Calliscelio elegans Perkins (1910)

Rajmohana, Keloth, Peter, Abhilash & Narendran, TC, 2013, First record of the male of the widespread Calliscelioelegans (Perkins) (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae) along with some taxonomic notes on the species, Biodiversity Data Journal 1, pp. 983-983 : 983

Rank: SpeciesType of treatment: Redescription or species observationextantHabitat: terrestrialParasite of: Crickets ( Orthoptera : Gryllidae )Root classification: 8

Calliscelio elegans Perkins (1910)

Caloteleia elegans Perkins 1910: 624. Original description.

Caenoteleia elegans Kieffer 1926: 550. Generic transfer, description.

Calliscelio elegans Masner, Johnson & Musetti, 2009: Masner et al. 2009: 61. Description, diagnosis, generic transfer.

Calliscelio elegans Calotelea tanugatra Narendran 1998: 71. Female, India (ZSIC) Holotype examined, syn. nov.

Materials

Type status: Other material Occurrence: recordedBy: Priyadarshan; individualID: ZSI/WGRS/IR.INV.2655; individualCount: 1; sex: Male; lifeStage: Adult; preparations: Card mount; Taxon: scientificNameID: Calliscelioelegans; kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Arthropoda; class: Insecta; order: Hymenoptera; family: Platygastridae; genus: Calliscelio; specificEpithet: elegans; scientificNameAuthorship: Perkins; Location: continent: Asia; country: India; stateProvince: Karnataka; locality: Biligiriranga Hills ; verbatimLocality: Mariappanappala; decimalLatitude: 11.785169 N; decimalLongitude: 77.223671 E; Identification: identifiedBy: Rajmohana K; dateIdentified: 2013-6-1; identificationRemarks: First male of the species ever recorded; Event: samplingProtocol: Malaise trap; eventDate: 2007-4-20/5-20; habitat: Semi-evergreen; eventRemarks: Collected in Malaise trap; Record Level: institutionID: ZSIC

Type status: Other material Occurrence: recordedBy: Priyadarshan; individualID: ZSI/WGRS/IR.INV.2700-2705; individualCount: 5; sex: Female; lifeStage: Adult; preparations: In Alcohol; Taxon: scientificNameID: Calliscelioelegans; kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Arthropoda; class: Insecta; order: Hymenoptera; family: Platygastridae; genus: Calliscelio; specificEpithet: elegans; scientificNameAuthorship: Perkins; Location: continent: Asia; country: India; stateProvince: Karnataka; locality: Biligiriranga Hills ; verbatimLocality: Mariappanappala; decimalLatitude: 11.785169 N; decimalLongitude: 77.223671 E; Identification: identifiedBy: Rajmohana K; dateIdentified: 2013-6-1; Event: eventDate: 2007-4-20/5-20; habitat: Semi-evergreen; eventRemarks: Collected in Malaise trap; Record Level: institutionID: ZSIC

Type status: Other material Occurrence: recordedBy: Priyadarshan; individualID: Atree /BR/10-16; individualCount: 6; sex: Female; lifeStage: Adult; preparations: In Alcohol; Taxon: scientificNameID: Calliscelioelegans; kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Arthropoda; class: Insecta; order: Hymenoptera; family: Platygastridae; genus: Calliscelio; specificEpithet: elegans; scientificNameAuthorship: Perkins; Location: continent: Asia; country: India; stateProvince: Karnataka; locality: Biligiriranga Hills ; verbatimLocality: Mariappanappala; decimalLatitude: 11.785169 N; decimalLongitude: 77.223671 E; Identification: identifiedBy: Rajmohana K; dateIdentified: 2013-6-1; Event: eventDate: 2007-11-15/12-15; habitat: Semi-evergreen; eventRemarks: Collected in Malaise trap; Record Level: institutionID: ZSIC

Type status: Other material Occurrence: recordedBy: Abhilash Peter; individualID: ZSI/WGRS/IR.INV.2485; individualCount: 1; sex: Female; lifeStage: Adult; preparations: Card mount; Taxon: scientificNameID: Calliscelioelegans; kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Arthropoda; class: Insecta; order: Hymenoptera; family: Platygastridae; genus: Calliscelio; specificEpithet: elegans; scientificNameAuthorship: Perkins; Location: continent: Asia; country: India; stateProvince: Kerala; locality: Trichur ; verbatimLocality: Chimmony Damsite; decimalLatitude: 10.523100 N; decimalLongitude: 76.222221 E; Identification: identifiedBy: Rajmohana K; dateIdentified: 2013-3-6; Event: verbatimEventDate: 2012-1-5; habitat: Mixed Vegetation; eventRemarks: Collected in Sweep net; Record Level: institutionID: ZSIC

