The Fergusson squathopper, Messena sinuata Atkinson (Hemiptera: Eurybrachidae) and its egg parasitoids from Southern India Author Binoy, C. Independent researcher, Sreeragam, Chereekandy, Elathur, Kozhikode, Kerala- 673303, India; Author Hiremath, Sangamesh R. Department of Entomology, Thiruvananthapuram, India; & Department of Agricultural Entomology, Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, Coimbatore, India Author Prathapan, K. D. Department of Entomology, Thiruvananthapuram, India; text Journal of Natural History 2024 2024-08-14 58 29 - 32 1069 1087 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2024.2381275 journal article 303340 10.1080/00222933.2024.2381275 d742aae4-f393-4c89-91c3-11bb78568700 1464-5262 13758107 Parachrysocharis malabarensis Narendran, 2007 Parachrysocharis malabarensis Narendran 2007 , p. 180 –181. India : Kerala [ ZSIC ] ( Figures 31–43 ) Material examined 34 ♀ , 21♂ , All from India : Kerala , Kozhikode district collected by C . Binoy . Malabar Christian College Campus ( 11.263°N , 75.779°E , 27 m ), 3♂ collected in November 2018 , remainder in January–February 2021 . (see ‘Material and methods’ for deposition). Diagnosis Head, mesosoma and metasoma with short, conspicuous setae; eye red in colour; mesoscutum with seven to eight adnotaular erect setae; mesoscutum medially with six longitudinal carinae, median one longest, reaching scutellar grove; scutellum leathery with two erect bristles, one in middle and other near posterior margin; propodeal spiracle not removed from metanotum; propodeum with a median carina; costa with three setae; metasoma yellow with black patches on terga; ovipositor sheath and ovipositor well exserted. Redescription (female). ( Figures 31–39 ) Body length 1.4–2.1 mm ; length of forewing 1.0– 1.6 mm . Colour. Body yellowish orange with the following parts variably coloured: eye, ocellar triangle and tip of mandibular teeth reddish brown; ocelli red; scape translucent yellow, pedicel little darker; remaining antennomeres brownish black; metasoma yellow with short patch basally on Gt1, posterior band on Gt2, dorso medial band on Gt3 and Gt4, medial short patch on Gt5, and Gt6 and epipygium entirely brownish black; venation on forewing translucent ivory/white (pale brown in some specimens). Figure 31–40. Parachrysocharis malabarensis Narendran, 2007 . ♀ 31, habitus, lateral view; 32, habitus, dorsal view; 33, head and antenna, lateral view; 34, head, dorsal view; 35, head, frontal view (mandible and clypeus in inset); 36, mesosoma, dorsal view; 37, propodeum; 38, mesosoma, lateral view; 39, forewing; 40, metasoma, lateral view. Figure 41–44. Parachrysocharis malabarensis Narendran, 2007 . ♂ 41, habitus, lateral view; 42, head and mesosoma, dorsal view; 43, mesosoma, propodeum and Gt1, dorsal view; 44, metasoma, dorsal view. Head. In anterior view 1.26× as long as wide; finely alutaceous with setigerous pits along inner eye margin, setae long, erect, white arising from tubercles; a median ridge/carina running from anterior ocellus onto subtriangular elevation at the inter-torular space; lower face with more setigerous pits on alutaceous surface; clypeus apico-medially produced into pair of distinct lobes and pair of lateral pointed processes (in some specimens a short yet prominent median tooth-like protuberance present); labrum trapezoid, distinctly protruding beyond clypeus; mandible bidentate, inner tooth large, blunt ( Figure 34 ); in dorsal view transverse, 2.1× as wide as long; vertex and occiput alutaceous, with short erect brown seta arising from tubercle; setae on ocellar triangle comparatively long, pale brown in colour; ocellar triangle slightly obtuse; POL 2.0 × OOL, 1.6 × AOL and 1.3 × OD ( Figure 34 ); eye bare, height of eye in profile 3.2× as