergites 3–5; anterior ¼ of tergites 6–8; broad lateral spot on tergite 9. Yellowish white are: posteromedial spot on propodeum; tergites 2 except narrow anterior margins; tergites 3–9 except their blackish anterior margins; posterior ½ of tergites 8 and 9; sternites 1 and 2 entirely. Legs fuscous, yellowish white are: lateral sides of all coxae; all trochanters and adjoining parts of all femora; anteromedial elongated spots on all femora; basal ¼ of all tibiae; ventral side of protibia. Wings hyaline except an infuscated longitudinal stripe running obliquely from extreme apex of front wing towards its anterior basal corner covering the entire radial cells and most of the all cubital cells; costa and stigma fuscoferruginous, rest of venation piceous.

Structure – Length 8 mm. Antenna slightly incrassated in the middle, 2.2× head width; scape and pedicel twice as long as their apical width; segment 3 longer than 4 as 5:4; clypeus ( Fig. 10 ) roundly incised up to 1/3 of its medial length with roundly pointed lateral teeth; labrum broader than long as 2.5:1.5, with roundly pointed anterior margin; malar space half diameter of median ocellus; LID:IDMO:EL = 5:6:5; frontal area at the level of eyes; supra-antennal tubercles and frontal ridges insignificant; median fovea shallowly indicated in its anterior half with deep pit and posteriorly not reaching median ocellus; post- and interocellar furrows shallowly indicated, circumocellar furrow merely indicated, lateral furrows distinct, excurved and reaching hypothetical hind margin of head; postocellar area longer than broad as 3:2, with distinct medial longitudinal carina in its anterior 3/4; head parallel behind eyes; OOL:POL:OCL = 2.0:1.7:3.0; mesoscutellum elevated into a distinct tip with distinct median longitudinal carina; appendage also carinate; tarsal claw ( Fig. 14 ) with sub apical tooth almost equal to apical one; metabasitarsus slightly longer than the following joints combined; IATS:MB:OATS = 1.7:7.0:1.2. Lancet ( Fig. 6 ) with 20 serrulae.

Sculpture and pubescence – Head with, dense, irregular and confluent punctures, surface sub shining; mesonotum punctured like head, surface shining; mesoscutellum with dense, shallow punctures, surface polished; appendage with dense, minute punctures, surface polished; mesepisternum rugose with large, dense, pit-like confluent punctures; mesosternum with shallow and minute punctures, surface sub shining; propodeum with dense, minute and confluent punctures on its anterior and posterior blackish parts; tergites 2–9 densely micro punctured, surface sub shining. Body covered with golden pubescence.

Male – Unknown.

Material examined – Holotype female, India: Sikkim, Toong , 1300 m, 10.v.1995, collected by

M. S. SAINI.

Distribution – India (Sikkim).

Diagnosis – This species runs close to A. weii sp. n. but can be distinguished from the latter by the following characters: antennal segments 6–9 are entirely black (dorsal side of pedicel, apical ¼ and entire ventral side of antennal segment 5 and segments 6–9 are entirely black in A. weii ); clypeus roundly incised up to 1/3 of its medial length with roundly pointed lateral teeth (clypeus rectangularly incised up to ½ of its medial length with triangular lateral teeth in A. weii ); mesoscutellum elevated into a distinct tip (mesoscutellum obtusely roundly raised in A. weii ); black are: propodeum except posteromedial spot, anterior margins of tergite 2 broadened in the middle (black are: propodeum entirely, anterior 2/3 of tergite 2 in A. weii ).

Etymology – The specific epithet pertains to its type locality.

*

Acknowledgements – The authors are deeply thankful to Dr. D. R. SMITH of Systematic Entomology Laboratory, USDA, for his perseverant and helpful suggestions. Without his kind support and encouragement this piece of work would not possible. The authors are also thankful to University Grants Commission (New Delhi) for providing the financial assistance in carrying out this work. We wish to express our cordial thanks to reviewers for critical examination of the manuscript and for giving some valuable suggestions. Help rendered by SAJAD HUSSAIN PARRAY, VIKRAM SINGH RATHOR, MANPREET SINGH and LAKHWINDER KAUR is thankfully acknowledged. The authors are also thankful to Department of Zoology and Environmental Sciences, Punjabi University, Patiala, for providing laboratory facilities. Last but not least authors are highly thankful to PCCF’S, CCF’S, DFO’S and other forest officers of different hilly states for providing the field facilities and permission to collect sawflies from their regions.

Figures

Figs 1–14. Athlophorus spp.A.taegeri sp.n.: 1 = penis valve, 2 = gonoforcep, 7 = clypeus, 11 = tarsal claw. A.weii sp. n.: 3 = penis valve, 4 = gonoforcep, 8 = clypeus, 12 = tarsal claw. A. smithi sp. n.: 5 = lancet, 9 = clypeus, 13 = tarsal claw. A. toongensis sp. n.: 6 = lancet, 10 = clypeus, 14 = tarsal claw

Figs 15–18. Athlophorus adults in dorsal view: 15 = A. smithi sp. n., female, 16 = A. taegeri sp. n., male, 17 = A. weii sp. n., male, 18 = A. toongensis sp. n., female