Journal of Threatened
Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 February 2023 | 15(2): 22752–22756
ISSN 0974-7907
(Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print)
https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.8158.15.2.22752-22756
#8158 | Received 25
August 2022 | Final received 23 December 2022 | Finally accepted 09 February
2023
First report of the fairyfly Schizophragma mitai
Triapitsyn (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae)
from India with notes on S. indica Rehmat
& Anis
Anandhan Rameshkumar 1, Nazurius Anand 2, Sayan
Sardar 3 & Sarfrazul Islam Kazmi 4
1–4 Zoological Survey of India, Prani Vigyan Bhawan, New Alipore, Kolkata, West Bengal
700053, India.
1 drrameshtrichy@gmail.com
(corresponding author), 2 anandnazurius30@gmail.com, 3 sardar.sayan830@gmail.com,
4 kazmizsi@gmail.com
Editor: Anonymity
requested. Date of
publication: 26 February 2023 (online & print)
Citation: Rameshkumar, A., N. Anand, S.
Sardar & S.I. Kazmi (2023). First report of the fairyfly Schizophragma
mitai Triapitsyn
(Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) from India with notes on S.
indica Rehmat & Anis. Journal of Threatened Taxa 15(2): 22752–22756. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.8158.15.2.22752-22756
Copyright: © Rameshkumar et al. 2023. Creative Commons Attribution
4.0 International License. JoTT allows unrestricted use, reproduction, and
distribution of this article in any medium by providing adequate credit to the
author(s) and the source of publication.
Funding: Science and
Engineering Research Board (SERB), Department of Science and Technology,
Government of India that
have funded the study resulting in the paper (CRG/2020/006361).
Competing interests: The authors
declare no competing interests.
Acknowledgements: We thank the Director,
Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata for providing facilities. The authors
gratefully acknowledge the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB),
Department of Science and Technology, Government of India (CRG/2020/006361),
for the financial support.
The genus Schizophragma Ogloblin,
belongs to the Anagrus group of
genera (Athithya & Manickavasagam
2022) in the family Mymaridae, consists of nine
species described worldwide, with seven species occurring in the Nearctic and
Neotropical regions in the Western hemisphere (Huber 1987), one species
reported from India (Rehmat & Anis 2014) and one from Japan (Triapitsyn 2021). Schizophragma is
closely related to Stethynium Enock
but differs by the presence of clava with two
segments in females (one in S. saltensis Ogloblin), anterior scutellum with single pair of setae,
the second phragma notched posteriorly, body colour
dark brown and males having simple encapsulated genitalia (Huber 1987). In the
present study, Schizophragma mitai Triapitsyn
is added to the Indian fauna with redescription and
notes on S. indica Rehmat
& Anis have been provided. In addition, illustrations and distribution map
(Image 1) have also been provided for the Indian species.
Mymarid specimens included in
this study were sorted out from the hymenopteran collections in the
National Zoological Collection (NZC), Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, West
Bengal, India. The specimens were collected using a yellow pan trap, dissected
and mounted in Canada balsam on a micro slide following the standard protocol
given by Noyes (1982). The card mounted specimens were studied using a Nikon
SMZ25 stereo zoom microscope and Leica DM1000 compound microscope for studying
morphology of slide mounted specimens and measurements. The habitus photographs
were obtained using a Nikon DS-Ri2 camera attached to the stereo zoom
microscope and processed by the NIS-Elements BR Analysis v5.20.00. Stacking of
individual images and processing was done using Adobe Photoshop CS4.
Distribution map was prepared using Google Earth Pro based on the coordinates
from collection sites. Vouchered specimens have been deposited with their
appropriate registration numbers at NZC, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
1. Schizophragma mitai
Triapitsyn, 2021 (Image 2A–F)
Schizophragma mitai
Triapitsyn, 2021: 93, Holotype, female, Japan, Fukuoka
(ELKU)
Female: Body length 0.79 mm; body
dark brown; antennal pedicel and flagellum pale brown; clava
dark brown. Frenum pale brown than anterior scutellum. Fore wing subhyaline
except behind venation slightly infuscate; hind wing hyaline. Legs pale brown
except meso & meta coxa and metafemur darker.
Head: Head in frontal view about
1.3× higher than wide; below anterior ocellus with horizontal striation; genae with vertical striation; between torulus
and above torulus with polygonal sculpture; sub-torular grooves present; mandible with single tooth.
Antennal scape 2.8× as long as wide, with 10-12 transverse ridges extending all
way from apex to base; pedicel longer than F1; F4 longer and F5 shortest; mps on F4 (2) and F6 (2); clava
3.7× as long as broad, with longitudinal ridges; clava
with seven mps; clava
longer than F3-F6 combined.
Mesosoma: Mesosoma 0.8× of
metasoma; mesophragma barely notched; mesocutum and scutellum with longitudinal striation. Wings:
fore wing 3.3× as long as broad; longest marginal seta 0.4× wing width; distal
macrochaeta slightly longer than proximal macrochaeta; hind wing about 14× as
long as broad; longest marginal seta 1.8× of wing width.
Metasoma: Ovipositor slightly exserted, 1.8× of metatibia; ovipositor extending anteriorly
almost to margin of propodeum.
Measurements (µm): Head width
176; head height 246; pedicel length & width 139:49; antennal segments
length: scape 124; pedicel 30; F1 30; F2 31; F3 32; F4 46; F5 19; F6 43; clava length & width 178:48. Fore wing length: width
801:239; hind wing length: width 714:51; mesosoma length: 334; metasoma length
427; longest marginal seta 101; ovipositor length 458; hind tibia length 257.
Material examined: 2 females,
India, Karnataka, Virananjipura, 13.12690N,
77.36220E, 10.xii.2020, coll. A. Rameshkumar.
Distribution: Japan (Triapitsyn 2021), India: Karnataka (new record).
Comments: The specimens
collected from Karnataka are identified as S. mitai based
on the original description and illustrations provided by Triapitsyn
(2021). This species is known only from the Palaearctic
region (Japan). Hence, the range of the species is extended to the Oriental
region. There is no significant variation observed between original type
specimen and Indian material.
2. Schizophragma indica
Rehmat &
Anis, 2014 (Image 3A–E)
Schizophragma indica
Rehmat &
Anis, 2014: 306–311, female. Holotype, female, India, Uttar Pradesh (ZDAMU)
Diagnosis: Female. Length ranges
0.61–0.84 mm (Image 3A). Head dark brown, as long as wide; vertex with fine,
rugose and reticulate sculptures (Image 3C); antenna yellowish, scape with 7–8
transverse ridges extending from the apex only up to midway towards base; clava 2 segmented with longitudinal striations, mps on F3(1) and F5(1) (Image 3B); clava
with six mps. Wings hyaline (Image 3D); mesosoma dark
brown; midlobe of mesoscutum
with reticulate sculpture; frenum with lineolate sculpture; mesophragma
with deep V-shaped notch. T1 and T2 (partly white), T3–T6 brownish-black; legs
light brown; ovipositor shortly exserted from base of
metasoma (Image 3E).
Material examined: 8 females,
India, Nagaland, Kohima, Basa Khonoma, 25.64530N,
94.02360E, 04.xi.2021, coll. A. Rameshkumar.
Distribution: India: Uttar
Pradesh (Rehmat & Anis 2014), Nagaland (new record).
Comments: Within the eight
specimens collected from Nagaland (Northeastern India) observed, some
variations, i.e., size of funicle segments and body colouration,
may be due to the habitus and climatic variations.
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References
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