Promicrogaster flava Ranjith & Fernandez-Triana 2024, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Ranjith, A. P.
name: Fernández-Triana, Jose
name: Sushama, V.
name: Rajmohana, K.
name: Priyadarsanan, Dharma Rajan
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Braconidae
Promicrogaster
Promicrogaster flava

description: Promicrogaster flava Ranjith & Fernandez-Triana sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: C44114BA-8E56-44AC-AE17-1D31E820D3CF
(Figs 5–6)
Material examined. Holotype, female INDIA: West Bengal, Nimpith, 22°09’21” N, 88°26’08” E, 8 m. a.s.l., 3.x.2021, coll. Sushama, M. (AIMB). Paratypes, 2 females, INDIA: Kerala, Malappuram, Changaramkulam, 10°44’10.64” N, 76°1’44.53” E, 15 m.a.s.l., 16.i.2022, coll. Keerthana, H. (AIMB).
Diagnosis. Even though P. flava exhibits morphological characters of Exoryza Mason, 1981, we maintain this species under Promicrogaster based on the following character similarities with other species of the genus; long ovipositor sheaths (2.4 × as long as metatibia), propodeum carination, and enlarged lunules on lateral face of scutellum. This new species is readily distinguished from the Oriental species by its propodeum with complete areola (Fig. 5F), metasoma completely yellow (Figs 5A, 6A, B), and second metasomal suture distinctly impressed and crenulated (Fig. 6B). Promicrogaster flava sp. nov. is similar to P. incompleta sp. nov. based on its parallel-sided mediotergite 1. Apart from the differences listed under the diagnosis section of P. incompleta, it differs based on the following characters; dorsal length of eye 1.8 × as long as gena (1.4 × in P. incompleta sp. nov.), middle lobe of mesoscutum not convex or elevated (distinctly elevated in P. incompleta sp. nov.), fore wing vein 1CUa 0.6 × as long as 1Cub (as long as 1CUb in P. incompleta sp. nov.), and metafemur 4.5 × as long as its maximum width (2.8 × in P. incompleta sp. nov.).
Description. Female, holotype
Body length 3.0 mm, fore wing 3.0 mm.
Head. Head 1.2, 1.8 × wider than long anteriorly and dorsally. Face punctate, setose with a short sulcus antero-medially, 1.8 × wider than long (Fig. 5B). Clypeus punctate, setose with straight ventral margin (Fig. 5B). Eye setose (Fig. 5B). Malar space 1.4 × basal width of mandible. Glossa absent (Fig. 5B). Frons concave medially, sparsely setose (Fig. 5C). Vertex and occiput smooth, setose (Fig. 5C). OOL: POD: POL = 2.0: 1.0: 2.0. Dorsal length of eye 1.8 × as long as gena. First flagellomere 1.1 × as long as second. First and second flagellomeres 2.8 × as long as wide. Flagellomere 15 1.8 × as long as wide.
Mesosoma. Mesosoma 1.5 × as long as high. Mesoscutum punctate, setose (Fig. 5E). Middle lobe of mesoscutum not distinctly elevated (Fig. 5E). Notauli absent (Fig. 5E). Scutellar lunules narrowly crenulate (Fig. 5E). Scutellum sparsely punctate, smooth medially, moderately setose (Fig. 5E). Sides of scutellum smooth and polished (Fig. 5E). Lateral pronotum crenulate medio-posteriorly (Fig. 5D). Mesopleuron punctate, smooth posteriorly, sparsely setose anteriorly, heavily setose posteriorly (Fig. 5D). Metapleuron smooth with a medial pit, glabrous (Fig. 5D). Propodeum rugose-punctate basally with complete areola medially, lateral costulae present, areola medially smooth bordered with irregular striae (Fig. 5F).
Wings. Fore wing 3.0 × as long as wide. Pterostigma 2.7 × as long as wide. Areolet absent (Fig. 6C). Vein r originating slightly after middle of pterostigma, 1.1 × as long as width of pterostigma (Fig. 6C). Vein 1CUa 0.6 × as long as 1CUb. Vein m-cu 1.4 × as long as (RS+M)b. Margin of hind wing vannal lobe setose.
Legs. Metafemur 4.5 × as long as wide. Metatibia 5.6 × as long as wide. Metabasitarsus 7.0 × as long as wide.
Metasoma. Metasoma 1.1 × as long as head and mesosoma combined. Mediotergite 1 parallel sided, coarsely longitudinally rugose-striate, 1.4 × as long as its maximum width (Fig. 6B). Mediotergite 2 transverse, rectangular, longitudinally rugose-striate, 0.5 × as long as its maximum width (Fig. 6B). Second metasomal suture distinct, crenulated and convex posteriorly (Fig. 6B). Mediotergite 3 smooth, 0.7 × as long as its maximum width (Fig. 6B). Ovipositor long slightly decurved apically, 0.7 × as long as fore wing, ovipositor sheath 2.4 × as long as metatibia (Fig. 6A).
Colour. Body black except basal flagellomeres, maxillary and labial palps, tegula, pterostigma basally, fore and mid legs except black claw, metacoxa, metafemur, metatibia except apically, metatibial spurs, metasoma yellow, apical flagellomeres, pterostigma except basally, hind tibia apically, hind basitarsus, and ovipositor sheath, which are brown.
Male. Unknown.
Host. Unknown.
Distribution. India (Kerala and West Bengal) (Fig. 7).
Etymology. The species is named after the yellow metasoma.
description: Published as part of Ranjith, A. P., Fernández-Triana, Jose, Sushama, V., Rajmohana, K. & Priyadarsanan, Dharma Rajan, 2024, Three new species of Promicrogaster Brues & Richardson (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from India, pp. 357-368 in Zootaxa 5403 (3) on pages 364-367, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5403.3.5, http://zenodo.org/record/10562029