Atree rajathae Ranjith, van Achterberg & Priyadarsanan, 2022

Ranjith, A. P., Achterberg, Cornelis Van & Priyadarsanan, Dharma Rajan, 2022, Atree, a remarkable new genus of the subfamily Brachistinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and the first report of the tribe Diospilini from India, Zootaxa 5105 (4), pp. 571-580 : 578-580

Atree rajathae Ranjith, van Achterberg & Priyadarsanan sp. nov.

( Figures 1–4 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:64C2C147-30E8-4150-BD06-42AA4A7BA86E

Material examined. Holotype, female, INDIA: Tamil Nadu, Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve ( KMTR), primary forest, understorey, Malaise trap, 5.x.2008, coll. Priyadarsanan, D. R . Paratype: one female, same data as holotype .

Description. Holotype, female. Body length 6.0 mm, fore wing 4.3 mm, ovipositor 6.9 mm.

Head. Head 1.5 × as wide as long in anterior and dorsal view. Face 2.5 × as wide as long. Ratio of height of clypeus: inter-tentorial distance: tentorio-ocular distance = 1.2: 1.0: 1.4. Malar space 1.1 × as long as basal width of mandible. Length of eye 1.8 × as long as temple in dorsal view. Ratio of POL: transverse diameter of ocellus: OOL = 1.0: 1.1: 3.4. Antenna 40 segmented, 0.7 × as long as body. Scape 1.7 × as long as wide. Pedicel as long as wide. First flagellomere 1.3 × as long as second. First and second flagellomeres 2.8 and 2.3 × as long as wide, respectively. Terminal flagellomere 1.8 × as long as wide.

Mesosoma. Mesosoma 1.4 × as long as high. Scutellar sulcus divided by three carinae ( Fig. 2C ).

Wings. Fore wing: Pterostigma 4.0 × as long wide. Ratio of length of veins r: 3-SR: SR1 = 1.0: 3.2: 8.7. Ratio of length of veins 2-SR: 3-SR: SR1 = 1.0: 1.0: 2.7. Hind wing: Vein M+CU 2.6 × as long as 1-M. Vein 1r-m 1.5 × as long as 2-SC+R.

Legs. Ratio of length of fore femur: tibia: tarsus = 1.0: 1.1: 1.2 ( Fig. 3C ). Fore femur 4.0 × as long as wide. Ratio of length of hind femur: tibia: basitarsus = 1.6: 2.2: 1.0 ( Fig. 3D ). Hind femur, tibia and basitarsus 4.2, 8.4, 6.7 × as long as wide respectively.

Metasoma. Metasoma 1.3 × as long as head and mesosoma combined. First metasomal tergite 1.6 × as long as wide. Second metasomal tergite 1.1 × as long as third, 0.8 × as long as wide. Third metasomal tergite 0.5 × as long as wide. Setose part of ovipositor sheath 1.6 × as long as fore wing.

Colour. Body mostly brownish black except antenna, mandible basally, pronotum posteriorly, fore and mid legs, hind legs except tibia and tarsus, tegula and pterostigma yellowish brown, ocelli, sternites, metasomal tergites 3–6 posteriorly and apex of ovipositor sheath yellow.

Etymology. The species is named commemorating ATREE’s Rajatha Jubilee (25 th anniversary) which is being celebrated in 2021–22. Gender: feminine.

Male. Unknown.

Biology. Unknown.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Atree rajathae gen. et sp. nov. holotype, female A) habitus, lateral view; B) head, anterior view; C) head, dorsal view; D) head, antero-dorsal view; E) head, lateral view; F) head, ventro-lateral view.

FIGURE 2. Atree rajathae gen. et sp. nov. holotype, female A) pronotum, lateral view; B) pronotum, dorsal view; C) mesosoma, dorsal view; D) mesosoma, lateral view; E) mesosoma, ventral view; F) propodeum, dorsal view.

FIGURE 3. Atree rajathae gen. et sp. nov. holotype, female A) fore wing; B) hind wing; C) fore leg; D) hind leg; E) first metasomal tergite, dorsal view.

FIGURE 4. Atree rajathae gen. et sp. nov. holotype, female A) metasoma, lateral view; B) metasoma, dorsal view; C) antenna; D) basal antennomeres; E) tarsal claw; F) apex of ovipositor.