A new species and new records ofparasitic wasps (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) of wood boring beetles from southern Western Ghats, Kerala, India
P.M. Sureshan1 & Dhanya Balan2
1,2 Zoological Survey of India,
Western Ghats Regional Centre, Jafferkhan Colony, Eranhipalam P.O., Kozhikode, Kerala 673006, India
1 pmsuresh43@yahoo.com (corresponding author), 2 dhanyamkrishna@gmail.com
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o3272.4537-41 | ZooBank:urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CB99E6EE-4BFA-4581-81AF-4320EB3F0A02
Editor: Hui Xiao,
Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang,
China. Date
of publication: 26 July 2013 (online & print)
Manuscript details: Ms #
o3272 | Received 27 August 2012 | Final received 25 April 2013 | Finally
accepted 03 July 2013
Citation: Sureshan,
P.M. & D. Balan (2013). A new species and new records of parasitic wasps (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) ofwood
boring beetles from southern Western Ghats, Kerala, India. Journal of
Threatened Taxa 5(11): 4537–4541; http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o3272.4537-41
Copyright: © Sureshan& Balan 2013. Creative Commons
Attribution 3.0 Unported License. JoTT allows unrestricted use of this article in any medium,
reproduction and distribution by providing adequate credit to the authors and
the source of publication.
Funding: The work is based on the
annual research programme of Zoological Survey of
India, WGRC, Calicut (Ministry of Environment & Forests,
Govt. of India)
Competing Interest: None.
Acknowledgements: We
are grateful to Dr. K. Venkataraman, Director,
Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata for providing all
the facilities for the work and encouragement. PMS is grateful to Dr. John S. Noyes,
The Natural History Museum, UK and Dr. T.C. Narendran,
Professor (Emeritus), Zoological Survey of India, Kozhikode for providing
valuable reprints for reference. We
are also thankful to Mr. C. Bijoy, Junior research
fellow, ZSI, Kozhikode for helping to prepare the photographs. Thanks are also due the Chief Wildlife
Warden, Kerala and the forest officials of ChinnarWildlife Sanctuary, Mannavanshola National Park and Eravikulam National Park for granting permission to conductfaunistic surveys and make collections and for the
various help rendered during the field work.
Abstract: A new species of Pteromalidae(Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) parasitisingwood boring beetles, Cleonymus kamijoi,
and two species of Pteromalidae, Trigonoderus pulcher Walker and male of Heydenia tuberculata Sureshanare reported for the first time from the southern Western Ghats, Kerala. The genus TrigonoderusWestwood is reported for the first time from India and the male of Heydenia tuberculata Sureshan is reported and described for the first
time.
Keywords: Cleonymus, Heydenia,
Kerala, new record, new species, southern Western Ghats, Trigonoderus.
Abbreviations: F1–F6 - Funicular
segments 1 to 6; MV - Marginal vein; OOL - Ocelloculardistance; PMV - Post marginal vein; POL - Post-ocellardistance; SMV - Submarginal vein; STV - Stigmal vein; T1–T7 - Gastral tergites 1-7; ZSIK - Zoological Survey of India,
Western Ghat Regional Centre, Kozhikode, Kerala,
India.
For figures, images -- click here
During faunal exploration
surveys conducted in the forested tracts of southern Western Ghats some rare
and interesting species of insect parasitoids belonging to the family Pteromalidae were collected, these include one new species of the
genus Cleonymus Latreilleand the other species were Trigonoderus pulcher Walker and Heydenia tuberculata Sureshan. Cleonymusis a rare genus known for 42 species globally of which only four species are
known from the Oriental Region and one C. keralicus Narendran & Rajmohanafrom India. They are primary
parasitoids of wood boring beetles of the families Anobiidae,Bostrichidae, Buprestidae, Anthribidae, Cerambycidae, Curculionidae and Scolytidae(Gibson 2003). The second Indian
species, Cleonymus kamijoiis described here as new to science. The present species is based on a single specimen whichshows unique features distinguishing it from other related species and all
efforts to collect further specimens did not yield any additional material.
Trigonoderus pulcher (Walker), collected from the
core area of Eravikulam National Park where temperate
climatic conditions prevail during most of the seasons. HeydeniaForster is known for 18 global species of which three are from India. They are parasitoids of larvae and pupae
of wood-boring beetles of the families Buprestidae, Cerambycidae, Curculionidae and Scolytidae. The
Indian species H. tuberculata Sureshan,2002 was described from the female holotype collected
from the forested tracts of southern Western Ghats of KodaguDistrict, Karnataka, India. The
male specimen of the species is reported here for the first time.
The specimens of the present
study are deposited in the Zoological Survey of India, Western Ghat Regional Centre, Kozhikode(ZSIK). The morphology used in this
paper follows generally that of Gibson (1997).