long as malar space; gena narrow, almost bare, with scattered adpressed setae, alutaceous; malar sulcus distinct, straight; antenna with three-segmented funicle, three segmented clava and two distinct annelli (11233); scape and pedicel with short adpressed brown erect setae; long sensillae and numerous adpressed setae on remainder of antennomeres; scape not reaching median ocellus, reaching 0.8 of frons; 3.2× as long as wide, 1.9× as long as pedicel, distal end expanded; pedicel 2.1× as long as wide, 0.78× as long as fu1; all funicles longer than wide; length to width ratio of funiculars: 1.9, 1.4, 1.4; clava as 0.64× combined length of all funicles, 3.2× as long as wide, tapering to apex, without any terminal spine ( Figure 33 ). Mesosoma. Pronotum distinctly arching, narrow, distinctly pilose with two rows of setae placed on tubercles, neck with numerous short setae; surface of pronotum, mesoscutum faintly alutaceous, similar to head; mesoscutum 1.67× as long as wide with well-marked notauli; middle lobe of mesoscutum with median long ridge supplemented by three weak ridges on either side; with 10–12 long adnotaular erect setae; lateral lobe of mesoscutum with numerous well-separated erect setae arising from tubercles; scutellum finely reticulate/leathery with two erect bristles, one in middle and other above posterior margin, margins of scutellum foveolate ( Figure 36 ); lateral panel of pronotum and prepectus reticulate; mesopleuron smooth, shiny; metapleuron reticulate ( Figure 38 ); metanotum and propodeum with coarser reticulation; propodeum short, 7.1× as long as broad, median carina and short sublateral carina distinct; propodeal spiracle large, round, peritreme exposed, not removed from metanotum ( Figure 37 ); callus with four erect white setae ( Figure 38 ). Wings. Forewing hyaline, with short and dense discal ciliation, 2.1× as long as its maximum width; marginal fringe long and erect at MV; SMV with four strong semi erect dorsal setae; decolourised area on parastigma between SMV and MV; STV with distinct uncus; cubital setal line expanded in middle, remainder straight till apical wing margin; MV 1.8× as long as SMV; MV 3.9× as long as STV; CC 5.6× as long as broad, with numerous short setae on lamina; hindwing hyaline, 4.8× as long as wide, marginal fringe slightly long, discal ciliation similar to that of forewing ( Figure 39 ). Legs. Metacoxa reticulate, 1.9× as long as wide; hind femur weakly reticulated, 4.4× as long maximum width, surface with scattered suberect setae and moderately dense adpressed setae; hind tibia setose, slightly shorter than hind femur, 6.0× as long as wide; metatibial spur 0.8× as long as basitarsus ( Figure 31 ). Metasoma. Petiole inconspicuous; metasoma ovate with apex pointed, all terga faintly reticulate/alutaceous, sculpture more prominent on Gt4–Gt6; dorsum of Gt1 and Gt2 bare, laterally with single row of setae near its posterior margin; Gt3–Gt5 with 2–3 rows of setae on dorsum near posterior margin; cercal setae unequal, one long and sinuate; hypopygium reaching middle of metasoma; ovipositor sheath and ovipositor exserted ( Figure 40 ). Male. ( Figures 41–44 ) Description Body length 1.1–1.3 mm , length of forewing 1.0 mm. Surface sculpture similar to that of female. The following characters (other than usual sexual dimorphic states on number of antennomeres, size and terminal metasomal segments) may be considered in associating the male P. malabarensis to its female: scape ventrally carinate; face in lateral view subrectangular; legs long; metasoma except medial portion of Gt1, black; face and metasoma collapsing on drying ( Figures 43, 44 ). Other hosts Pyrilla sp. ( Hemiptera : Lophopidae ) ( Narendran 2007 ). Distribution India ( Kerala ); Sri Lanka ( Narendran 2007 ).