Microleptes sandeshkaduri 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 sandeshkaduri Ranjith & Humala sp. nov.

Figs 7 , 8

Material examined.

Holotype • female India: Arunachal Pradesh, Kuming River side , 25 ° 98 ' 78 " N, 94 ° 98 ' 04 " E, 777 m. a. s. l., sweep net, 20.x.2022, coll. A. P. Ranjith ( ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI/WGRC/IR/INV.27408 .

Description.

Holotype, female. Body length 3.8 mm, fore wing length 2.9 mm.

Head. Head 1.3 × as wide as long in anterior view (Fig. 7 B ) and 1.2 × as wide as long in dorsal view (Fig. 7 C ); face flat, smooth, elevated anteriorly below antennal sockets and forming acute protrusion, sparsely setose, 2.2 × as wide as long (Fig. 7 A, B ); clypeus about 2.5 × as wide as long anteriorly, smooth, with lower margin convex (Fig. 7 B ); tentorial pits round (Fig. 7 B ); malar space 1.4 × basal width of mandible, with subocular sulcus; mandible broad with single broad tooth (Fig. 7 B ); temple smooth, setose (Fig. 7 A ); frons sparsely punctate; vertex smooth and sparsely setose (Fig. 7 C ); eye glabrous, 1.1 × as long as temple in dorsal view (Fig. 7 B, C ); OOL: diameter of lateral ocellus: POL = 1.5: 1.0: 1.0; antenna with 14 flagellomeres; scape subcylindrical, medial flagellomeres as long as wide (Fig. 7 A – C ); first flagellomere 0.9 × as long as second flagellomere, 1.6 × as long as wide; second flagellomere 1.5 × as long as wide.

Mesosoma. Mesosoma 2.0 × as long as high (Fig. 7 E ); dorsal part of pronotum crenulated medially, with transverse wrinkles anteriorly (Fig. 7 D ); pronotum laterally crenulated in middle (Fig. 7 E ); mesoscutum flat in lateral view, smooth, sparsely setose, with a pair of elongate pits postero-laterally (Fig. 7 D, E ); notaulus shallow, only impressed anteriorly (Fig. 7 D ); scuto-scutellar groove wide, smooth, without crenulations (Fig. 7 D ); scutellum smooth, setose, glabrous medially (Fig. 7 D ); mesopleuron smooth, setose (Fig. 7 E ); mesopleural furrow narrowly crenulated (Fig. 7 E ); epicnemial carina present, joining with subtegular ridge and forming a smooth crenulated continuous groove anteriorly (Fig. 7 E ); metapleuron coarsely rugose, sparsely setose (Fig. 7 E ); propodeum rugose, smooth baso-laterally; area superomedia narrowing anteriorly, widened medially, parallel-sided apically with crenulations laterally; costula indistinct; posterior transverse carina present; area dentipara longer than wide, rugose; pleural carina complete (Fig. 7 F ).

Legs. Femora robust (Fig. 7 A ); hind coxa smooth (Fig. 8 A ); hind femur 3.8 × as long as wide; hind tibia 4.6 × as long as wide; hind basitarsus 4.4 × as long as wide.

Wings. Wings hyaline (Fig. 8 D ); pterostigma 2.8 × as long as wide; fore wing vein 2 r & RS joining to pterostigma in middle, 1.3 × 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 slightly postfurcal (Fig. 8 D ); hind wing with nervellus (vein CU) intercepted in middle (Fig. 8 D ).

Metasoma. First metasomal tergite distinctly longitudinally striate-rugose, setose with strong dorsal carina, polished posteriorly (Fig. 8 C ); 1.9 × as long as wide; spiracle situated at middle of tergite (Fig. 8 A ); second tergite polished, sparsely setose, 0.9 × as long as wide posteriorly, with distinct small thyridium (Fig. 8 B ); third tergite polished, sparsely setose, 0.8 × as long as wide posteriorly (Fig. 8 B ); tergites 4–7 polished, sparsely setose (Fig. 8 B ); hypopygium straight posteriorly; ovipositor hardly exposed; sheath setose apically, 0.1 × as long as hind tibia (Fig. 8 A, B ).

Colour. Body predominantly black; antenna except scape and pedicel, pterostigma, wing veins, hind coxa dark brown; scape, pedicel, mandible, maxillary and labial palps, tegula, fore and mid legs, hind leg except coxa and ovipositor sheath yellow.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution.

India.

Etymology.

The new species is named after Mr. Sandesh Kadur, Director of Felis Creations, Honorary Fellow of ATREE, Senior Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers and a National Geographic Explorer for his outstanding contributions towards the documentation, conservation and protection of the planet’s biodiversity.

Comparative diagnosis.

The new species is similar to M. splendidulus in having the median flagellomeres distinctly transverse and first flagellomere sharply widened apically. In addition to the differences given in the key, the new species differs from M. splendidulus in having the following characters: malar space 1.4 × as long as basal width of mandible (0.8 × in M. splendidulus ) and the first flagellomere 0.8 × as long as the second (1.1 × in M. splendidulus ).

Figures

Figure 7. Microleptes sandeshkaduri Ranjith & Humala, sp. nov., holotype, female A habitus, lateral view B head, anterior view C head, dorsal view D mesosoma, dorsal view E mesosoma, lateral view F propodeum, dorsal view.

Figure 8. Microleptes sandeshkaduri Ranjith & Humala, sp. nov., holotype, female A metasoma, lateral view B metasoma, dorsal view C first metasomal tergite, dorsal view D wings.