TAXONOMIC STUDIES ON MERISMOMORPHA WITH THE DESCRIPTION OF THREE NEW SPECIES FROM INDIA ( HYMENOPTERA : CHALCIDOIDEA : PTEROMALIDAE )

The genus Merismomorpha is Indo-Australian in distribution and represented by 11 species from Australia and one undescribed species from India (Boucek, 1988). According to Boucek (1988) the genus is an intriguing cluster of species and some of them seem rather aberrant. He has provided an account on the diagnostic characters of the genus and its affinities with other related genera. In this paper 3 new. species of Merismomorpha are described from India. For the present study I have examined the type of the genus, M. acutiventris Girault and two undescribed species of Merismomorpha in QM determined by Boucek. Based upon the study, a revised account on the diagnostic characters of the genus is provided. A key to Indian species of Merismomorpha is also provided.


INTRODUCTION
The genus Merismomorpha is Indo-Australian in distribution and represented by 11 species from Australia and one undescribed species from India (Boucek, 1988).According to Boucek (1988) the genus is an intriguing cluster of species and some of them seem rather aberrant.He has provided an account on the diagnostic characters of the genus and its affinities with other related genera.In this paper 3 new.species of Merismomorpha are described from India.For the present study I have examined the type of the genus, M. acutiventris Girault and two undescribed species of Merismomorpha in QM determined by Boucek.Based upon the study, a revised account on the diagnostic characters of the genus is provided.A key to Indian species of Merismomorpha is also provided.
The type specimens of the new species described here are deposited in Zoological Survey of India, Western Ghat~ Field Research Station, Calicut, India.
Genus Merismomorpha Girault The genus belongs to the subfamily pteromalinae and can be distinguished by the following combination of characters Head: little wider.than mesosoma, finely to moderately reticulate; lower face often convex along the median line, the convexity continuing down to the apex of clypeus; occiput immargined; clypeal area finely striate, lower margin produced and often roundedsubconical, but in some species apex angulate, blunted or truncate or even slightly emarginate.Gena posteriorly with a fine carina.Malar sulcus finely indicated.Antennae inserted above middle of face, in female with 3 anelli and 5 funicular segments; flagellum slightly to obviously clavate, clava only slightly enlarged.Male.flagellum with 2 transverse anelli and 6 funicular segments.
Mesosoma arched in profile, finely to moderately reticulate.Pronotum less wider than mesoscutum, collar anteriorly not carinate.Mesoscutum with notauli complete or incomplete.Scutellum without frenal line indicated, except in one case.Propodeum with nucha distinct, though sometimes short and with converging submedian channels; spiracles small, oval; postspiracular sulcus distinct; supracoxal flange narrow.Prepectus distinctly longer than tegula, reticulate.Upper mesepimeron shiny, seperated by a transverse fovea from lower mesepimeron.Forewing witli basal part almost bare; marginal fringe present; MV longer than PMV.Legs slender; hind tibia with one spur.
Gaster : ovate, lanceolate.; petiole always long and more or less sinuate, at apex embraced from below by the thin and narrow extension of the first gastral stemite; T3 mostly enlarged and convex, the shorter T2 has a median notch on hind margin; sometimes T 1 also has such a notch or short incision.
Merismomorpha closely resembles Lomonosofiella Girault and according to Boucek (1988) the latter might be only a species group of Merismomorpha and eventually be synonymised under it.Lomonosofiella has been maintained valid by him mainly -on the differences of antenna, scutellum and supported by petiolar characters.Lomonosofiella has flagellum with 2 anelli and 6 funicular segments, scutellum with frenal line indicated by a row of deeper punctures and the frenal area has the reticulation shallower, and petiole always very long, slightly sinuate, in dorsal view thickened before middle and with very evident reticulation.Boucek (1988) mentioned that M. j1avipetiole (Girault) has the frenal groove indicated.
In M. minuta sp.nov.and M. truncata sp.nov. the reticulation is shallower on frenal area than the rest of the scutellum and the petiole is widened in the middle (Figs. 1, 12).On the contrary, in M. elongata sp.nov. the petiole is long and widened before middle (Fig. 7) and the reticulation on the frenal area moderate.Considering the above I have the opinion that the characters that can be considered valid for the genus Lomonosofiella are the flagellum with 2 anelli and 6 funicular segments and evident reticulation on petiole.Key to the Indian species of Merismomorpha, females 1. Forewing (Fig. 11) with PMV only slightly shorter than MV (0.9x); basal hairline indicated; ante~ae w~th scape reaching to upper margin of median ocellus; propodeum (Fig. 10 13); lower face not evidently convex along the median line; petiole as long as hind coxa, embraced below by a very short extension of first gastral sternite (Fig. 12); exposed part of T3 slightly longer than T4; hind margin of T 1 & T2 without median incision; propodeum (Fig. 15) with basal deep and broad ........ M. truncata, sp.nov.