Type status: Other material Occurrence: recordedBy: Bijoy. C; individualID: ZSI/WGRS/IR.INV.2486; individualCount: 1; sex: Female; lifeStage: Adult; preparations: Card mount; Taxon: scientificNameID: Calliscelioelegans; kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Arthropoda; class: Insecta; order: Hymenoptera; family: Platygastridae; genus: Calliscelio; specificEpithet: elegans; scientificNameAuthorship: Perkins; Location: continent: Asia; country: India; stateProvince: Kerala; locality: Calicut ; verbatimLocality: Jaferkhan Colony; decimalLatitude: 11.266666 N; decimalLongitude: 75.791001 E; Identification: identifiedBy: Rajmohana K; dateIdentified: 2011-5-15; Event: verbatimEventDate: 2010-9-8; habitat: Mixed Vegetation; eventRemarks: Collected in Sweep net; Record Level: institutionID: ZSIC

Type status: Other material Occurrence: recordedBy: Rajmohana.K; individualID: ZSI/WGRS/IR.INV.2637; individualCount: 1; sex: Female; lifeStage: Adult; preparations: Card mount; Taxon: scientificNameID: Calliscelioelegans; kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Arthropoda; class: Insecta; order: Hymenoptera; family: Platygastridae; genus: Calliscelio; specificEpithet: elegans; scientificNameAuthorship: Perkins; Location: continent: Asia; country: India; stateProvince: Kerala; locality: Calicut ; verbatimLocality: Tiruvannur; decimalLatitude: 11.247655 N; decimalLongitude: 75.767650 E; Identification: identifiedBy: Rajmohana K; dateIdentified: 2005-12-10; Event: verbatimEventDate: 2005-8-11; habitat: Mixed Vegetation; eventRemarks: Collected in Sweep net; Record Level: institutionID: ZSIC

Description

New Description of Male. Length: 1.97mm (n=1) (Fig. 1). Head, mesosoma, T1 wholly and anterior one-fourth of T2, legs and A1 deep orange yellow; posterior three-fourth of T2 onwards till T8, A3-A12 ebony black, A2 and ocelli darkened (Fig. 2); frons (Fig. 3) and mesoscutum medially with a pair of dark patches (Fig. 4); apex of mandibles and apex of hind femur slightly darkened; forewing conspicuously banded, with dark bands basally, medially and apically, separated by light bands (Fig. 8), with median band being most prominent as seen in females (Fig. 7).

Qualitative characters of head and mesosoma being exactly similar to that of female as mentioned in Masner et al. (2009), is not repeated here. However propodeum being flat and elongate, with faint longitudinal striae and irregular rugosities differs from that of the female.

Metasoma elongate, widest medially, narrowed both anteriorly and posteriorly (Fig. 5); T1 with fine longitudinal striae and irregular rugose sculpture covering entire surface, almost similar to that on propodeum; longitudinal striae on T2 extending to 0.8 its length medially and about 0.5 of its length laterally. T3 distinctly transverse, shorter than T2, with delicate longitudinal aciculate sculpture, effaced medially; T4-T8 transverse, with delicate coriaceous microsculpture and with abundant appressed golden pilosity.

General body measurements, length to width proportions of antennal segments, forewing and that of metasomal segments are as follows:

Head (dorsal) L:W = 4.05:2.61mm; IOS = 1.14x eye height; POL:LOL:OOL:OD = 1.32:0.75:0.2:0.3.

A1 4.2x length of radicle, A2 1.05x longer than radicle; A3 and A4 subequal; A5 emarginate and carinate (Fig. 6), 1.15x longer than A4 and 1.02X length of A6; A6 to A8 subequal, A9 to A12 subequal as long as A3, A12 longest, 1.37x A11. Length to width proportions of antennal segments from A1to A12 being 23:5.4, 5.7:4, 8:4, 8:4, 9.2:4.7, 9:4, 9:4, 9:4, 8:4, 8:4, 8:4, 11:4 (Fig. 6).

ML:MW = 4.15: 3.38; Forewing narrow, 5.4x as long as wide, when at rest extending to base of T5; length of veins marginal: stigmal: postmarginal being 6:7:8.

MTL:MTW = 2.03:1.19; T2 longest of all tergites, 1.6x T1 and 1.38x T3 tergite; length to width proportions of T1-T4 being 127:85, 204:170, 148:203, 78:169; T3 onwards transverse; rest of tergites visible as strips; T8 distinct.

Diagnosis

Variation

Hardly showing any variation from the description of the female by Masner et al. (2009), except for its smaller size (< 2 mm). A pair of dark patches seen on median mesoscutum is not distinct in females. A few of the dense granulations on median frons appear fused as short, coarse irregular strips of striae (Fig. 3), but such a partially striated nature of median frons is seen in all the female specimens of Calliscelio elegans included in this study as well.

The eyes of one of the freshly caught specimen female had a beautiful peacock green metallic lustre (Fig. 7), but turned black within 24 hours of dry preservation.

Biology

Egg parasitoid of crickets ( Orthoptera : Gryllidae ) as per Masner et al. (2009). The females are seen in low numbers, but the males are extremely rare.

Ecology

Females are mostly seen close to ground, in search of gryllid eggs for oviposition.

Distribution

The species is widely distributed ( http://osuc.biosci.ohio-state.edu/hymDB/eol_scelionidae.content_page?page_level=3&page_id=taxon_page_data&page_version=245756&page_option1=M) but generally seen in low numbers ( Masner et al. 2009). The distribution of Calliscelio elegans in India has been mapped (Fig. 12). It is reported only from the southern states of the country.