Centistidea nyeringensis Ranjith & Priyadarsanan, 2023

Ranjith, A. P., Achterberg, Cornelis Van & Priyadarsanan, Dharma Rajan, 2023, A new genus in the braconid subfamily Miracinae from the Oriental region, with descriptions of seven new species from India and Sri Lanka, Zootaxa 5318 (4), pp. 451-473 : 468-470

Centistidea nyeringensis Ranjith & Priyadarsanan sp. nov.

( Figures 11–12 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:336BAD51-A3E8-472C-8AD1-B6B58783FF9D

Material examined. Holotype. ♀ INDIA: Arunachal Pradesh, Nyering , 28°95.784′ N, 94°98.847′ E, 777 m. a.s.l., 20.x.2022, yellow pan trap, coll. A.P. Ranjith ( AIMB) . Paratype, 1 female same data as holotype .

Description. Female

Body measurements. Length of body 1.9 mm, length of fore wing 1.9 mm.

Head. Antenna with 14 antennomeres, all antennomeres longer than wide ( Fig. 11A ). First flagellomere 1.3 × as long as second flagellomere. First, second and penultimate flagellomeres 5.5, 4.0 and 2.8 × as long as wide. Maxillary palp with four segments ( Figs 11B, D ), fourth segment 1.3 × as long as third segment. Face distinctly convex medially ( Fig. 11B ), 1.8 × as wide as long, smooth, setose. Clypeus 2.6 × wider ventrally than medially high with straight posterior margin ( Fig. 11B ). Malar suture distinct ( Figs 11B, D ). Length of malar space 0.8 × basal width of mandible. Mandible distinctly twisted ( Fig. 11B ), inner tooth distinctly shorter than outer tooth. Frons smooth, moderately convex medially, sparsely setose laterally ( Fig. 11C ). Vertex smooth, sparsely setose, setose laterally ( Fig. 11C ). OOL: transverse diameter of posterior ocellus: POL= 3.3: 1.0: 1.6. Length of eye 1.9 × as long as temple in dorsal view.

Mesosoma. Mesosoma 1.4 × as long as high. Pronotum and propleuron smooth laterally, lateral pronotum indistinctly crenulate medially ( Fig. 11D ). Mesoscutum punctate in anterior half smooth posteriorly, setose, without carinae laterally ( Fig. 11E ). Notauli only impressed anteriorly ( Fig. 11E ). Scutellar sulcus represented only by a transverse groove, not crenulated ( Fig. 11E ). Scutellum evenly setose, smooth ( Fig. 11E ), with a pair of large crenulated pits medio-posteriorly separated by a carina, sides of scutellum irregularly sculptured ( Fig. 11F ). Mesopleuron smooth, glabrous, setose ventrally ( Fig. 11D ). Metapleuron with a deep small pit antero-dorsally, with deep shallow longitudinal depressed line, glabrous ( Fig. 11D ). Propodeum with a distinct and complete medio-longitudinal carina extended behind costula, dorsal part of midlongitudinal carina associated with irregular sculpture, sparsely setose, antero-lateral part with shallow declivity, postero-lateral part faintly crenulated, posterior part well differentiated from dorsal part, posterior transverse carina distinct ( Fig. 11F ).

Wings. Fore wing: Vein r distinct, 0.2 × as long as 2RS ( Fig. 12C ). R1 indistinct ( Fig. 12C ). Vein (RS+M)b 0.6 × as long as 1m-cu. Vein 1-M 1.7 × as long as m-cu. Vein (RS+M)a 2.7 × (RS+M)b. Vein 1CUa thickened, 0.6 × as long as 1CUb ( Fig. 12C ). Hind wing: Vein cu-a straight. Veins M+CU: 1M: 1r-m= 2.1: 2.7: 1.0.

Legs. Hind coxa smooth, setose ( Figs 11A , 12A ). Tarsal claws without basal lobe. Hind femur, tibia and basitarsus 3.6, 8.1 and 5.2 × as long as wide respectively.

Metasoma. First tergite smooth, narrow medially, widening subapically, weakly narrowing apically, distinctly narrowing basally, 3.1 × as long as its maximum width ( Fig. 12B ). Second tergite longitudinally striate, smooth medially, setose, medial length 0.5 × as long as third tergite ( Fig. 12B ). Third tergite longitudinally striate, setose ( Fig. 12B ). Ovipositor straight. Ovipositor sheath 0.09 × as long as fore wing, slightly narrowing apically with long setae apically ( Figs 12A, B ).

Colour. Body reddish brown except head, maxillary and labial palps, propleuron, legs, pterostigma, metasomal tergites 1–3, metasomal sternites, ovipositor sheath except apically yellow.

Male. Unknown.

Etymology. The species is named after the village, Nyering in which the specimens were collected.

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. India (Arunachal Pradesh).

Comparative diagnosis. The new species comes close to C. taiwana (Papp & Chou, 1996) in having scape and pedicel yellow, first flagellomere 1.3 × as long as second flagellomere, dorsal length of eye 1.8 × as long as temple. However, the new species can be distinguished from C. taiwana in having the following characters; face and clypeus yellow (brown in C. taiwana), clypeus 2.6 × as wide as long medially (2.0 × in C. taiwana), first flagellomere 5.5 × as long as wide (6.5 × in C. taiwana) and medioposterior pits on scutellum separated by a thin carina (separated by 0.25 × diameter of the pit in C. taiwana).

Figures

FIGURE 11. Centistidea nyeringensis Ranjith & Priyadarsanan sp. nov., holotype, female A) habitus, lateral view; B) head, anterior view; C) head, dorsal view; D) head and mesosoma, lateral view; E) mesosoma, dorsal view; F) propodeum, dorsal view.

FIGURE 12. Centistidea nyeringensis Ranjith & Priyadarsanan sp. nov. holotype, female A) metasoma, lateral view; B) metasoma, dorsal view; C) wings.