Chrysis cataka Rosa & K 2024, nov.sp.

Chrysis cataka ROSA nov.sp. (Figs 9 A-9F) M a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: Holotype ♀; Pondicherry: Karikal [= Karaikal], South India, [without further information] (NHMW). D i a g n o s i s: Chrysis cataka ROSA nov.sp. belongs to the succincta group. Indian species of this group were recently revised and keyed by Rosa et al. (2021b). Chrysis cataka ROSA nov.sp. is distinct from any other species due to the combination of (i) apical margin of the third tergum with two blunt lateral angles and two short median teeth closely positioned and protruding from the profile of the tergum (Fig. 9E); (ii) shape of the head in frontal view, with the frontal carina topping scapal basin, continuing downwards to the malar spaces with long branches between scapal basin and eye, ending at 2/3 of basin length; (iii) the colour pattern, with green head and mesosoma, red mesoscutum and metasoma (Fig. 9C). The only similar species in terms of small dimension, the shape of the head in frontal view, with almost polished scapal basin, frontal carina, long malar spaces, and apical margin with two lateral teeth and closely positioned median ones is Chrysis minutissima RADOSZKOWSKI, 1876, known from Egypt to Palestine (LINSENMAIER 1959). The female of Chrysis minutissima can be distinguished by its body being entirely red, golden-red or golden-greenish (in prepared specimens), with coarse metasomal punctation, lateral teeth strongly pointed with hyaline apex, and rounded black spots on the second sternum separated medially; the male of C. minutissima has four sharp, aligned teeth bordered by a hyaline margin, while the male of C. cataka ROSA nov.sp. is unknown. The unusual shape of the head with polished scapal basin, frontal carina topping the scapal basin, and long malar spaces place these two species in a separated subgroup, somehow close to the leachii (sub)group. D e s c r i p t i o n: Female. Body length 5.1 mm; anterior wing length 2.9 mm. Head. Vertex and ocellar triangle with dense, small to medium punctures (0.3–0.5× MOD); frons before scapal basin with irregular, subcontiguous to confluent punctures continuing on face down to malar spaces, between eye and scapal basin; posterior ocelli with postero-lateral deep, black fovea; scapal basin deep below upper margin, only slightly wrinkled, polished between wrinkles and large punctures at side of scapal basin; malar space densely punctate; frontal carina sharp, topping the scapal basin and continuing along scapal basin, up to 2/3 of basin length (Fig. 9B), genal carina sharp, straight, fully developed from temples to mandibular insertion; subantennal space short, 0.5× MOD; apex of clypeus straight, slightly arcuate upward with narrow, dark brown rim. Distance between anterior ocellus and margin of frontal carina = 2.0× MOD. OOL 1.3× MOD; POL 2.3× MOD; MS 1.1× MOD; relative length of P:F1:F2:F3 = 1.0:1.3:0.9:0.8. Mesosoma. Medial pronotal furrow shallow, barely visible; pronotum with uneven punctures, small to medium sized (0.1–0.5× MOD), subcontiguous to confluent, with small punctures on interspaces; mesoscutum with larger punctures postero-medially on median area, smaller antero-medially and on lateral area; median area with polished interspaces and scattered small punctures; lateral area with denser punctures; notauli formed by deep blue foveae contrasting with red metallic colour of mesoscutum; notaular foveae as large as larger punctures adjacent basally, decreasing towards anterior margin; parapsidal signum deep; mesoscutellum with punctures similar to those at base of mesoscutum, laterally with denser, smaller punctures; scutellar-metanotal suture deep, formed by longitudinally elongate foveae; metanotum densely punctate, with irregularly sized and shaped punctures; posterior propodeal projections slightly divergent, pointed downwards; mesopleuron densely and deeply punctate, with episternal sulcus formed by large, subrectangular foveae (Fig. 9D). Metasoma. Punctures on first tergum small, larger at sides, with dots on interspaces; two dorso-lateral patches without punctures, only with dense dots; second tergum with dense small punctures, subcontiguous and aligned, forming obliquous striae; punctures at sides twice as large as those on median area, widely separated by polished interspaces; longitudinal median carina weak; third tergum with large and dense punctures; pits of pit row, deep, brown, 2-3× larger than tergal punctures; apical margin with narrow hyaline rim, with two lateral blunt angles and two small median teeth, close each other, on apex of protruding area; black spots on second sternum small, covering less than half of sternum length; spots only partially fused medially with straight margin (Fig. 9F). Coloration. Body with similar colour pattern like C. succincta, with head and mesosoma green, mesoscutum and metasoma red, excluding the green apical margin of metasomal segments; dark blue on ocelli area, temples and occipital area, posterior half of propodeum dorsally, mesoscutellum and metascutum; sterna greenish to golden-green; hind legs greenish, mid and hind legs red; tegula metallic red; scape and pedicel green, flagellum brown. Vestiture. Setae whitish and relatively short (1.0× MOD) on head and mesosoma; longer (up to 2× MOD) on metasoma laterally and on femora and tibiae, erect on both sides. Male. Unknown. D i s t r i b u t i o n: * India (Pondicherry). E t y m o l o g y: The specific epithet cataka derives from the Indian name cātaka (masculine name in apposition), a fabulous bird of the Indian mythology.