Cleonymus kamijoi sp. nov.
(Figs. 1–2, Image 1)
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:97285470-2288-49A8-B58C-16EABDDC6D69
Material examined: Holotype: ZSI/WGRS/IR-INV-2261, female, 7.iv.2012, 10011’21”N
& 77011’17”E, Mannavanshola National
Park, Idukki, Kerala, India, coll. K. Rajmohana.
Etymology: The species is named in honour of Dr.
Kazuaki Kamijo, Bibai, Hokkaido Japan for his remarkable contributions on the
systematic studies on Japan Pteromalidae.
Description: Female: Length: 5mm. Head and mesosoma except propodeumdark green with bronzy reflection, propodeum bright
metallic blue; gaster dark brownish-black with
metallic blue reflection on T1 and T2 completely and hind part of other tergites dorsally; all coxae and
hind femora concolorous with mesosoma,
rest of legs yellowish-brown except tibiae and distal tarsal segments
brownish-black; eyes and ocelli pink; antennae
blackish-brown except scape basally and F5,F6 testaceous;tegulae testaceous, veinsbrown, wings hyaline with two brown infumate patches
one below parastigma and other below STV which are
incompletely interconnected, apical margin with pale brown infumationand small brown patch in the lower margin below parastigmaas seen in Image 1.
Head: Uniformly raised reticulate, reticulation finer on clypeus and paraclypeal area; scrobe as deep
depressions above each torulus with inter-antennal
region slightly raised, parascrobal region little
raised near toruli, pubescence dense on lower face;
eyes separated 1.7x their length at level of trouli.
In dorsal view head width 2.6x width; POL 2x OOL; eyes pubescent; temple very
narrow; antennae (Fig. 1) inserted slightly below level of lower margin of
eyes; scape 0.7x as long as eye, pedicel plus flagellum 0.9x width of head;
pedicel 1.9x as long as broad, anellus slightly
longer than half of peidcel and slightly longer than
wide (5.5:4.5), sutures between funicular segments rather obscure; all
funicular segments with two rows of sensillae and
with short dense setae.
Mesosoma: 1.71x as long as broad; pronotum 0.6x as long as broad,
shorter than mesoscutum (20:24). Mesoscutum2x as broad as long; pronotum, mesoscutumand scutellum coarsely reticulate; pronotum with a narrow smooth strip posteriorly, pubescence
rather sparse. Scutellum highly convex, almost
round, as long as broad, with dense setae on posterior margin. Dorsellum smooth and shiny. Propodeummedially 0.53x as long as scutellum, almost
completely shiny except finely engraved reticulate on callus and near median
carina; median carina strong, complete, joined with strong posterior transverse
carina, foveae on anterior margin well developed, foveae on either side of
medina carina distinct; spiracles large, oval, separated from hind margin of metanotum less than its diameter, plicaeabsent, plical area with foveae, callus densely
hairy. Prepectus broad similarly sculptured as on Pronotum. Mesospleuron and metapleurondensely reticulate except upper mesepimeronsmooth. All coxaeand femora strongly engraved reticulate, hind femur swollen, 2.5x as long as
broad, ventral edge finely but distinctly serrate; hind tibia with two unequal
spurs. Forewing
length 2.53x width, almost completely hairy, costal cell hairy on the upper
half. Relative lengths of SMV 33, MV 18, PMV 15, STV
10.
Metasoma: Gaster(Fig. 2)1.4x as long as mesosoma,
2.3x as long as broad in dorsal view; T1 with dense pubescence laterally in the
base, T1 and T2 almost completely smooth, T3 transversely aciculate strigose basally, T4 ¾ portion, T5 and T6 almost
completely except a distal smooth strip, epipygiumcompletely aciculate reticulate; T5 1.23x as long as T4, posterior margin of tergites almost straight; hypopygiumreaching hind margin of T3.
Male: Unknown.
