Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Leucospidae) from Kerala P
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A report on the occurrence of a parasitic wasp species Leucospis histrio Maindron, 1878 (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Leucospidae) from Kerala P. Girish Kumar1 and P.M. Sureshan2 Abstract A very rare parasitic wasp species Leucospis histrio Maindron, 1878 (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Leucospidae) is reported from Kerala. Introduction The family Leucospidae is a small A B group of parasitic wasps within the superfamily Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera) composed exclusively of ectoparasitoids of aculeate wasps or bees. They mimic bees or stinging wasps in colour which is often black with yellow, red, or white markings, sometimes metallic, with robust mesosoma having strong sculptures. The hind femora are C D often greatly enlarged with a row of teeth or serrations along the L. histrio Maindron is a widely lower margin and hind tibia arched distributed and variable species. as in the family Chalcididae. They The populations from the Indian have forewings folded subcontinent is considered as the longitudinally when at rest and nominate subspecies, L. histrio tegula narrowly extended forward. histrio, which is so far recorded The ovipositor in female is from Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh sometimes short but if long it is and Myanmar. Records of this curved and lies along the dorsal species from India are very E side of the metasoma, a unique limited. The species was feature in this group. The males incorrectly described by Brues Fig 1. Leucospis histrio Maindron are also unusual having fused (1925) from India as “Leucospis A. Body profile, B. Body dorsal metasomal tergites. Leucospid view, C. Head frontal view, D. malabarensis” from “North Head, pronotum & mesoscutum wasps are rarely encountered Malabar” without mentioning its dorsal view, E. Hind femur and except in areas where their hosts exact collection locality (probably tibia are abundant. present Karnataka state as mentioned by Noyes, 2015). Later one female specimen collected There are 139 species and 4 Mani (1935) described the same from “Ammathi, S. Coorg” and one genera known in this family species separately as female and one male specimen worldwide (Noyes, 2015). In the “Polistomorpha indica” from from “Coimbatore” collected by Oriental Region the cosmopolitan “Yercaud” and “Leucospis P.S. Nathan. Narendran (1986), in genus Leucospis Fabricius is found meenakshiae” from “Madras his catalogue, reported this widespread with about 27 species. Presidency, Tanjore”. Mani (1936) species from Kerala without Thirteen species of Leucospis are again described this species as studying any specimen. He had present in the Indian subcontinent “Leucospis assamensis” from taken this data from Brues (1925), of which seven species are “Assam, Sibsagar”. Later Bouček where Brues reported this species reported from India and two (1974) synonymized the above species namely, L. guzeratensis four species under Leucospis Westwood, 1839 and L. petiolata histrio Maindron and reported this 1&2Western Ghat Regional Centre, Fabricius, 1787 are reported from further from “Sikkim” based on a Zoological Survey of India, Jaferkhan Kerala (Bouček & Narendran, single female specimen collected Colony, Eranhipalam P.O., Kozhikode, Kerala. Email: [email protected]; 1981). by C.T. Bingham and also studied [email protected] ZOO’s PRINT, Volume XXXI, Number 6, June 2016 3 from “North Malabar” without mentioning its exact rather sparse; dorsal edge of hind coxa posteriorly collection locality. The specimen of the present study thin but without tooth; hind femur with 3 very long represents the collection after a gap of 41 years and slender teeth which are longer than basal tooth; probably the first record of the species from Kerala. pronotum without discal cross-carina; pronotum in front of premarginal carina not depressed or weakly Material and methods so; T1 with two broad ovipositorial furrows diverging The specimen studied here was collected from a forward and separated anteriorly by broad coarsely moist deciduous forest at Thirunelli located in South punctured ridge; ovipositor much longer than hind Western Ghats, Kerala, India with a sweep net. It tibia, reaching to apex of propodeum; frons partly was found hovering over a wooden window panel of yellow. the Forest Guest House probably in search of their host. It was examined under LEICA M60 stereozoom Colour description: Female: Black with yellow microscope and images captured with the camera ornamentation and some ferruginous markings, model LEICA DFC-450. The specimen is deposited in without metallic colour. The yellow markings are as the “National Zoological Collections” of the Western follows: antennal scape below; oval spot on each Ghat Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, frontal