RECORD OF THE GENUS PERISTENUS FOERSTER ( HYMENOPTERA : BRACONIDAE ) FROM INDIA , WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF FOUR NEW SPECIES

The genus Peristenus is easily distinguished by the reduction of vein M + CUI of the forewing, the short submarginal cell of the forewing, the short and more or less curved ovipositor and sides of petiole meeting ventrally at the base. Peristenus species arc koinobiont endoparasitoids of nymphs and adults of Miridae and Lygaeidae. The early instar nymph is parasitized and the mature parasite larva emerges from either the mature host nymph or adult. (Shaw, 1985 & 1988; Chen and van Achterberg, 1997). Peristenus was recently removed from synonymy in Leiophron and includes a natural assemblage of species distinct from Leiophron (Loan and BlIewicz-Pawinska, 1973). Peristenus has been revised for the Palearctic (Loan, 1974a) and Nearctic (Loan, 1974b) regions. A key to the Ethiopian species was provided by Nixon (1946). Shaw (1985) described the phylogeny of the genus Peristenus Foerster. Chen and van Achterberg (1997) were currently revised the genus from China.


INTRODUCTION
The genus Peristenus is easily distinguished by the reduction of vein M + CUI of the forewing, the short submarginal cell of the forewing, the short and more or less curved ovipositor and sides of petiole meeting ventrally at the base.Peristenus species arc koinobiont endoparasitoids of nymphs and adults of Miridae and Lygaeidae.The early instar nymph is parasitized and the mature parasite larva emerges from either the mature host nymph or adult.(Shaw, 1985(Shaw, & 1988;;Chen and van Achterberg, 1997).Peristenus was recently removed from synonymy in Leiophron and includes a natural assemblage of species distinct from Leiophron (Loan and BlIewicz-Pawinska, 1973).Peristenus has been revised for the Palearctic (Loan, 1974a) and Nearctic (Loan, 1974b) regions.
A key to the Ethiopian species was provided by Nixon (1946).Shaw (1985) described the phylogeny of the genus Peristenus Foerster.Chen and van Achterberg (1997) were currently revised the genus from China.
The genus Peristenus is represented by only three species from Indo-Australian region i.e., P. helopeltidis (Ferriere) from Java, P. levigatus Chen and van Achterberg from Yunnan and P. pallipes (Curtis) from Taiwan and Yunnan.In the present work this genus is recorded for the first time from India with descriptions of four new species.

METHODS
The material was collected from various regions in India by using sweeping nets.The dried specimens were mounted on triangular cards observations and illustrations were done using the drawing tube under SV I 1 Zeiss steriozoom microscope.Measurements were taken with the help of ocular micrometer titted in one of the two eyepieces of the binocular microscope.
The terminology for the various parts and wing venation is after van Achterberg (1993) while Eady (1968) has been followed for description of surface-sculpture.The following abbreviations are used in the text: AOL = Anterior ocellar line (distance between the inner edges of anterior ~nd lateral ocel1i), POL = Posterior ocellar line (distance between the inner edges of lateral ocelli), OOL = Ocello ocular line (distance from the outer edge of a lateral ocellus to the compound eye), 00D = Ocellus diameter, F = Flagellomere; ZDAMU = Head: Width of head in dorsal view 1.1 x its length, almost as wide as long; antennal segments ] 8; scape 1.4x as long as wide; pedicel 1.5x as long as wide; FJ 1.5x as long as F 2 ; length of F(, F 2 -F 4 ; Fs-FJ5 and FJ6 3x, 2x, 1.5x and 2.5x their width respectively; occipital carina weak dorsally and ventrally connected to hypostomal carina; OOL; POL: AOL; 00D = 5 : 4 : 6 : 1.5; length of  Legs: Hind coxa snlooth and shiny; lengtli of hind femur, tibia and basitarsus 3.56x, 8.8x and 8x their width respectively; length of hind tibial spurs O.30x hind basitarsus.
Metasolna : Length of metasoma about 2.2x as long as wide; length of first metasomal tergite 1.6x its apical width, its surface longitudinally irregularly rugose, apically distinctly widened; spiracles at middle of first metasomal tergite; rest of tergite smooth and shiny without any indication suture between 2 and 3; ovipositor sheath visible and setose; ovipositor small and curved downwards; length of ovipositor O.55x the length of metasoma.
MaLe: Similar to female except body length 2.55 mm, antennal segments broken apically.
Paratype : I 0', with same data as holotype.
Etymology: The name of this species is after the well known Indian entomologist Prof. (Late) S. M. Alam in recognition of his great contribution in taxonomy of parasitic Hymenoptera.Peristenus indicus Shamim and Ahmad, sp.nov.(Fig. 3)
Head: Head in dorsal view 1.46x as wide as long; antennal segments 17, distinctly shorter than body (1.62 mm); scape 1.66x as long as wide; pedicel 1.5x as long as wide; PI 1.5x as long as F 2 ; length of FJ, F 2 -F 3 , F4-F14 and F IS 4x, 2x, 1.5x and 2x their width respectively; occipital carina weak dorsally and ventrally connected to hypostomal carina; OOL : POL: AOL : 00D = 5 : 6 : 4 : 2; length of eye in dorsal view 1.5x its width and 3x temple; vertex 2.13x as wide as long, sparsely punctate; frons wider than long, distinctly punctuate with mid longitudinal carina between antennal socket; face densely punctate and setose, as long as wide; clypeus smooth, almost 2x as wide as long; intertentorial line 3x tentorio-ocular line; length of malar space 1.3x basal width of mandible.
Legs : Hind coxa nearly smooth and shiny, length of hind femur, tibia and basitarsus 4x, 7x and 8x their width respectively; length of hind tibial spurs a.29x and O.33x hind basitarsus.
Metasoma : Length of metasoma 2.25x its width; length of first metasomal tergite 1.5x as long as apical width; basal width D.5x as long as apical width, its surface rugostriate, apically distinctly widened; spiracles at behind middle of first tergite; rest of tergite smooth and shiny without any indication suture between 2 and 3; ovipositor sheath just visible and sparsely setose; ovipositor small and curved downwards, its length about 0.11 x length of metasoma.
Male : Similar to female except antennae 18 segmented; face wider than long; FrF 10 2x as long as wide; FII-F ls 1.5x as long as wide, FI6 2.5x as long as wide; metasoma 2x its width; first metasomal tergite 1.25x its apical width.
Paratype : a, with same data as holotype.
Etymology: The new species refers to country name India, where type material were collected.

