Research Article |
Corresponding author: Ankita Gupta ( drankitagupta7@gmail.com ) Academic editor: Gavin Broad
© 2022 Ankita Gupta, Cornelis Van Achterberg, José L. Fernández-Triana.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Gupta A, Van Achterberg C, Fernández-Triana JL (2022) Two new species of Braconidae (Hymenoptera) from the foothills of western Himalayas, India, with a key to Oriental species of Pambolus Haliday and an update to the key to world species of Paroplitis Mason. Journal of Hymenoptera Research 90: 59-73. https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.90.81886
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Two new species of Braconidae parasitoid wasps, Pambolus (Phaenodus) infuscatus Gupta & van Achterberg sp. nov. (Pambolinae) and Paroplitis khajjiarensis Gupta & Fernández-Triana sp. nov. (Microgastrinae) are described and illustrated from Himachal Pradesh, India. A key to the Oriental species of Pambolus and an update to the key to world species of Paroplitis are provided. Additionally, Centistes (Centistes) cuspidatus (Haliday) (Euphorinae) is reported for the first time from the Indian geographical boundaries.
India, new species, Pambolus, Paroplitis
The Western Himalayas encompasses one-tenth of the world’s known higher-altitude species which includes the biodiversity rich Indian states of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Sikkim, where elevations vary from 300 m to more than 6000 m (Padma, 2014). The districts Kinnaur, Kullu and Chamba of Himachal Pradesh, serve as important observational sites in the high altitude transition zones or ecotones, which are rich in flora and fauna and include rare and endangered species, to show responses to climatic variations owing to their fragile landscapes (
The genus Pambolus Haliday, 1836 (Braconidae: Pambolinae) was earlier included in the subfamily Hormiinae Foerster, 1863 (
The genus Paroplitis Mason, 1981 (Braconidae, Microgastrinae) is distributed in the Nearctic, Palaearctic and Oriental Regions (
The genus Centistes (Centistes) Haliday, 1835 (Braconidae, Euphorinae) is distributed in the Palaearctic and Oriental Regions (Yunnan and Guizhou provinces of China) (Chen & van Achterberg 1997). The subgenus Centistes is represented by two species in India: C. (Centistes) indicus Ahmad, Haider & Shujauddin and C. (Centistes) splendidus Papp. In this paper, Centistes (Centistes) cuspidatus (Haliday) is reported for the first time from India.
The specimens of the new species were collected while sweeping the forests with vegetation consisting of Cedrus deodara (Roxb.) and Pinus sp. situated in Khajjiar, Himachal Pradesh (Fig.
Holotype. India. ♀; Himachal Pradesh, Chamba District, Khajjiar, 32.555795°N, 76.0655834°E, 24 Sept. 2014; Ankita Gupta leg; (NIM). code–NBAIR/Brac/Pamb/Pamb/24914A (NIM).
The species epithet “infuscatus” is derived from the character of the wing which is largely infuscated.
Antenna of ♀ 1.3× longer than body, without ivory or white apical segments and in total with about 24 segments; eye about 1.6 times longer than temple in dorsal view and temple gradually narrowed behind eyes (Fig.
Female holotype of Pambolus (Phaenodus) infuscatus Gupta & van Achterberg sp. nov. A habitus B head (in frontal aspect) C vertex D mesosoma and metasoma (in dorsal aspect) E mesoscutum and scutellum (in dorsal aspect) F fore wing and hind wing G mesopleuron and propodeum (in lateral aspect).
Female. Body length 3.0 mm; fore wing length 2.5 mm.
Head.
Antenna 24 segmented, 1.3× as long as body; scape 1.5× as long as wide, F1 3.2× as long as wide and as long as F2; head transverse, ca. 1.1× as wide as long in dorsal view, temple smooth, distinctly widening ventrally, widest distance from eyes 2.0× as long as eye dorsally; eye length 1.6× temple in dorsal view (Fig.
Mesosoma.
Mesosoma 1.7× as long as wide in dorsal view, median and lateral lobes of mesoscutum granulate-reticulate, sparsely setose; notauli indistinct anteriorly surrounded by strong crenulae, rather prominent posteriorly; scutellar sulcus deep and broad with six crenulae, mesoscutum median length 2× as long as scutellum, propodeal spine triangular-shaped (Fig.
Wings.
Fore wing 3.1× as long as wide, 2.4× as long as hind tibia; pterostigma 4.1× as long as wide, 0.7× length of R1, r arising slightly behind middle of pterostigma; r almost subequal width of pterostigma; 3-SR 1.6× as long as r, 1.2× 2-SR, 0.5× SR1; r-m 0.6× 3-SR; marginal cell 2.5× as wide as high, SR1 bent at an angle; 1-SR+M bent (Fig.
Legs. Hind leg setose, hind femur 3.8× as long as wide, hind tarsus almost as long as hind tibia, hind basitarsus 0.7× as long as tarsal segment 2–4 combined.
