Baeosega torrida Krombein 1983

Baeosega torrida

This species occurs in several Dry Zone localities at altitudes ranging from 15 to 660 m, and with rainfall ranging from 860 to 1450 mm. Both sexes are more erythristic then B. humida, new species, and B. laticeps, new species. The male of B. torrida has the dorsum of the head and pronotum light red except occasionally the ocellar area, whereas these areas are mostly or entirely infuscated in B. humida. In addition, males of B. torrida have the head comparatively wider than the least interocular distance (1.93–2.04 as compared to 1.80–1.96 in B. humida), the pronotal width at lobes is comparatively wider than median length (1.36–1.41 as compared to usually 1.05–1.30), and the mesopleural disk has contiguous shallow pits rather than pits ranging from contiguous to separated by half the diameter of a pit. Females of B. torrida are easily separated from those of the other two species by the presence of a few delicate, longitudinal rugulae on declivous surface of first metasomal tergum, the light red and testaceous legs rather than having these partly dark brown or black, the delicately shagreened first and second metasomal terga (Figure 32) with more conspicuous erect and subdecumbent silvery vestiture rather than having these areas glossy and with less conspicuous vestiture.

HOLOTYPE.—; Sri Lanka, Southern Province, Uva District, Angunakolapelessa, 27–28 Mar 1981, on or in leaf litter, K.V. Krombein, T. Wijesinhe, L. Weeratunge (USNM Type 100453).

FEMALE.—Length 2.4 mm. Black, the following light red: mandible except tip, clypeus, lower part of the malar space, scape except apex above, first three flagellar segments, thorax except brown scutum, and legs except coxae, trochanters, femora beneath and mid and hind tarsi testaceous. Vestiture silvery to cinereous, erect setae on head, thoracic dorsum, legs and metasomal dorsum relatively short and sparse, most of that on side of thorax denser and subdecumbent, that on abdomen suberect to subappressed and more conspicuous than in B. humida.

Head with characters of the genus and the following: head width 1.1 times the distance from clypeal apex to posterior ocelli and 3.1 times interocular distance at anterior ocellus; scape as long as pedicel and first three flagellar segments.

Thorax with characters of the genus and the following: median pronotal length 0.8 times greatest width; median length of pronotum 1.6 times combined lengths of scutum and scutellum, the latter 0.7 times as long as scutum and half the length of postscutellum; punctate basal area of postscutellum with length half the basal width and 0.4 times length of postscutellum; posterior propodeal surface with close transverse rugulae which carry over onto posterior area of lateral surface.

Abdomen (Figure 32) with characters of the genus and the following: declivous anterior surface of first tergum with a few delicate radiating rugulae; dorsal surface of first two terga with delicate shagreening and a mixture of longer erect sparse setae and shorter subdecumbent setae.

ALLOTYPE.— same locality as holotype but 100 m, 23 Jan 1979, in Malaise trap, K.V. Krombein, P.B. Karunaratne, T. Wijesinhe, S. Siriwardane, T. Gunawardane (USNM).

MALE.—Length 2.3 mm. Black, the following light red: head and appendages except apical half of flagellum light brown, thorax and appendages except scutum and scutellum dark red and postscutellum and propodeal dorsum infuscated, and basal half of first metasomal tergum, rest of abdomen light brown. Vestiture short, silvery, subappressed except light brown and erect on flagellum. Wings slightly infumated, costa, radius, and stigma light brown, other veins amber.

Head with characters of genus and as follows: width twice the interocular distance at anterior ocellus and 1.7 times distance from clypeal apex to posterior ocelli; ocelli in a flatter triangle than in B. humida, new species, ocellocular distance 0.45 times postocellar distance and 0.83 times lateral ocellar distance.

Thorax with characters of the genus and as follows: pronotum 0.7 times as long as wide, and three-fourths as long as combined lengths of scutum and scutellum; latter sclerite 0.6 times as long as scutum and 1.3 times as long as postscutellum; mesopleural pits large, shallow, and subcontiguous.

Abdomen with characters of genus; most punctures on disk of first and second terga separated by about half the diameter of a puncture.

PARATYPES.—All USNM. 15, same label data as holotype; 2, same locality as holotype but 17, 18 Jun 1978, K.V. Krombein; 1, same label data as allotype. SOUTHERN PROVINCE. Hambantota District: 18 , Palatupana tank, 15 m, in or on leaf litter, 29 Mar-2 Apr 1981, K.V. Krombein, T. Wijesinhe, L. Weeratunge. CENTRAL PROVINCE. Kandy District: 1, Thawalamtenne, 2220 ft (669 m), 4 Sep 1980, K.V. Krombein, P.B. Karunaratne, T. Wijesinhe, L. Jayawickrema, V. Gunawardane. CENTRAL PROVINCE. Matale District: 1 , 2 , Kibissa jungle, 0.5 mi (0.8 km) W of Sigiriya, 30 Jun-3 Jul 1978, K.V. Krombein, P.B. Karunaratne. Paratypes of both sexes will be deposited in the Colombo and the British museums.

Female paratypes are 1.8–2.7 mm long. The color is slightly variable; the scutum is frequently red, the pronotum occasionally has an anteromedian infuscation and more rarely such a spot laterally, and the femora may be infuscated in part. Variation otherwise is as follows: head width is 2.5–3.2 times the interocular distance at anterior ocellus and 1.0–1.1 times the distance from clypeal apex to posterior ocelli; median pronotal length is 0.8–0.9 times greatest width, and 1.2–1.4 times combined lengths of scutum and scutellum; and scutellum is 0.5–0.7 times as long as scutum, and 0.5–0.6 times as long as postscutellum.

Male paratypes are 2.3–2.5 mm long. There is the following variability in coloration: ocellar triangle is infuscated in one specimen; scutum is light red in one specimen; and in three specimens the thoracic dorsum ranges from darker red to almost entirely infuscated. Variation otherwise is as follows: head width is 1.9–2.0 times interocular distance at anterior ocellus and 1.6–1.7 times distance from clypeal apex to posterior ocelli; median pronotal length is 0.67–0.71 times combined lengths of scutum and scutellum; and latter sclerite is 0.48–0.50 times as long as scutum and 1.0–1.1 times as long as postscutellum.