Remarks:
The new species Peristenus indicus sp.nov. is closely related to Peristenus punctatus sp.nov.However, it differs in having (i) FI 4x as long as wide (F I 3x as long as wide in P. punctatus sp.nov.).(ii) Vein m-cu antefurcal (vein m-cu interstitial in P. punctatus sp.nov.).(iii) Length of vein l-Rl O.35x length of pterostigma (length of vein l-Rl 0.46x length of pterostigma in P. punctatus sp.nov.).
Head: Width of head in dorsal view 1.5x its length; antennal segments 24, distinctly shorter than body (2.8 mm), apical segment not distinctly wider; scape 2x as long as wide, length of FI 2.6x F 2 , length of F" F 2 , F3-F9, FIO-F IS , F16-F21 and F22 2.6x, 2x, 1.6x, 1.3x, l.lx and 2x their width respectiveiy; occipital carina weak dorsally but strong laterally and connected to hypostomal carina ventrally; OOL : POL: AOL : 000 = 9 : 7 : 5 : 2; length of posterior side of stemmaticum 1.4x its lateral side; eyes in dorsal view almost as long as temple; temple roundly slightly narrowed behind eyes, sparsely punctate with hairs; vertex punctate with hairs; frons densely and evenly punctate with a thin median frontal carina between antennal socket; face densely evenly punctate and largely setose, its width 1.66x its length; intertentorial line 2.2x tentorio-ocular line; clypeus nearly smooth, its width 2.5x its length; length of malar space 1.6x basal width of mandible.
Head: Width of head in dorsal view 1.6x its length, antennal segments 17; antenna distinctly shorter than body (1.65 mm); scape 1.66x as long as wide; pedicel 1.5x as long as wide; length of F" FrF3, F4-F 15 3x, 2x and 1.5x their width respectively; length of maxillary palp almost D.6x height of head; occipital carina weak dorsally; OOL : POL : AOL : 00D = 5 : 6 : 4 : I; length of posterior side of stemmaticum 2x its lateral side; length of eye in dorsal view 1.4x its width and 2x temple; vertex 2.1 x as wide as long, sparsely punctate; frons punctate with a mid-longitudinal carina; face as long as wide with dense and long whitish pilosity; densely punctate; between eyes slightly greater than eye length; intertentorial line 2.6x tentorioocular line; clypeus smooth, its width 2.6x it length; malar space as long as basal width of mandible.
Metasoma : Length of metasoma about 2.5x as long as wide; length of first metasomal tergite 1.8x its apical width, basal width O.5x apical width, rugostriate, apically distinctly widened; spiracles at middle of first tergite; rest of tergite smooth without any indication suture between 2 and 3; ovipositor sheath small, just visible, ovipositor small and curved; length of ovipositor D.l1 x length of metasoma.