Caenohomalopoda longiscapus, Gupta, Ankita & Poorani, Janakiraman, 2008

Gupta, Ankita & Poorani, Janakiraman, 2008, A new species of Caenohomalopoda (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) from India, Zootaxa 1933, pp. 59-62 : 59-62

Caenohomalopoda longiscapus sp. nov. ( Figs 1–10 )

Diagnosis. In Zhang & Huang (2006), C. longiscapus sp. nov. would key out to the same couplet with C. shikokuensis (Tachikawa) . The female of the new species appears to be similar to the females of C. shikokuensis and C. longistylata , but clearly differs from these species by the different dimensions of the antennal segments and infuscation pattern on the forewing. The antenna in females of the new species has the basal segment of clava distinctly longer than other two segments individually, and apical portion of clava paler than the rest of the antenna. All funicle segments are longer than wide. Scape elongate, 5.2x as long as wide; pedicel 2.1x as long as wide. Forewing with the vertical infuscate band towards postmarginal and stigmal veins much broader. The horizontal band separating two hyaline areas in the apical half of forewing much narrower than in C. shikokuensis . The hyaline spot in the apical portion of the forewing almost bean shaped.

In C. shikokuensis the antenna is dark brown, except F4 and apical half or so of clava yellowish. Fl slightly longer than wide, rarely quadrate, F2, F3 quadrate or slightly longer than wide. Forewing about 2.8x as long as wide; the vertical infuscate band, towards postmarginal and stigmal veins perpendicular to anterior margin of forewing, narrow, and the horizontal band separating two hyaline areas in the apical half of forewing much broader. Scape about 2.5x as long as wide.

Plate-I. Adult female of Caenohomalopoda longiscapus sp. nov.

In C. longistylata apex of F3 is pale yellowish, F4 is completely dull yellow; scape is 1.96x as long as wide; ovipositor about 0.5x gaster length and pedicel is 1.24x as long as wide.

Description. Female (Plate-I): Body length (holotype) 1.88 mm. Body dark bluish-green with a metallic tinge; eyes brown; frontovertex bluish-green; malar space and face bluish-green, with some bronzy-violet to purple tinge. Pronotum and mesoscutum bluish-green, tegulae dark brown with bluish-violet tinge; medial half (triangularly reticulate part) of scutellum bronzy, sides and apex smooth and purplish blue-violet; mesopleuron violet; metanotum, propodeum and gaster largely violet with bluish-green tinge; exserted part of ovipositor dark brown. Antenna nine-segmented; dark brownish black except apex of clava little paler ( Fig. 1 ); clava longer than combined length of second, third and fourth funicle segments. Forewing infuscate with rays and bands ( Fig. 6 ); hyaline areas either without setae or with a mixture of transparent setae and dark setae and infuscate areas with dark setae; marginal vein conspicuously longer than stigmal vein; postmarginal vein nearly absent. Hind wing hyaline. Legs dark brown, slightly violet as mesopleura, except: apices of foretibia, mid tibia and hind tibia pale, fore tarsal segments brownish, midtibial spur and tarsal segments of mid leg pale yellow and tarsal segments 1–4 of hind legs off-white.

Frontovertex with raised reticulate sculpture, cells small. Mesoscutum with fine striations; scutellum with polygonal-reticulate pattern in median triangular area, with sides and apex broadly smooth. Frontovertex with white setae, including a transverse line of setae across anterior margin; large scale-like setae (one pair on vertexo-occipital margin, and one subapical pair on apex of scutellum) dark brown, mesonotal dorsum with dark brown setae. Occipital margin with a median, deeply concave, sharp emargination; frontovertex flat with anterior margin straight and sharply separated from face which is obliquely bent downwards; ocellar triangle with apical angle obtuse; posterior ocelli about one ocellar diameter to eye margin, and about four ocellar diameters to occipital margin.

Head (holotype): In frontal view ( Fig. 2 ) 1.37x as wide as long (48:35), 4.36x as wide as frontovertex (48:11); eye 2.19x as long as wide (23:10.5), diverging ventrally from level of median ocellus; toruli oval, much below the line joining the lower margins of the eye, eye 2.19x as long as wide (23:10.5); torulo eye distance (10), torulo mouth distance (5), torular width (4); inter torular distance longer than torular length (9.5: 6.9). Malar space 0.65x as long as median head length (23:35). Head in dorsal view about 2.2x as wide as its median length. Antenna ( Fig. 1 ) with scape 5.2x as long as wide (22.7: 4); pedicel 2.1x as long as wide (6.5: 3); F1 (6.5: 2.9) 2.2x; F2 (5.5: 3) 1.8x; F3 (6.2: 3) 2x; F4 (6.5: 4) 1.6x; and clava (22: 4.5) 4.8x as long as wide. Mandible ( Fig. 2 ) quadridentate, dorsal two teeth blunt, ventral ones longer, sharp and subequal. Maxillary and labial palpi four- and three-segmented, respectively.

Mesosoma (holotype) ( Fig. 5 ): In dorsal view, pronotum arched, triangular, posterior margin concave; mesoscutum flat, 1.55x as wide as long (46.5: 30); axillae meeting narrowly; scutellum 1.45x as wide as long (33: 22.7); propodeum very narrow medially, scutellar apex sloping smoothly to level of propodeum. Forewing ( Fig. 6 ) 2.5x as long as wide (110: 44); marginal vein 4x as long as wide (10: 2.5); marginal vein 2.8x as long as stigmal vein (10: 3.5); hind wing 3.8x as long as wide (74: 19.5). Midtibial spur shorter than basitarsus (16: 17.5).

Gaster (holotype) ( Fig. 7 ): Gaster (excluding ovipositor) 1.37x as long as wide (80: 58.5), 1.4x as long as mesosoma (80: 55.75), exserted part of ovipositor 0.18x gaster length (15: 80); apex narrow and pointed. Subgenital plate ( Fig. 10 ) quadrate, 1.5x as wide as long (31.5: 21); ovipositor ( Fig. 8 ) 1.1x as long as gaster (88: 80), 4.8x as long as III valvula (88: 18), outer plate 4.24x as long as wide (53: 12.5).

Type material. Holotype: Female (on slide) (right forewing and right antenna on one slide; head with intact left antenna; mesosoma and metasoma; left forewing on other slide), INDIA: Karnataka, Bangalore, 12°58’N 77°35’E, S.K. Rajeshwari, 21.ix.2003.

Paratypes: 2 females (both on cards): INDIA: Karnataka, Bangalore, 12Ο58ʹN 77Ο35ʹE, A. Gupta, 1.v.2008 (one female) and the other female with the same data but collected on 16.viii.2008.

Etymology. Latin: ‘ longus ’ means long, ‘ scapus ’ means stalk, perhaps from Greek word ‘ skapos ’. The species epithet refers to the elongate scape.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 10. 1, Female antenna; 2, Head in frontal view with intact mandibles; 3, Head in ventral view; 4, Head in dorsal view; 5, Mesosoma in dorsal view; 6, Forewing; 7, Gaster in dorsal view; 8, Ovipositor; 9, Last gastral tergite; 10, Subgenital plate.