Remarks: In the key to oriental species of Cleonymus(Narendran & Rajmohana2008), this species runs into couplet three and closely resembles C. grandiceps Xiao et Huang in general morphology but differs from it in having
antennae with pedicel shorter than anellus and F1
combined, F1 longer than broad, pedicellus plus
flagellum 0.9x head width, pronotum only little
shorter than mesoscutum (20:24) and 0.6x as long as
broad, mesoscutum 2x as broad as long , forewing withinfumate bands not clearly joined in the middle , and
the one below parastigma not touching the lower
margin , separated from the small band on hind margin of wing and in large size
(5mm), (in grandiceps antennae with pedicel
longer than anellus and F1 combined, all funicular
segments quadrate, pedicel plus flagellum distinctly longer than head width, pronotum about half as long as mesoscutumand 0.4x as long as broad, forewing with infumatebands joined in the middle and the band below parastigmatouching lower and upper margin). This species also resembles C. serrulatus Kamijo, 1996 and C. togashii Kamijo, 1996 in the nature of infumationon forewing, body colour, nature of gaster and nature of hind femur but differs from them as
follows; in C. serrulatus Kamijofrons in front of ocelli very weakly raised
reticulate, F1 a little longer than pedicel and about as long as broad, scutellum often not convex with dense setae, propodeum with foveae along either side of median carina
almost absent, hind transverse carina thin and gaster1.8–2.1x as long as broad (in kamijoisp. nov. frons in front of ocellidistinctly raised reticulate, F1 distinctly longer than pedicel, scutellum highly convex with less setae, propodeum with foveae along either side of median carina
distinct, hind transverse carina strong and gaster2.3x as long as broad). The new
species differs from C. togashii in body colourwhich is mostly dark green with bronzy reflection, propodeumbright metallic blue, gaster dark brownish-black with
metallic blue reflection on T1 and T2 , POL 2xOOL, F1 distinctly longer than
broad with two rows of sensillae, mesosoma1.71x as long as broad, gaster 2.3x as long as broad
( in togashii body bronzy; gasterwith T2-T7 dark purplish, F1-F6 about quadrate, F1 with a row of numerous sensillae, mesosoma 2x as long as
broad and gaster 2.5–2.6x as long as
broad). From the Indian species C.keralicus Narendran and Rajmohana, 2008 the new species differs in the nature of colour, different type infumationon forewing different antenna, mesosoma and gaster.
Trigonoderus pulcherWalker
(Image 2)
Trigonoderus pulcher Walker, 1836. Ent. Mag., 4:16. F, Lectotype(BMNH)
Trigonoderus contemptus Walker, 1836. Ent.
Mag., 4: 22. Synonymized by Graham 1969: 101.
Material examined: ZSI/WGRS/
IR-INV-2262, female, 10.iv.2012, 10013’16”N & 7704’42”E,Eravikulam hut area, EravikulamNational Park, Idukki, Kerala, India, coll. P.M. Sureshan.
Description: Female: Length 4.1mm. Head and mesosoma metallic bluish green, with
strong brassy reflection on dorsal part of mesosoma, gaster brown with metallic blue reflection on basal part oftergites; eyes cupreous, ocellipink, antennae with scape testaceous, pedicel brown,
rest of antenna blackish-brown, mandibles dark brown; legs except coxae and distal tarsal segments testaceous,coxae pale brown except hind coxaedarker, distal tarsal segments of mid and hind legs brown; tegulae testaceous, veins brown, wings hyaline, pubescence
brown.
Head: In dorsal view width 2x length; POL 1.4x OOL, reticulation fine
on vertex and occipital area; temples round, 0.3x eye length. In front view,
head width 1.3x height, gena finely reticulate, eyes
separated by their individual height at level of toruli,
eye length 1.5x width (in profile). Clypeus with distinct blunt median tooth, clypeus and adjacent areas
including malar space polished, rest of face moderately reticulate with broad
meshes; malar groves distinct, tentorial pits
distinct, malar space half as long as eye, area just below toruliconically elevated; scrobe deep, almost round 1.15x
as broad as long, scrobal area almost fine, with a
faint slit like median groove; pubescence moderately long and dense on lower
face. Antennae inserted below
middle of face above lower ocular line; the distance between lower margin of toruli to anterior margin of clypeus half that of distance
between it and lower margin of front ocellus; scape
0.8x eye length, anelli transverse, pedicel plus
flagellum 1.54x width of head, pedicel 1.5x as long as broad and 0.52x F1; F1
longest, 1.31x F2, clava 2x as long as preceding
segment. Relative lengths scape 29,
pedicel 9, F1 17, F2 13, F3, F4 12.5, F5, F6 10.5, clava21; all funicular segments with 3 rows of sensillae, micropilosity area of clavarestricted in the tip.
Mesosoma: 0.61x as long as gaster. Pronotum 1.4x as
broad as long in dorsal view, finely and irregularly reticulate on collar, transversely
reticulate on neck and lateral panel, distinctly carinateanteriorly in the centre. Mesoscutumdistinctly raised reticulate with broad meshes, 1.7x
as broad as long, notauli complete, deep. Scutellumlittle convex, as long as broad, reticulation distinct and coarse on area in
front of frenum and meshes smaller and finer on frenal area, frenal groove deep
and distinct, posterior rim with distinct foveae. Dorsellumpolished, in the form of a semicircular lobe. Propodeummedially half as long as scutellum, median carina
distinct, almost completely polished except for the fine aciculationon callus; plicae distinct, present only in the
posterior half; spiracles large, oval, separated from hind margin of metanotum by little less than its diameter (4:5.5),
anterior submedian foveae and post spiracular sulcus deep; prepectusreticulate punctuate on the hind part, anterior half smooth. Mesopleuronwith upper mesepisternum reticulate punctate, lower mesepisternum aciculate, mesepimeronand metapleuron almost fine. Forewing with basal cell completely
hairy, speculum almost absent , discalpubescence otherwise dense, basal setal fold
distinct, costal cell hairy in the upper half and completely pubescent
distally. Relative
lengths SMV 52, MV 30, PMV 41, STV 9.5. All coxaefinely aciculate reticulate and densely hairy, hind tibia with two unequal
spurs, densely setate. Relative lengths: hind coxa 23, femur 40, tibia 48, tarsus42.
