Microleptes tehriensis Ranjith & Humala, 2024

Ranjith, Avunjikkattu P., Humala, Andrei E., Priyadarsanan, Dharma Rajan & Butcher, Buntika A., 2024, Discovery of the subfamily Microleptinae (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) from India and Thailand with the description of five new species, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 97, pp. 1257-1284 : 1257-1284

Microleptes tehriensis Ranjith & Humala sp. nov.

Figs 9 , 10

Material examined.

Holotype • male India: Uttarakhand, Tehri , 10.viii.2019, coll. P. Girish Kumar ( ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI/WGRC/IR/INV.27409 . Paratypes, 8 males with same data as holotype ( AIMB) .

Description.

Holotype, male. Body length 4.5 mm, fore wing length 3.7 mm.

Head. Head 1.2 × as wide as long in anterior view (Fig. 9 B ) and 1.5 × as wide as long in dorsal view (Fig. 9 C ); face flat, punctate, elevated anteriorly below antennal sockets, forming an acute protrusion, setose, 1.8 × as wide as long (Fig. 9 A, B, D ); clypeus transverse, smooth, with lower margin slightly convex (Fig. 9 B ); tentorial pits round (Fig. 9 B ); malar space distinctly long, 1.7 × basal width of mandible, with subocular sulcus (Fig. 9 B, D ); mandible broad with single broad tooth (Fig. 9 B ); lateral temples smooth, setose (Fig. 9 D ); frons and vertex smooth and sparsely setose (Fig. 9 C ); eye glabrous, 1.4 × as long as temple in dorsal view (Fig. 9 B, C ); OOL: diameter of lateral ocellus: POL = 1.4: 1.1: 1.0; antenna with 17 flagellomeres; all flagellomeres longer than wide (Fig. 9 A ); flagellomeres 1–2 with tyloids as longitudinal carinae; first flagellomere 0.7 × as long as second flagellomere, 2.4 × as long as wide; second flagellomere 3.4 × as long as wide.

Mesosoma. Mesosoma 1.9 × as long as high (Fig. 9 F ); dorsal part of pronotum crenulated medially (Fig. 9 E ); lateral pronotum laterally with a set of subparallel transverse ridges medially, smooth posteriorly (Fig. 9 F ); mesoscutum flat in lateral view, punctate, setose with a pair of elongate pits postero-laterally (Fig. 9 E, F ); notaulus shallow, present anteriorly (Fig. 9 E ); scuto-scutellar groove wide, smooth, without crenulations (Fig. 9 E ); scutellum smooth, sparsely setose (Fig. 9 E ); mesopleuron smooth, setose (Fig. 9 F ); mesopleural furrow widely crenulated (Fig. 9 F ); epicnemial carina present, joining with subtegular ridge and forming a crenulated continuous groove anteriorly (Fig. 9 F ); metapleuron coarsely rugose, setose (Fig. 9 F ); propodeum rugose; area superomedia irregularly rugulose, narrowing basally and apically, costula indistinct; posterior transverse carina present; area dentipara longer than wide, smooth medially rest rugulose; pleural carina complete (Fig. 10 A ).

Legs. Femora slender (Fig. 9 A ); hind coxa rugose dorsally (Fig. 10 B, C ); hind femur 5.6 × as long as wide, somewhat bent upwards in profile; hind tibia 6.5 × as long as wide; hind basitarsus 8.0 × as long as wide.

Wings. Wings hyaline (Fig. 10 F ); pterostigma 3.0 × as long as wide; fore wing vein 2 r & RS joining to pterostigma in middle, 2.7 × as long as 2 rs-m; fore wing vein 2 rs-m as long as M between 2 rs-m and 2 m-cu; vein 1 cu-a oblique and distinctly postfurcal (Fig. 10 F ); hind wing with nervellus (vein CU) intercepted below middle (Fig. 10 F ).

Metasoma. First tergite rugose in anterior half, longitudinally striate in posterior half, setose with indistinct pair of dorsal carinae, 2.1 × as long as its maximum width, spiracle situated at middle of tergite (Fig. 10 B, C ); second tergite with distinct thyridium, granulate with indistinct longitudinal wrinkles anteriorly, and subpolished posteriorly, setose, 0.9 × as long as wide posteriorly (Fig. 10 D ); third tergite smooth, setose, 0.7 × as long as wide (Fig. 10 D ); tergites 4–7 smooth, setose (Fig. 10 D ); posterior margin of apical sternite without a median process; gonostyle almost polished, with apico-lateral patch of setae (Fig. 10 C, E ).

Colour. Body predominantly black; antenna, mandible, pterostigma, wing veins, metasoma, hind coxa, tibia and tarsus dark brown; maxillary and labial palps, tegula, fore and mid legs, hind femur and trochanters yellowish-brown.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution.

India.

Etymology.

The new species is named after the type locality, Tehri.

Comparative diagnosis.

The new species is similar to M. orientalis . Apart from the differences given in the key it can be distinguished from M. orientalis by the following characters: antenna slenderer, with 17 flagellomeres (16 flagellomeres in M. orientalis ) and hind femur 5.6 × as long as wide, concave dorsally (4.6 × as long as wide and convex dorsally in M. orientalis ).

Figures

Figure 9. Microleptes tehriensis Ranjith & Humala, sp. nov., holotype, male A habitus, lateral view B head, anterior view C head, dorsal view D head, ventro-lateral view E mesosoma, dorsal view F mesosoma, lateral view.

Figure 10. Microleptes tehriensis Ranjith & Humala, sp. nov., holotype, male A propodeum, dorsal view B first metasomal tergite, dorsal view C metasoma, lateral view D metasoma, dorsal view E male genitalia F wings.