NEW DISTRIBUTIONAL RECORDS OF PTEROMALIDAE (HYMENOPTERA: CHALCIDOIDEA) FROM LADAKH, INDIA

Ladakh region of the Trans-Himalaya is characterized by its peculiar topography, harsh climatic conditions and is usually referred as 'cold desert'. The fauna of the region is very distinct and unique due to its location being at the confluence of two of the world's Zoogeographical Regions ie. the Palearctic and the Oriental. High levels of endemism and species richness occur in the area and Palearctic elements dominate in the fauna of the Region (Mani 1974). Based on the collections obtained during a rapid assessment survey of faunal resources conducted in Ladakh from July to September 2008, two species of Torymidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) viz. Megastigmus kashmiricus Sureshan and Ecdamua lehensis Sureshan, were described as new to science, earlier from the area (Sure shan, 2009, Sureshan, 2010). In continuation of the above studies, in the present communication ten species of Pteromalidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) are being reported from Ladakh. The present collections were made from the north eastern and south eastern parts of the Ladakh, comprising the Ladakh range, Nubra Valley and Changthang valley, using an insect net and aspirator. The specimens are deposited in the Gangetic Plains Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Patna.


INTRODUCTION
Ladakh region of the Trans-Himalaya is characterized by its peculiar topography, harsh climatic conditions and is usually referred as 'cold desert'.The fauna of the region is very distinct and unique due to its location being at the confluence of two of the world's Zoogeographical Regions ie. the Palearctic and the Oriental.High levels of endemism and species richness occur in the area and Palearctic elements dominate in the fauna of the Region (Mani 1974).Based on the collections obtained during a rapid assessment survey of faunal resources conducted in Ladakh from July to September 2008, two species of Torymidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) viz.Megastigmus kashmiricus Sureshan and Ecdamua lehensis Sureshan, were described as new to science, earlier from the area (Sure shan, 2009, Sureshan, 2010).In continuation of the above studies, in the present communication ten species of Pteromalidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) are being reported from Ladakh.The present collections were made from the north eastern and south eastern parts of the Ladakh, comprising the Ladakh range, Nubra Valley and Changthang valley, using an insect net and aspirator.The specimens are deposited in the Gangetic Plains Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Patna.
Body brownish black with metallic blue reflection, propodeum and petiole less bright; antennae black; legs except coxae testaceous, femora more or less infuscate.Head and thorax with rather less numerous bristles.Prontoal collar with the 6.Asaphes suspensus (Nees) , female shoulders more rounded.Head in dorsal view with temples curved and rather strongly convergent, not angulate posteriorly; speculum of fore wing indistinct or absent.
Biology: Common hyperparasite of many species of aphids through various aphidinae (Braconidae).Adults are available in July -August.
Remarks: A Palearctic species widely introduced worldwide along with the host and crop plants.In the Indian subcontinent, records are available from India (Kashmir (Sri Nagar), Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab).Pakistan, Nepal.Reported for the first time from Ladakh .Biology: A widely distributed polyphagous species associated mainly with lepidopteran pupae and hyperparastic through Ichenumonidae and Braconidae often via Tachnidae also.Reported as emerged in soil with the pupae of Geometrid moth Ectropis in India (Boucek et aI, 1979).

Dibrachys cavus (Walker)
Remarks: From the Indian subcontinent records are available only from India (Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir) and Pakistan.First record from Ladakh.Diagnsotic characters: Female: Length 2.0mm.Body black with metallic green reflection; antennae dark brown except basal part of scape testaceous.Anterior margin of clypeus weakly emarginated; antenna with scape not reaching median ocellus, thorax finely reticulate; forewing without marginal fringe, discal ciliation very sparse, indistinct, PMV only slightly longer than STY, MV strongly thickened.
Remarks: In India the species has been reported from Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Kamataka, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.First record of the species from Ladakh.

Schizonotus latus (Walker)
(Fig. 8) Diagnostic characters: Female: Length 2.4-2.5mm.Body brownish black; clypeus not projecting below level of genae; antennae dark brown with scape and pedicel testaceous, anelli together almost equal to width of second anellus; F21.2-1.5x as wide as long.Propodeum with distinct median carina and plicae.Remarks : The species is widely distributed in the Palearctic Region and parts of America and North Africa.In the Oriental Region, records are available only from Pakistan.This is the first record of the species from India.Remarks: Though a widely distributed species, few records are available from India (Kerala, Orissa, and Bihar).First report from Ladakh .
Distribution : Widely distributed in Europe, parts of America, Asia, Africa, (probably introduced in all parts of the world).
Biology : Parasitoids in pupae of various butterflies, some times hyperparasitic.Adults available in May -October.
Remarks: A cosmopolitan species introduced in various parts of the world.Reports are also available from India (Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Uttaranchal, Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Punjab and Tamil Nadu).First record of the species from Ladakh.Mus.nat.Hist.Ent.Suppl.16,159.

Halticoptera smaragdina (Curtis), female
Diagnsotic characters: Female: Length: 3.14mm.Body bright metallic green; antennae dark testaceous with scape blackish; coxae concolorous with thorax, femora brownish black, remainder of legs testaceous.Malar space about equal to transverse diameter of eye, and about two thirds as long as an eye.Vertex slightly elevated in middle, beyond the ocelli; temples about half as long as eye.Median area of propodeum strongly reticulate.Gastral petiole as long as or usually slightly longer than broad.
Distribution: Palearctic and Nearctic Regions.
Remarks: First record of the species from the Oriental region.

Halticoptera circulus (Walker)
(Fig. 4) Diagnostic characters: Female: 1.5-1.9mm.Body dark metallic bluish green; antennae testaceous with scape and pedicel black; coxae concolorous with thorax, femora brown, remainder of legs testaceous.Forewing with apex of basal cell bare or with only a very few hairs.Pronotal collar rounded off anteriorly, reticulate with at most a very narrow shiny strip along its hind margin.Propodeum almost shiny; gastral petiole strongly reticulate with median carina.Diagnostic characters: Female: Length: 3.9-4mm.Body bright metallic blue; antennae uniformly black; legs except tarsi black with metallic blue reflection, tarsi testaceous; sculptured part of gastral petiole 1.6 to 3 x as broad as long, less than half as long as the propodeum, its front edge with a sharp transverse carina.Mid femora rather stouter, excluding the trochantellus 4 to 4.5x as long as broad.Combined length of pedicellus and flagellum 1.3 to 1.4 x breadth of head, flagellum rather stouter.Biology: Not known.
Remarks: First record of the species outside the type locality (China).The identification of the species is only based on the original description which is very poor, with only little information.

SUMMARY
As per the available literature about 33 species of hymenopteran insects are reported from Ladakh which include one species of Chalcidoidea (Eurytomidae) (Chandra et al., 2009).The fauna of Ladakh region of Trans Himalaya is mainly represented by the Palearctic elements, followed by the local endemics and Oriental elements.High altitude insect life of the Himalya is also remarkable for the high species endemism (Mani, 1974).Out of the ten species of Pteromalidae dealt here, all are reported for the first time from the Ladakh region of Jammu & Kashmir and four (Lamprotatus splendens, Halticoptera circulus, Haltiocoptera smaragdina and Sphaeripalpus lacunosus) are reported for the first time from the Oriental region.Most of the species are Palearctic in origin and some of them have wider distribution in the Nearctic and Neotropical regions.The species Pteromalus puparum, Pteromalus semotus and Pachyneuron nelsoni have a wider distribution in different parts of the world probably due to their introduction along with the hosts.The species Shaeripalpus lacunosus Huang was described from China (Xinjiang) and reported here subsequently after the original description.