Ficobracon kashmirensis Maqbool, Akbar & Wachkoo, 2018

Ficobracon kashmirensis Maqbool, Akbar & Wachkoo sp. nov.

( Figures 1–27 View FIGURES 1–13 View FIGURE 14 View FIGURES 15–27 )

Diagnosis: Antenna with 23–26 antennomeres; first tergite without medial groove, sublateral grooves distinct; second tergite longitudinally rugulose with smooth medio-basal area surrounded by a rugose pair of grooves, sublateral grooves absent; third tergite longitudinally rugose. This species resembles most to F. codonatus , and the two taxa can be readily separated by the absence of the medial groove on the first tergite and densely rugulose second tergite in F. kashmirensis .

Material examined: Holotype ♀: India: Jammu and Kashmir, Srinagar, Kashmir University Botanical Garden , 34.1304°N 74.8369°E, 1,600 m. a.s.l., 10.ix.2016, leg. Amir Maqbool ( KUIC) GoogleMaps ; Paratypes: 11 ♀, 20.ix.2016; 1 ♂, 2.x.2016; GoogleMaps 3 ♂, 3.x.2016; GoogleMaps 5 ♀, 5.x.2016; GoogleMaps 3 ♂, 17.x.2016; GoogleMaps 3 ♀, 4.xi.2016; GoogleMaps 1 ♂, 8.xi.2016; GoogleMaps 1 ♀, 6.viii.2017; GoogleMaps 16 ♀, 6 ♂, 20.viii.2017; GoogleMaps 6 ♀, 30.viii.2017 (same data as holotype) ( KUIC; GoogleMaps 1♀, 1 ♂ BMNH) GoogleMaps . 22♀, 17♂, India: Jammu and Kashmir, Srinagar , Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture , 34.0094°N 74.7984°E, 1,640 m. a.s.l., 11.ix.2016, leg. Shahid Ali Akbar ( KUIC; 1♀, 1 ♂ CNC). GoogleMaps

Description. Female ( Figs 1–13 View FIGURES 1–13 ): Body length 3.70 mm ( 3.31–4.12 mm in paratypes), fore wing length 4.07 mm ( 3.69–4.47 mm in paratypes).

Head ( Figs 4–6 View FIGURES 1–13 ): Antenna with 26 antennomeres ( 23–26 in paratypes) ( Fig. 4 View FIGURES 1–13 ); first flagellomere slightly longer than second; length of first, second and penultimate flagellomeres respectively 2.8, 1.8, 1.5 × their width. Height of head slightly less than width across eyes (5: 6) ( Fig. 5 View FIGURES 1–13 ); clypeal ventral margin thin and slightly upcurved, width 0.32 × width of face ( Fig. 5 View FIGURES 1–13 ); maxillary palp 4-segmented, segments subequal in length; labial palp 3-segmented, segments subequal in length; POL:OD:OOL=1:1:3 (1.0–1.2: 1.0–1.6: 3.0– 3.8 in paratypes).

Mesosoma ( Figs 7–8 View FIGURES 1–13 ): Mesosoma 1.4 ( 1.2–1.4 in paratypes) times longer than maximum height ( Fig. 8 View FIGURES 1–13 ); mesopleuron large and smooth, without much pilosity ( Fig. 8 View FIGURES 1–13 ); metapleuron smooth and shiny but with long setae, pilosity distinct ( Fig. 8 View FIGURES 1–13 ); notauli shallow and posteriorly obsolescent ( Fig. 7 View FIGURES 1–13 ); mesoscutum glabrous and smooth with long setae laterally along notauli ( Fig. 7 View FIGURES 1–13 ); scutellar sulcus distinctly crenulate, deep, wide and straight ( Fig. 7 View FIGURES 1–13 ); scutellum smooth; metanotum well developed, broader than long ( Fig. 7 View FIGURES 1–13 ); propodeum smooth, longer than scutellum, with medio-longitudinal carina on its posterior half ( Fig. 7 View FIGURES 1–13 ).

