Carinostigmus parliensis Tessy, Sureshan & Girish Kumar, sp. nov.

(Figs 1–10)

Diagnosis. Within Carinostigmus, this new species can be separated from all other Indian subcontinent species by the following character combination: mandible bidentate; metanotum smooth without parallel vertical ridges; propodeal enclosure without smooth area; length of inner mandibular tooth lesser than outer mandibular tooth; and palpi, basal half of mandible, apex of labrum, and scape beneath testaceous.

Carinostigmus parliensis resembles the Sri Lankan species Carinostigmus bucheilus Krombein, 1984, in having mandibles bidentate. However, it distinctly differs from C. bucheilus in the following characters: 1) length of inner mandibular tooth lesser than outer mandibular tooth (in C. bucheilus inner and outer mandibular tooth are equal in length); 2) metanotum medially smooth, parallel vertical ridges absent (in C. bucheilus metanotum with parallel vertical ridges converging slightly toward middle); 3) propodeal enclosure without smooth area (in C. bucheilus upper half of posterior surface adjacent to furrow with small rounded smooth area); and 4) the following parts testaceous: palpi, basal half of mandible, apex of labrum, scape beneath (in C. bucheilus the following white: palpi, basal half of mandible, apex of labrum, scape beneath).

Description: Holotype ♀ (Fig. 1). Head. Head in dorsal view moderately narrowed (Fig. 4), width at occiput 0.45 × greatest width; mandible bidentate, inner mandibular tooth distinctly smaller (Fig. 6); median lobe of clypeus broad, clypeal platform slightly raised, apico-medially emarginated with lateral toothlike projections (Figs 3 & 6); interantennal projection weak (Fig. 2), strongly crenulated scrobal sulcus; ocular groove and its crenulations evanescent towards vertex along the inner eye margin (Fig. 2); upper frons and vertex with small, more dispersed punctures; no groove before anterior ocellus; occipital groove narrow, delicately crenulate, crenulations evanescent towards vertex; small scattered punctures on head beneath.

Mesosoma. Anterior pronotal ridge distinct, lateral angles acute (Fig. 4); notauli distinct and crenulate, not extending up to middle of mesoscutum; parapsidal lines distinct; punctures larger on scutum than on head, median vertical groove weak; metanotum medially smooth, parallel vertical ridges absent; episternal sulcus, omaulus and hypersternaulus on mesopleuron strongly crenulate, elsewhere almost smooth (Fig. 5); fore wing stigma elliptical (Fig. 7); propodeal enclosure irregular, more or less radiating rugulae anteriorly, transverse rugulae posteriorly, close oblique rugulae present adjacent to enclosure with small rounded smooth area on upper half of posterior surface adjacent to furrow (in one paratype, no smooth area) and below, irregularly rugose-reticulate; lateral propodeal surface rugose-reticulate above, close vertical rugulae below (Fig. 8).

Metasoma. Metasomal petiole slender, elongate, 8.0× as long as width at middle, dorsal surface almost rounded, no carina dorsally and weak carina laterally (Fig. 9); apical metasomal tergite without pygidium (Fig. 10).

Colouration. Black, shiny, the following testaceous: palpi, basal half of mandible, apex of labrum, scape beneath and pronotal tubercle; the following testaceous to light red: apical half of mandible except teeth, labrum except apex, underside of coxae, trochanters, undersides of fore and mid femora, fore and mid tibiae and tarsi; the following light to darker brown: tegula, fore and mid femora above, and underside of hind tibia. Wings clear, stigma black, veins dark brown.

Size (measured from head to second tergite). 3.89 mm.

♂. Unknown.

Variation: In paratypes, size measure from head to second tergite is 3.82-3.89 mm.

Material examined: Holotype ♀, INDIA: Maharashtra, Satara district, Parli (18°50’43.08’’N, 76°31’ 11.28’’E), 12.i.1972, Coll. J. K. Jonathan & Party, ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/WGRC/IR/INV/12494. Paratypes 4 ♀, INDIA: Maharashtra, Satara district, Parli (18°50’43.08’’N, 76°31’ 11.28’’E), 3 ♀ ZSIK Regd. Nos. ZSI/WGRC/IR/ INV/12495–12497; Paratype 1 ♀, INDIA: Uttarakhand, Dehradun district, Mussoorie, Company Garden (30° 27’ 35.28’’ N, 78° 3’ 51.84’’ E), 11.vi.1988, Coll. G. Singh, ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/WGRC/IR/INV.13079.

Distribution: India: Maharashtra, Uttarakhand.

Etymology: The species is named after Parli, the locality from which holotype specimen was collected.