prominence; two narrow transverse bands on Kozhikode (= Calicut), India (ZSIK). pronotum, the anterior one curved forwards laterally and the posterior one not reaching the sides; a thin The following abbreviations used in the text for the streak above the tegulae and a pair of small spots on Museums: MCZ — Museum of Comparative Zoology, middle of mesoscutum; arcuate band on posterior Harvard University, Cambridge, U.S.A.; MP — margin of scutellum; two small marks on metanotum Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, France; at middle; large triangular mark below tegula; short NZC — National Zoological Collections of Zoological streak on metapleura above; spot at upper angle of Survey of India, Kolkata, India; ZSIK — Western hind coxa; pair of broad lateral stripes on T1; Ghat Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, transverse band at T4; complete apical band on T5; a Kozhikode (= Calicut), India. pair of short vertical lines just before tip of abdomen; margin of hind femur except the toothed portion; Abbreviations used in the text for the terms: T = small elongate spot just above apical teeth; anterior Abdominal terga. knees, external streak on all tibiae. Tegulae, apices of all coxae and more or less of fore and middle femora Leucospis histrio Maindron, 1878 (Fig. 1) rufopiceous. Tarsi pale brownish yellow. Wings Leucospis histrio Maindron, 1878: cxxx,♀. Types ♀, moderately infuscated, except at base. Maluku: Tidore Island (?lost; ?MP). Length (excluding ovipositor): 7.5 mm. Leucospis malabarensis Brues, 1925: 27-28,♀. Holotype ♀, India: North Malabar (MCZ). Biology: The hosts are solitary bees. Reared from Synonimised by Bouček (1974). Megachile sp. (Family Megachilidae) in West Malaysia Polistomorpha indica Mani, 1935: 243-244, figs 1a-c, and observed at the entrance to a nest of ‘♀’. Holotype ♂, India: Yercaud (NZC). Synonimised Ctenoplectra chalybea Smith (Family Apidae) in New Guinea (Friese, 1909: 208; Bouček, 1974: 168). by Bouček (1974). Leucospis meenakshiae Mani, 1935: 244-246, figs Distribution: India: Assam (Sibsagar); Karnataka 1a,b, ♀. Holotype ♀, India: Madras Presidency, (Ammathi, S. Coorg); Kerala (Thirunelli – present Tanjore (NZC). Synonimised by Bouček (1974). record); “Northern Malabar” by Brues, 1925; Sikkim; Leucospis assamensis Mani, 1936: 339-340, ♀. Tamil Nadu (Yercaud, Tanjore, Coimbatore). Holotype ♀, India: Assam, Sibsagar (NZC). Elsewhere: Australia; Bangladesh; Indonesia; Malaysia; Myanmar; Papua New Guinea; Philippines; Synonimised by Bouček (1974). Solomon Islands; Sri Lanka. Material examined: ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/WGRS/I.R- Acknowledgements INV.5289, 1 ♀, 16.ii.2016, Thirunelli forest The authors are grateful to Dr. Kailash Chandra, (11˚54’41.26”N 75˚59’43.69”E; elev. 859 m), Director-in-Charge, Zoological Survey of India, Wayanad District, Kerala, India, coll. P. Girish Kumar. Kolkata for providing facilities and encouragements. Thanks are also due to the Chief Wildlife Warden, Diagnosis: Female: Propodeum medially hardly Kerala, and the forest Officials of Thirunelli forest, longer than metanotum; central part of metanotum Wayanad, Kerala for granting the permission for with posterior margin broadly regularly arcuate, not faunistic surveys and specimen collection and various distinctly carinate; depression of hind coxa medio- helps rendered during the field work. posteriorly with impunctate area, punctuation above ZOO’s PRINT, Volume XXXI, Number 6, June 2016 4 References Mani, M.S. (1935). New Indian Chalcidoidea Bouček, Z. (1974). A revision of the Leucospidae (Parasitic Hymenoptera). Records of the Indian (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) of the World. Bulletin of Museum 37: 241-258. the British Museum (Natural History) Entomology Mani, M.S. (1936). Some new and little known Supplement 23: 1-241. parasitic Hymenoptera from India. Records of the Bouček, Z. and T.C. Narendran (1981). The Indian Museum 38: 333-340. Leucospis species of India and adjacent countries Narendran, T.C. (1986). Family Leucospidae. (In: (Hymenoptera: Leucospidae). Oriental Insects 15(1): Subba Rao, B.R.; Hayat, M. (Eds.) - The Chalcidoidea 1-15. (Insecta: Hymenoptera) of India and the adjacent Brues, C.T. (1925). Some species of the genus countries). Oriental Insects 20: 44. Leucospis. Psyche 32: 23-29. Noyes, J.S. (2015). Universal Chalcidoidea Friese, H. (1909). Die Bienenfauna von Neu- Database. World Wide Web electronic publication. Guinea. Annales historic-naturales Musei nationalis http://www.nhm.ac.uk/chacidoids (Accessed on hungarici 7: 179-288. February, 2016). Maindron, M. (1878). Descriptions of new Leucospis. Bulletin de la Société entomologique de France 1878: cix-cx, cxxx,clxiv-clxv. Announcement Advanced School on Earth System Modelling & Workshop on Climate Change and Regional Impacts over South Asia, July 18-29, 2016, IITM, Pune The