Symplecis anaeratabettensis Ranjith & Humala & Priyadarsanan 2022, sp. nov.

Symplecis anaeratabettensis sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: CC8AB7B4-84A4-46EF-9C00-4A2B64691274

Material examined. Holotype, female, INDIA: Karnataka, Chamarajanagar, Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple (BRT) Tiger Reserve, Anaeratabetta, 11.5329°N, 77.1202°E, 1660 m.a.s.l., shola forest, Malaise trap, 31.viii–14.ix.2005, coll. D. R. Priyadarsanan. Paratype, 1 female with same data as for holotype, except 12.0034°N, 77.0752°E, 980 m.a.s.l., dry deciduous forest, Malaise trap, 16–31.viii.2005, coll. D. R. Priyadarsanan.

Description. Female. Body length 4.6 mm; fore wing length 3.2 mm.

Head. Head width 1.2 × its height in anterior view (Fig. 3B). Face width at level of antennal sockets 1.1 × its height, 0.4 × width of head, smooth and polished, sparsely setose (Fig. 3B). Frons, vertex and occiput polished, sparsely setose (Fig. 3C). Occiput somewhat depressed; occipital carina present (Fig. 3C). Eyes large, convex, without setae, inner orbits strongly converge to clypeus (Fig. 3B). Clypeus width 2.7 × its height, weakly separated from face, posterior margin of clypeus very weakly convex (Fig. 3B). Anterior tentorial pits distinct (Fig. 3B, D). Malar space very short, 0.6 × as long as basal width of mandible (Fig. 3B). Subocular sulcus present. Mandible bidentate, strongly tapered, lower tooth small (Fig. 3D). Antenna shorter than body, with 18 slender flagellomeres, all flagellomeres longer than wide (Fig. 3A). Scape about twice as long as wide. First flagellomere 5.6 × as long as wide apically, second flagellomere 4.3 × as long as wide apically. Ocelli of moderate size, ocular-ocellar line 1.2 × and postocellar line 1.1 × as long as maximum diameter of lateral ocellus (Fig. 3C). Temple moderately short, 0.4 × as long as compound eye width (Fig. 3C).

Mesosoma. Mesosoma 1.4 × as long as maximum height, polished. Epomia well developed (Fig. 3E). Mesoscutum subpolished with dense light setae, lateral lobes of mesoscutum slightly rugose (Fig. 3F). Notauli comparatively short, posteriorly shallow, developed in anterior 1/3 of mesoscutum, not meeting (Fig. 3F). Scutellum not particularly high, smooth, with lateral carinae anteriorly (Fig. 3F). Epicnemial carina complete, developed up mid-height of pronotum and not reaching front side of mesopleuron (Fig. 3E). Sternaulus short, 0.35 of mesopleuron, but distinct (Fig. 3E). Mesopleuron polished, sparsely setose (Fig. 3E). Metapleuron faintly sculptured with distinct juxtacoxal and submetapleural carinae, sparsely setose (Fig. 3E). Propodeum faintly sculptured with complete carination (Fig. 4A). Area superomedia comparatively large, narrowing posteriorly, nearly as wide as long (Fig. 4A). Propodeal spiracle round, joined by short carina with pleural carina. Fore wing with areolet (Fig. 4B). Pterostigma 2.5 × as long as wide. Vein 2mcu with two bullae (Fig. 4B). Vein 1cu-a interstitial of vein M&RS (Fig. 4B). Hind wing with nervellus (CU+cu-a) not intercepted, second abscissa of CU not developed (Fig. 4B). Hind coxa smooth. Hind femur 5.8 × as long as maximum width. Hind tibia 6.9 × as long as wide. Tibial spurs slender, claws long and thin, moderately bent.

Metasoma. First metasomal segment 2.6 × as long as maximum width posteriorly, rugose, with basolateral sharp projections (Fig. 4D). Sternite and tergite fused, glymma absent, spiracle situated at apical 0.3 length of T1, apex of first sternite at 0.7 of segment (Fig. 4C). Second metasomal tergite 1.3 × as long as maximum width posteriorly, longitudinally striate, with small round thyridium, smooth and polished in posterior margin (Fig. 4D). Remaining tergites smooth, sparsely setose (Fig. 4D). Ovipositor straight without dorsal subapical notch (Fig. 4C). Ovipositor sheath 0.4 × as long as first tergite and 0.2 × as long as hind tibia, without setae.

Colour. Body black except antennae, legs, mesopleuron, second metasomal tergite posteriorly, anterior and posterior parts of third metasomal tergite, and sixth metasomal tergite, which are yellowish; scape, pedicel, lower frontal orbits, face, clypeus, mandibles, maxillary and labial palps, pronotum, propleuron, tegula, fore and mid coxae and trochanters pale; mesoscutum, scutellum, middle part of third tergite, hypopygium, ovipositor sheath and pterostigma reddish brown.

Male. Unknown.

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. India (Karnataka).

Etymology. The species is named after the type locality, Anaeratabetta, the highest peak in Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple (BRT) Tiger Reserve, which is a hardly disturbed exotic habitat.

Comparative diagnosis. Only one Symplecis species, S. petiolata (Morley, 1913) has been known from the Indomalayan region (Sri Lanka). Apart from the differences given in the key, S. anaeratabettensis sp. nov. differs from S. petiolata in having a longer (4.5 mm) body (vs 3.0 mm in S. petiolata), a shorter (2.5 × as long as wide) pterostigma (vs 2.9 × in S. petiolata), notauli impressed in anterior half (vs indistinct in S. petiolata), first tergite weakly and evenly bent behind spiracles (vs first tergite distinctly bent behind spiracles in S. petiolata), and the propodeum without apophyses (vs propodeum with small round (horizontal) apophyses in S. petiolata).