Metasoma. Metasoma 0.7× as long as head and mesosoma combined in lateral view; T1 longitudinally striated, strongly broadening posteriorly; T1 0.9× as long as broad apically, spiracles almost near middle; remaining tergites smooth; ovipositor sheath 0.8× as long as tarsomere 2–4 combined; setose part of ovipositor sheath 0.3× as long as hind tibia; ovipositor short, straight and pointed.
Colour.
Head yellowish brown with dark brown patches; eyes grey, stemmaticum, propleuron, mesopleuron, propodeum black on edges; mesonotum dark brown except yellowish notaulic region (middle and posterior), legs in general brownish except pale trochantellus, yellowish tarsi and dark brown hind femur and tibia (but bases of femur and tibia pale); metasoma reddish brown; T1 yellowish brown with darker edges, ovipositor sheath dark brown; mandibles yellowish brown; tip of mandibles and tarsal claws dark brown, antennal segment F1–F10 yellowish brown; F11–F22 dark brown; ocelli transparent; wings infuscate except apical one fourth, pterostigma dark brown, veins brown, but veins SR1 (except base) and apical half of vein 1-R1 yellow and veins r and r-m subhyaline (Fig.
Male. Unknown.
Unknown.
India (Himachal Pradesh).
This new species comes near to Pambolus (Ph.) topali Papp, 1996, however differs in the following characters: Eyes about 1.6× as long as temple in dorsal view; hind femur 3.8 times longer than broad medially and antenna with 24 segments (vs eyes about 2.0× as long as temple in dorsal view; hind femur 4.6–5.0× as long as broad medially; antenna with 27–30 segments).
1 | Males macropterous and vein r-m of fore wing absent; females more or less brachypterous or nearly wingless and dorsal half of temple sculptured and rather matt; mesopleuron usually sculptured; [unknown from Oriental region] | subgenus Pambolus Haliday, 1836 |
– | Males macropterous and vein r-m of fore wing present, if brachypterous then dorsal half of temple smooth and shiny; females macropterous and vein r-m of fore wing present (Figs |
2 |
2 | Ovipositor sheath 1.0–1.3× as long as hind tibia; antenna of ♀ about twice as long as body (and at least as long as fore wing) and with 37–51 segments; [vein r of fore wing as wide as vein 3-SR or narrower; pterostigma about 4× as long as wide] | 3 |
– | Ovipositor sheath 0.3–0.7× as long as hind tibia (Fig. |
4 |
3 | Ovipositor sheath about as long as hind tibia; antenna of ♀ with about 37 segments; propodeal spine parallel-sided; vein 3-SR of fore wing as wide as vein r or nearly so; eye about 3× as long as temple in dorsal view | P. (Phaenodus) nepalensis Papp, 1996 |
– | Ovipositor sheath about 1.3× as long as hind tibia; antenna of ♀ with about 51 segments; propodeal spine widened basally; vein 3-SR of fore wing distinctly wider than vein r; eye about twice as long as temple in dorsal view | P. (Phaenodus) mostovskii (Belokobylskij, 1999) |
4 | Length of first metasomal tergite 0.7× its apical width; eye about 4.0× as long as temple in dorsal view and temple directly narrowed behind eyes; apical antennal segments of ♀ yellowish brown; face smooth; [malar space 2.0–2.5× basal width of mandible; pterostigma 4–5× longer than wide; antenna of ♀ with about 26 segments] | P. (Phaenodus) ignarus Papp, 1996 |
– | Length of first tergite 0.9–1.3× its apical width (Fig. |
5 |
5 | Second metasomal tergite largely striate; propodeal spine slightly protruding, about as long as wide basally; temple directly narrowed behind eye and head distinctly transverse in dorsal view; [hind femur about 3.4× longer than wide; antenna of ♀ with about 24 segments and 1.3× longer than body; pterostigma pale brownish] | P. (Phaenodus) unicolor Belokobylskij, 1994 |
– | Second tergite smooth or largely so; propodeal spine distinctly protruding, longer than wide basally (Fig. |
6 |
6 | Antenna of ♀ 1.5–1.7× as long as body; eye 2.7–3.3× as long as temple in dorsal view and temple more directly narrowed behind eyes; hind femur 3.5–3.8× longer than wide; first metasomal tergite 1.1–1.3× longer than its apical width; [antenna with 33–40 segments and 5–11 ivory or whitish apical segments; face smooth (according to original description variable, sometimes sculptured), vertex and occiput coriaceous to rugulose] | P. (Phaenodus) ruficeps Belokobylskij, 1988 |
– | Antenna of ♀ 0.9–1.3× as long as body (Fig. |
7 |
7 | Vein r of fore wing about twice as wide as vein 3-SR; pterostigma about 3× longer than wide; antenna of ♀ about as long as body; [antenna of ♀ apically with about 13 ivory or white segments and in total with about 29 segments; wing membrane subhyaline] | P. (Phaenodus) shujai Ahmad, 2019 |
– | Vein r of fore wing as wide as vein 3-SR; pterostigma 4–6× longer than wide (Fig. |
8 |
8 | Eye about 3× longer than temple in dorsal view and temple more narrowed behind eyes; pterostigma light brown; antenna of ♀ with 5–15 ivory or white apical segments and antenna with 31–41 segments | P. (Phaenodus) caudalis Belokobylskij, 1988 |
– | Eye about twice longer than temple in dorsal view or less and temple less narrowed behind eyes (Fig. |
9 |
9 | Pterostigma yellow; wing membrane subhyaline; vein 1-SR+M of fore wing straight or nearly so; hind femur, tibia and tarsus yellow; vein SR1 of fore wing 3.2× longer than vein 3-SR | P. (Phaenodus) topali Papp, 1996 |
– | Pterostigma largely dark brown; fore wing membrane (except apex of wing) largely dark brown (Fig. |
P. (Phaenodus) infuscatus sp. nov. |
Holotype. India. ♀; Himachal Pradesh, Chamba District, Khajjiar, 32.555795°N, 76.0655834°E, 24 Sept. 2014; Ankita Gupta leg; (NIM), code–NBAIR/Brac/Micg/Paro/24914A (NIM).