Head: 1.2x as broad as mesosoma; finely reticulate, almost shiny on the median convex line or lower tace; pubescence very small .. In dorsal view head width 2.1 x length and in front view width 1.2x height; temple length O.5x eye length; POL 1.3x 001; lower• margin of clypeus angulate; malar space length O.5x eye height; eyes seperated by 1.4x their height; eye height I.5x width; malar sulcus indistinct.Antennae (Fig. 2) inserted only little above middle of face; toruli very slight~ above anterior margin of clypeus than to upper margin of head (12 : 11); scape ~leEder, h~rdly reaching lower margin of median ocellus, length 0.7x eye height; length of pedicel plus falgellum O.8x head width; pedicel as long as F 1; third anellus little longer than others; all funicular segments little longer than wide; clava as long as 2.5 preceeding segments combined.
Head: 1.2x as broad as mesosoma, moderately reticulate with moderately dense pubescence; reticulation fine on vertex and lower face, almost shiny on the convex median line of the lower face. in dorsal view head width 2.1 x length and in front view width 1.3x height; temple length O.7x eye length; POL little shorter than DOL (6.5 : 7); lower margin of clypeus (Fig. 9) angulate; malar space length O.6x eye height; eyes seperated by 1.6x their height; eye height 1.8x width.Antennae (Fig. 8) inserted distinctly above middle of face; sc(obe deep; scape slender, reaching to upper margin of median pcellus, length 0.8x eye height; length of pedicel plus flagellum little shorter than head width; tragellu~ with long pubescence; pedicel as long as F 1; third anellus as long as first and second combined; all funicular segments longer than wide; clava as long as 2.5 preceeding segments combined. Mesosoma : Length 1.3x width; moderately reticulate punctate with long white pubescence.Mesoscutum width 2.3x length; notauli complete.Scutellum medially little longer than mesoscutum; frenal line not indicated.Propodeum (Fig. 10) medially 0.8x as long as scutellum; median area moderately reticulate, lateral area finely reticulate; median carina indicated; submedian channels shallow, outer margins of them developed into a fine but distinct carina.Metapleuron almost shiny with a depression on upper and lower margins.Forewing (Fig. 11 Head.: 1.1 x as wide as mesosoma, finely reticulate, pubescence small and inconspicuous. in dorsal veiw head width 2x length and in front view width 1.3x height; temple length O.5x eye length; lower face not evidently convex along the median line; POL 1.3x OOL; lower Inargin of clypeus truncate; malar space length 0.7x eye height; eyes seperated by 1.2x their height; eye height 1.6x width.Antennae inserted very little above middle of face; scape hardly reaching lower margin of median ocellus, length O.7x eye height; other wise antennae similar as in M. minuta.Mesosoma: Length 1.4x width; sculpture and pubescence as in M. III in uta.Mesoscutum width 2.4x length; notauli complete.Scutellum medially little longer than mesoscutum; frenal line not indicated, reticulation shallower on frenal area.Propodeum (Fig. 15) medially O.6x as long as scutellum; median area raised, finely reticulate, basal foveae broad and deep; submedian channels moderately deep.Forewing (Fig. 14) length 2x width; pubescence as in M. minuta except for few hairs below MV more distinct; basal hairline not indicated.Relative lengths SMV 23, MV 12.5, PMV 6.5, STY 3.
Gaster: (Fig. 12) elongate, ovate, dorsally slightly collapsing at the base; petiole as long as hind coxa, widened at the middle, embraced by a short extension of gastral stemite; petiole length 3x maximum width in profile; gaster (excluding petiole) as long as head plus mesosoma combined and 2.5x.as long as hind tibia; hind margin of T I & T2 almost entire; exposed part of T3 only little lonegr than T4 (10 : 9).Remarks: This species can be readily distinguished from other species in having lower margin of clypeus truncate, gaster with T3 little longer than T4, lower face not evidently convex along median line and propodeum with broad basal foveae.