Chelonus (Megachelonus) sahyadriensis, Ranjith & Priyadarsanan, 2023

Ranjith, A. P. & Priyadarsanan, Dharma Rajan, 2023, New subgeneric reports of the genus Chelonus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from India and Sri Lanka with description of nine species, Zootaxa 5278 (3), pp. 461-492 : 480-482

Chelonus (Megachelonus) sahyadriensis sp. nov.

( Figures 14–15 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:1EE07063-537B-4E84-999D-5417E207CCCB

Material examined. Holotype, female, INDIA: Kerala, Kozhikode, Janakikkad , 11°37’309 N, 75°47308 E, 29 m. a.s.l., 3.i.2020, coll. A.P. Ranjith ( AIMB) . Paratypes, 19 females and 8 males, INDIA: Telengana , Kotireddy Palle, 14°17’44 N, 78°05’16 E, 429 m .a.s.l., 10.viii.2010, coll. Priyadarsanan, D.R. ( AIMB) .

Description. Holotype, female, length of body 6.1 mm, of fore wing 3.8 mm.

Head. Antenna with 16 antennomeres, apical antennomeres not broadened, shorter than basal antennomeres ( Fig. 14A ); third antennomere 1.2 × longer than fourth; third, fourth and terminal antennomeres 5.3 ×, 3.6 × and 2.2 × longer than wide, respectively; head transverse ( Fig. 14B ), in dorsal view roundly contracted behind eyes ( Fig. 14C ); OOL: OD: POL= 2.7: 1.0: 2.4; longitudinal diameter of eye 1.5 × height of temples; vertex coarsely striate-rugose, setose ( Fig. 14C ); frons distinctly concave, striate-rugose medially with a complete midlongitudinal carina, longitudinally striate laterally ( Fig. 14C ); occiput transversely striate-rugose ( Fig. 14C ); temple longitudinally striate-rugose ( Fig. 14D ); face coarsely striate-rugose laterally, transversely striate-rugose anteriorly, densely setose in lateral view ( Fig. 14B ); clypeus flat and densely punctate, smooth and shining ( Fig. 14B ); length of malar space 3.1 × basal width of mandible.

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.4 × its height; pronotum rugose laterally ( Fig. 14D ); mesoscutum areolate-rugose ( Fig. 14F ); notauli impressed as large pits ( Fig. 14F ); transverse suture distinct, deep ( Fig. 14F ); scutellar sulcus divided by five carinae ( Fig. 14F ); scutellum punctate medially, setose, with crenulate groove laterally ( Fig. 14F ); mesopleuron evenly convex, coarsely reticulate-rugose, setose ( Fig. 14E ); metanotum crenulate with distinct midlongitudinal carina ( Fig. 15A ); propodeum with indistinct medial and lateral tubercles, coarsely reticulate-rugose, with irregular areola delineated by carina, transverse carina indistinct, but complete ( Fig. 15A ).

Wings. Fore wing infuscate subapically ( Fig. 15F ); length of fore wing 3.2 × its width; length of marginal cell 1.4 × pterostigma; vein 2-Rl just present ( Fig. 15F ); vein r longer than 3-SR ( Fig. 15F ); r: 3-SR: SRl = 1.2: 1.0: 5.1; SRl straight ( Fig. 15F ); parastigma distinctly swollen ( Fig. 15F ); 1-CU1: 2-CU1= 1.0: 3.8; vein CUlb present ( Fig. 15F ).

Legs. Hind coxa striate-rugose, densely short setose ( Fig. 15B ); hind femur robust ( Fig. 15D ); length of hind femur, tibia and basitarsus 3.1 ×, 4.2 × and 4.4 × their maximum width, respectively; mid and hind tibia with numerous short, pointed spines apical half ( Fig. 15B ).

Metasoma. Metasomal carapace elongate-oval in dorsal view, coarsely reticulate-rugose, without a pair of posteriorly converging midlongitudinal carinae basally ( Fig. 15C ); length of carapace 2.1 × its maximum width in dorsal view; carapace with undulating lamella laterally ( Figs 15B, D ); ventral cavity closed apically, with a pair of long and pointed teeth ( Fig. 15E ); ovipositor long, slender ( Fig. 15B ) and the ovipositor sheath 0.2 × as long as fore wing, 0.7 × as long as hind tibia.

Colour. Black except eyes, scape, ocelli, mandibles, maxillary and labial palps, tegula, mid and hind coxa, hind femur, ovipositor reddish brown, fore leg, mid leg except coxa reddish yellow, basal wing veins, parastigma, hind tibia basally and apically, hind tibial spurs, hind basitarsus, carapace basolaterally yellow.

Male. Same as female.

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. India (Karnataka and Kerala).

Etymology. The species name ‘sahyadriensis’ is derived from the Sanskrit name of Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot.

Comparative diagnosis. This new species is found to be one of the large sized species among the subgenus Megachelonus . It comes close to C. (M.) macrodontus in having carapace with a pair of long teeth apically. However, it differs from the latter by the following characters: third antennomere 5.3 × as long as wide (4.7 × in C. (M.) macrodontus ), OOL 1.1 × POL (1.5 × in C. (M.) macrodontus ), length of malar space 3.1 × basal width of mandible (1.6 × in C. (M.) macrodontus ), length of fore wing 3.2 × its width (2.7 × in C. (M.) macrodontus ), fore wing vein r longer than 3-SR (as long as in C. (M.) macrodontus ), fore wing vein 2-CU1 3.8 × as long as 1-CU1 (2.0 × in C. (M.) macrodontus ).

Figures

FIGURE 14. Chelonus (Megachelonus) sahyadriensis sp. nov., holotype, female A) habitus, lateral view; B) head, anterior view; C) head, dorsal view; D) head, lateral view; E) mesosoma, lateral view; F) mesosoma, dorsal view.

FIGURE 15. Chelonus (Megachelonus) sahyadriensis sp. nov., holotype, female A) propodeum, dorsal view; B) metasoma, lateral view; C) metasoma, dorsal view; D) metasoma, oblique view; E) apex of metasoma, dorsal view; F) fore wing.