Paratype. India. one ♂, same data as holotype, code–NBAIR/Brac/Micg/Paro/24914B (NIM).
The species epithet is derived from the collection locality.
Female. Body length 3.16 mm; fore wing length 3.30 mm.
Head 1.57× as wide as long; face sparsely setose, frons bare and eyes densely setose; clypeus 2.46× as wide as long. OOL/OD: 2.7×; POL/OD: 2.2×. Scape 1.82× as wide as long; pedicel 1.27× as wide as long; F2 2.6× as long as wide; F14 1.7× as long as wide; F15 1.8× as long as wide; F2 L/F14 L: 1.6×.
Mesosoma 1.33× longer than wide; mesoscutum sparsely setose and shallowly punctate. Fore wing length: 3.30 mm. Fore wing with vein 3-Cu1 entirely nebulous; vein 1-R1 (0.58) shorter than pterostigma length (0.74) and a little longer than distance delimited between end of vein 1-R1 and end of vein SR1 (0.47). Fore wing with areolet triangular and relatively small, its maximum height 0.33× vein r length, its maximum width 0.72× vein r length. Length of veins M+Cu1: 1-M: 1.03: 0.33; 1Cu1: 2Cu1:m-cu: 0.19: 0.21:0.18. Propodeum rugose, with rugosity along median transverse area, with trace of some transverse carina; median longitudinal carina complete; propodeal areola absent. Metafemur L/W: 3.6×.
Metasoma. T1 parallel sided and strongly longitudinally striate, T2 longitudinally striate on lateral sides and basal half, remaining tergites smooth and shiny. T1 median length 2× its width at posterior margin; T2 width at posterior margin 2.29× its median length. Hind tibia L: 1.14 mm. Ovipositor sheath L: 0.44 mm. Hind tibia length 2.59× length of ovipositor sheath. Maximum length of setae on ovipositor sheath (0.09) at most slightly longer than maximum width of ovipositor sheath (0.06). Hypopygium sclerotized.
Colour.
Female (Fig.
Paroplitis khajjiarensis Gupta & Fernández-Triana sp. nov. A male in habitus (lateral view) B female fore wing C female (in dorsal aspect) D female F10–F15 E female F1–F3 F female head in frontal view G female vertex H female antenna I female propodeum J female T1 and T2 K ovipositor sheaths.
Male. Paratype (Fig.
India (Himachal Pradesh). Besides the type locality (Khajjiar),
Paroplitis khajjiarensis was keyed out (as an undescribed species) in
Here we propose a correction to the first couplet of the key by
India. 4♀; Himachal Pradesh, Chamba District, Khajjiar, 32.555795°N, 76.0655834°E, 24 Sept. 2014; Ankita Gupta leg; (NIM), code–NBAIR/Brac/Micg/Cent/24914 (NIM).
Length of body 3.03 mm. Antennae 25 segmented. Eye length subequal to temple in dorsal view. Temple almost linearly narrowed behind eye. Precoxal sulcus completely absent. Fore wing: 1-SR+M of fore wing distinct, m-cu not interstitial. Fifth tarsal segment of hind legs distinctly thickened. Propodeum rugose anteriorly. First metasomal tergite distinctly longitudinally striate, without dorsal and medio-longitudinal carinae; 1.1–1.3 times longer than its apical width. Second metasomal tergite length subequal to its apical width. Length of ovipositor sheath almost subequal to first metasomal tergite length.
The genus Centistes (Centistes) Haliday, is mainly distributed in the Palaearctic and Oriental Regions (Yunnan and Guizhou provinces of China). Based on the surveys, the distribution range of this species is expanded to India.
AG is thankful to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi and to the director of ICAR–NBAIR for research facilities. She acknowledges financial support of SERB scheme: CRG/2021/001523 for Braconidae taxonomic studies.