Chakra kambani Veenakumari, 2022

Veenakumari, Kamalanathan, Sreedevi, Kolla & Mohanraj, Prashanth, 2022, Additions to the genus Chakra Rajmohana and Veenakumari, 2014 (Hymenoptera: Platygastroidea: Scelionidae) from India, Journal of Natural History 56 (41 - 44), pp. 1657-1707 : 1680-1682

Chakra kambani Veenakumari sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:84406B92-FE73-44D5-9FCB-21588B78CE8B

( Figures 11 (a–f), 23(g))

Female body length = 1.58–1.66 mm (n = 3).

Colour

Head and mesosoma yellow-brown, with a weak black patch on posterolateral mesoscutum; T1, T4–T6 brown, T2–T3 yellow-brown; inner margins of ocelli without black patches; radicle, A1–A6 yellow-brown, remaining antennomeres brown-black; all legs brown-yellow with black apical tarsomeres.

Head

1.3× as wide as high, 1.2× as high as long. Setation on head: dense. IOS: 0.6× head width, 1.4× eye length. POL> LOL> OOL: 14.0:8.4:4.2. OOL: 2.5× MOD. Compound eye: large (L: W = 16.4:11.5). Sculpture on vertex: with setose protuberances, furrows between protuberances with weak rugose sculpture. Sculpture of frons: with setose protuberances, except for weak striae radiating from imaginary central keel. Central keel: absent. Sculpture of gena: with setose protuberances interspersed with longitudinal carinae. Facial and malar striae: prominent. Interantennal process: triangular.

Mesosoma

L:W of mesoscutum: 18.9:23.8. Setation of mesoscutum: dense. Sculpture of mesoscutum: with setose protuberances, furrows between protuberances with weak rugose sculpture. Mesoscutal humeral sulcus: not foveate, indicated by a furrow. Mesoscutal suprahumeral sulcus: not foveate. Scutoscutellar sulcus: entirely foveate. L:W of mesoscutellum: 8.1:17.3. Sculpture of mesoscutellum: with setose protuberances, furrows between protuberances with weak rugose sculpture. Setation of mesoscutellum: dense. Sculpture of metascutellum: weakly foveate. Armature of metascutellum: rectangular lamina, with lateral margins weakly projecting posteriorly. Sculpture of metanotal trough: weakly foveate. Sculpture of lateral propodeal area: with setose protuberances. Posterior propodeal projection: blunt, directed posteriorly. Sculpture of lateral pronotal area: dorsally with sparse setose protuberances, medially smooth, posteriorly transversely carinate. Pronotal cervical sulcus: not foveate. Netrion sulcus: weakly foveate. Speculum of mesopleuron: transversely carinate. Episternal sulcus: foveate. Postacetabular sulcus: not foveate. Prespecular sulcus: not foveate. Mesepimeral sulcus: not foveate. Mesepimeral area: dorsally sculptured, ventrally smooth, wider than mesepimeral sulcus. Mesopleural carina: present. Sculpture of femoral depression: predominantly smooth, with sparse oblique carinae. Mesopleural pit: present. Sculpture of ventral mesopleuron: with setigerous protuberances. Sculpture of metapleuron: dorsally smooth, ventrally with sparse setigerous protuberances and a smooth area posteriorly. Metapleural sulcus: weakly foveate. Paracoxal sulcus: weakly foveate. Metapleural epicoxal sulcus: not foveate. Wings: brachypterous. Marginal cilia on posterior margin of proximal fore wing: absent.

Metasoma

L:W of metasoma: 76.3:35.7. Sculpture of T1: longitudinally costate. Length of T1: 0.7× the length of T2. Horn on T1: indicated as anterior protuberance. Length of horn on T1: 0.5× length of T1. Sculpture of horn on T1: costate with a smooth patch apically. Length of T2: 0.8× the length of T3. Sculpture of T2: weak basal foveae indicated, followed by longitudinal striae. Sculpture of T3: weakly reticulate. Sculpture of T4–T6: weakly reticulate.

Male

Not known.

Material examined

Holotype. Female ( ICAR/NBAIR/P4485 ), INDIA: Tamil Nadu: Periyakulam, Horticulture College and Research Institute (HCRI), 10.118°N 77.548°E, 53 m, YPT (mango ( Mangifera indica : Anacardiaceae ) orchard), 16 August 2013.

Paratypes. 1 female ( ICAR / NBAIR / P4486 ), Tamil Nadu: Kanyakumari, Manalodai, 11.251° N 78.696°E, 618 m, YPT (Black gram ( Vigna mungo : Fabaceae )), 13 May 2013; 1 female ( ICAR / NBAIR / P4487 ), Tamil Nadu: Kamatchipuram , Periyakulam , 10.118°N 77.548°E, 288 m, YPT, 17 August 2013 .

Etymology

The species is named after Kamban, the twelfth-century CE Indian poet who is thought to have composed the Tamil Ramayana in two weeks. The name is treated as a noun in the genitive case.

Diagnosis

This species resembles C. pillaiyar sp. nov. and C. pachmarhica but differs from them in having brachypterous wings and absence of marginal cilia on posterior margin of fore wing proximally.

Figures

Figure 11. Chakra kambani sp. nov. (♀): (a) Habitus, dorsal view; (b) frons; (c) head and pleuron; (d) head and mesoscutum; (e) wings; (f) antennae.