Lagynodes mikoi Ghosh, Kumar, Salden & Tyagi, 2025

Ghosh, Amit Kumar, Kumar, Vikas, Salden, Tobias & Tyagi, Kaomud, 2025, First Record of the genus Lagynodes Förster, 1840 (Megaspilidae: Lagynodinae) from India, with the description of a new species and a molecular analysis, Zootaxa 5673 (2), pp. 291-299 : 293-297

Lagynodes mikoi Ghosh, Kumar, Salden & Tyagi sp. nov.

Figs 1–3

Diagnosis (male): Lagynodes mikoi sp. nov. is distinguishable from L. thoracicus Kieffer, 1906 and L. pallidus Boheman 1832 by the absence of notauli (notauli present in L. pallidus and L. thoracicus ); from L. acuticornis (Kieffer, 1906) by a three times longer stigmal vein than pterostigma marginal length (sitgmal vein less than two times pterostogma marginal length in L. acuticornis ); from the Nearctic L. xanthus 1930 Whittaker by the presence of distinctly long setae on the marginal fringe of the wing ( Dessart 1987).

Moreover, L. mikoi sp. nov. can be easily distinguished by the unique morphology of the male genitalia from all other Lagynodes species, with known male genitalia. L. pallidus has the most similar genitalia to L. mikoi sp. nov. by the overall shape and the similar volsellae with two distal setae, oriented distomedially and distoventrally ( Dessart 1966). However, the male genitalia of L. mikoi sp. nov. can be distinguished from L. pallidus by less medioventrally extended and pointed proximoventral margin of the gvc, distinctly concave median margin of the volsella in distal one third, slightly sickle-shaped harpes, ventral and dorsal margins of the harpe parallel, and apical margin of the harpe straight with small indentations, ascending dorsally with pointed tip.

Etymology: This species is named after István Mikó (University of New Hampshire, NH, USA) in recognition of his valuable contributions to ceraphronoid morphology and taxonomy.

Material examined

Holotype: INDIA: 1 ♂; West Bengal, Lava ( 27.08628° N, 88.66401° E); yellow pan trap, 12.vii.2024 ( Reg. No. CDT/MSD/ HZSI _181), coll. Amit Kumar Ghosh; deposited at NZC, Kolkata.

Paratype: INDIA: 1 ♂; West Bengal, Lava ( 27.08628° N, 88.66401° E); yellow pan trap, 12.vii.2024 ( Reg. No. CDT/MSD/ HZSI _182), coll. Amit Kumar Ghosh; deposited at NZC, Kolkata .

Male: Body length: 0.8, 0.92 mm.

Colouration ( Figs 1–3 ): Head and mesosoma dark brown, metasoma lighter. Antenna with scape brown and pedicel light brown, and flagellomeres (F1–F9) brown. Coxa, trochanter, basal part of the tibia, and tarsus yellowish; femur and distal ¾ of the tibia light brown, fore wing slightly melanized, stigmal vein light brown ( Fig. 1 ). Male genitalia light brown.

Antenna ( Fig. 1 ): Eleven cylindrical flagellomeres; scape 3.23, 3.37 × (3.23) as long as pedicel, scape shorter than combined length of F1 and F2; F1 3.51, 3.96 × (3.51) as long as wide; F1 2.0, 2.5 × (2.5) as long as pedicel; F1 1.15, 1.37 × (1.37) as long as F2; F1 slightly shorter than combined length of F7 and F8; F1 longer than F9; F6 2.18, 2.88 × (2.18) as long as wide; F6 shorter than combined length of F7 and F8; F9 1.24, 1.27 × (1.24) as wide as F6; flagellomeres with distinctly erect sensillae.

Head ( Figs 1 , 2c ): Head width: 1.17 × head height; head width 1.21, 1.32 × (1.21) of interorbital space; maximum eye diameter: 1.05, 1.15 × (1.05) minimum eye diameter; head height 1.58, 1.9 × (1.58) maximum eye diameter. POL: OOL: LOL 1: 3.17: 1.03; OOL 6.14, 6.5 × (6.5) diameter of lateral ocellus.