Metasoma: Petiole transverse, gaster lanceolate, 1.3x as long
as head plus mesosoma combined, and 3.13x as long as
broad in dorsal view, dorsally collapsing; ovipositor distinctly exerted
out. Hind margin of T1 incised
medially, T2–T4 straight, T5 distinctly concave. Tergiteslaterally with long white pubescence, T1–T2 polished, T3–T5 finely
aciculate in the basal part, T6 finely and transversely reticulate, epipygium 1.43x as long as broad in dorsal view, hypopygium reaching hind margin of T3.
Distribution: Japan, Europe, India (present study).
Remarks: In the key to Japanese species by Kamijo(2000) the present specimen keyed out in to T. pulcherWalker and match with morphology of Japanese specimens. In the present specimen combined length
of pedicellus plus flagellum 1.54x breadth of head
(1.3-1.53x in Japanese and 1.25–1.35x in European specimens), F1 2.3x as
long as broad (1.95–2.9x in Japanese and 1.8–2.3x in European) F6
1.4x as long as broad (1.2–1.8x in Japanese and 1–1.55x in
European), clava 2.2x as long as broad
(2.33–2.84x in Japanese and 2.1–2.6x in European), gaster 3.13x as long as broad (2.4–3.6x in Japanese
and 2.3–3.2x in European ), T7 1.4x as long as
broad (broader than long to 1.4x in Japanese and at most as long as broad in
European). T. pulcher was treated as a
synonym of T.princeps Westwood until Graham (1969)
removed it from the synonymy. According to Kamijo (2000) T. pulcher is a very variable species and show characters
intermediate between T. pulcher and T. princeps Westwood and both the species may eventually
prove to be synonymous when further specimens from various regions are
examined. In the key to the
European species by Graham (1969) also the present specimen keyed out in to T.pulcher with slight variations in the character
of combined length of pedicellus plus flagellum 1.54x
breadth of head (1.3–1.35x in the key), and gaster1.3x as long as head plus mesosoma combined (not more
than 1.2x as long as head plus mesosoma in the
key). This is the first report of
the species from India. The
collection of the species from the high hill ranges of southern Western Ghats
prove the occurrence of true palearctic elements in
the fragmented forests which experience a temperate climate in most of the
seasons.
Heydenia tuberculata Sureshan,
2000
(Image 3)
2000. Heydenia tuberculata Sureshan, Zoos’
Print Journal. XV.2.197. F, India: Karnataka (ZSIK).
Material examined: ZSI/WGRS/IR-INV-2212,
1 male, 5.iv.2012, 10022’20”N & 77015’0”E,Vasyapara, Chinnar Wildlife
Sanctuary, Idukki District, Kerala, India, coll. P.M.Sureshan.
Description: Male:
Length: 1.8mm. Resembles female in
general morphology but differs as follows: Color: head and meososmagenerally testaceous with dorsal part brown, ocellar triangle black, gasterdark brown with basal part testaceous; tips of hind coxae and femur brown; transverse band of silvery scales
across face narrow, less distinct; median tubercle of propodeumnot much projecting, less distinct; gaster (including
petiole) short, 0,9x as long as head plus mesosomacombined.
Distribution: India: Karnataka, Kerala (present study).
Remarks: The
species is unique in having a distinct median ‘Y’ shaped carina on propodeum with a curved tubercle at the junction of ‘Y’ and
was described from a single female holotype collected
from the Kodagu District of Karnataka, India and the
present specimen is the first record of male of the species and record of the
species for the first time from Kerala. Both the specimens are collected by sweeping over dead wood infested
with wood boring beetles from forested tracts of southern Western Ghats and are
believed to be parasitoids of the wood boring beetles.
REFERENCES
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and Terminology, pp. 16–44. In: Gibson, G.A.P., J.T.
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Nearctic Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera). NRC Research Press, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, 794pp.
Gibson, G.A.P (2003). Phylogenetics and Classification of Cleonyminae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea:Pteromalidae). International
Associated Publishers, Gainesville, USA, 339pp.
Graham, M.W.R. de V. (1969). The Pteromalidaeof north-western Europe (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural
History) (Entomology) 16: 908.
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