Wings ( Fig. 14 View FIGURE 14 ): Fore wing: r:3-SR:SR1 = 1:2:6 (1.0–1.1: 2.0–2.5: 5.0– 6.5 in paratypes); 2-SR:3-SR:r-m = 1.8:2.0:1.1 (1.4–2.0: 1.7–2.1: 0.8–1.1 in paratypes); angle between veins 2-SR and 2-M about 70; CU1a straight and long. Hind wing: M+CU:1-M = 1:2 (1.0–1.2: 2.0– 2.2 in paratypes); 2-M longer than 1-M.

Legs ( Fig. 10 View FIGURES 1–13 ): Length of hind femur, tibia and basitarsus 4.5, 7.4 and 5.75 × their width (3.8–4.5, 5.88–7.71 and 3.6–5.78 × in paratypes), respectively; length of coxa, trochanter, femur and tibia in ratio 1.63:1.03:2.86:3.13 (1.60–1.71: 1.0–1.2: 2.68–2.86: 3.10–3.22 in paratypes); hind tarsomere lengths in ratio of 5.67:2.66:1.66:1.0:2.0 (5.45–6.10: 2.42–2.71: 1.64–1.66: 1.0–1.1: 1.98–2.1 in paratypes); tibia longer than femur; fore and middle tarsi slender.

Metasoma ( Figs 9, 11–13 View FIGURES 1–13 ): First tergite largely smooth, rugose apically, without medial groove, sublateral grooves converge anteriorly, length 0.8 × its apical width ( Fig. 9 View FIGURES 1–13 ); second tergite approximately as long as third tergite, longitudinally rugulose with smooth medio-basal area surrounded by a rugose pair of grooves, sublateral grooves absent ( Fig. 11 View FIGURES 1–13 ); third tergite longitudinally rugose with smooth apical margin; second and third tergite with transverse grooves ( Fig. 11 View FIGURES 1–13 ); following tergites medially reticulate, laterally rugulose with smooth apical margin, transverse sub-apical grooves present ( Figs. 11–12 View FIGURES 1–13 ). Ovipositor sheath 1.16 × as long as metasoma, 0.56 × as long as fore wing and 2.62 × length hind tibia (1.14–1.22, 0.54–0.66, 2.60–3.01 × in paratypes respectively), setose ( Fig. 13 View FIGURES 1–13 ); hypopygium narrow, apically acute, its tip extending 0.2–0.3 mm beyond the metasomal apex.

Male ( Figs. 15–27 View FIGURES 15–27 ). Antenna 23 segments ( Fig. 21 View FIGURES 15–27 ); first tergite medially smooth, without a medial groove, sublateral grooves distinct ( Fig. 25 View FIGURES 15–27 ); second tergite longitudinally rugulose with smooth medio-basal area surrounded by a pair of rugose grooves; third to sixth tergites brownish with less coarse sculpture, apical margins smooth ( Fig. 26 View FIGURES 15–27 ).

Colour ( Figs. 1–3 View FIGURES 1–13 , 15–17 View FIGURES 15–27 ). Body light to dark yellowish brown; antenna, ventral part of mesopleuron, scutellar sulcus, propodeum, hind tibia, tarsal claws, first tergite, most of third tergite, ovipositor sheath, and pterostigma black to dark brown; groove of pronotum, propleuron, side of scutellum, largely dark brown to yellowish; second tergite medially dark brown, sometimes largely yellow; wings subhyaline.

Distribution. Jammu and Kashmir, Srinagar, India.

Biology. Both the fig species ( Ficus carica and Ficus palmata ) in Jammu and Kashmir are frequently visited by Ficobracon kashmirensis ( Figs 28–31 View FIGURES 28–34 ). The female wasp bores through the fig wall with its ovipositor and lays a single egg inside the unripe fig which hatches in around 22 hrs. Larvae show phytophagous behavior feeding on immature ovaries and form a cocoon to pupate after 11–13 days ( Figs 32–33 View FIGURES 28–34 ). Adults emerge from cocoons in about 5–6 days and chew out a tunnel through the fig wall ( Fig. 34 View FIGURES 28–34 ). Emergence starts in the month of July and continues till November. Different females may oviposit on the same fig and multiple cocoons are formed inside a single fig. Others usually follow the same initial tunnel but occasionally other tunnels are also bored. Sexual dimorphism is obvious with females larger ( 3.31–4.12 mm) than males (2.70–3.19).

Etymology. Species epithet is in reference to the type locality.