Mesosoma ( Figs 1 , 2a, 2b ): Mesosoma not compressed laterally ( Fig. 2a ). Head width 1.04–1.11 × (1.04) mesosoma width; Weber length 280–307 (307) µm. Mesoscutum setose, setae curved posteriorly; notaulus absent; median mesoscutal sulcus present and distinct; median mesoscutal sulcus adjacent to transscutal articulation; interaxillar sulcus absent (= scutoscutellar sulcus adjacent to transscutal articulation), scutoscutellar sulcus slightly concave; dorsal axillar area setose, setae curved posteriorly; mesoscutellum setose, setae curved posteriorly or straight. Mesoscutum width 1.30, 1.94 × (1.94) of mesoscutellum width; posterior mesoscutal width 1.30, 1.47 × (1.47) of mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.18 of mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 0.8 × of posterior mesoscutal width; Weber length 1.35, 1.73 × (1.35) of mesoscutum width; Weber length 2.43, 3.18 × (2.43) of mesoscutellum length. Anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex minute with blunt end; mesometapleural sulcus present; posterior propodeal projection straight and visible in ventrolateral view.

Fore wing ( Fig. 1 ): Length 2.67, 3 × (2.67) width; stigmal vein longer than 3 × pterostigma marginal length; marginal fringe equipped with distinctly long setae.

Metasoma ( Fig. 2d ): Basal transverse carina on syntergite present; three basal longitudinal carinae on syntergite; pairs of translucent patches on metasomal syntergite and synsternite.

Male Genitalia ( Figs 3a–c ): Genital length 150 µm–180 µm (180µm); Weber length 1.70–1.86 (1.70) × genital length; gvc width 70–84 (84) µm; genital length 2.14 × gvc width; gvc width shorter than gvc length; maximum gvc width slightly wider than distal gvc width. Proximodorsal margin of gvc concave; distodorsal margin of gvc straight in median part and with distinct proximally oriented indentations in lateral part; proximoventral margin of gvc straight medially with pointed tip; distoventral margin of gvc strongly descending proximally and at lateral volsella margin strongly ascending distomedially; median margin of volsella distinctly concave in distal one third; ventral area of gvc convex; dorsal area of gvc slightly convex; Harpe slightly sickle-shaped in ventral and dorsal view; harpe/gvc index 0.50; lateral articulation site of harpe with gvc virtually flush; ventral margin of harpe straight, dorsal margin of harpe straight and parallel to the ventral margin, lateral margin of harpe virtually straight in basal two thirds and convex in apical one third, widest point of harpe at basal one third; ventromedial margins of harpes not touching at distoventral margin of gvc, ventromedial and dorsomedial margin of harpe straight in basal one quarter and concave in apical three quarters and converging distomedially, apical margin of harpe straight with small indentations, ascending dorsally with pointed tip at apex of dorsal margin of harpe; apex of harpe pointed, oriented distomedially; harpe with at least nine lateral setae restricted to apical third, lateral setae short, lateral setae oriented distolaterally and distoventrally; harpe with one apical seta; volsella with two distal setae, oriented distomedially and distoventrally. Distal gonossiculus slightly less than two-thirds of harpe length, apex of aedeagus + gonossiculus acute and dorsal to apex of harpe. Genitalia moderately sclerotized with strongest sclerotization at all margins of harpe and aeadeagus + gonossiculus.

Female: Unknown.

Biology: Unknown.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Lagynodes mikoi sp. nov., male: (1) habitus, lateral view.

FIGURE 2. (a) mesosoma, dorsal view; (b) mesosoma, lateral view; (c) head, dorsal view; (d) metasoma, dorsal view.

FIGURE 3. (a) male genitalia, ventral view; (b) dorsal view; (c) lateral view.