Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics

Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics

Four new species of fig-associated Pteromalidae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) from the Western Ghats, India

Document Type : Full-length Research Article

Authors
1 Department of Wildlife Biology, Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi, India
2 Systematic Entomology Laboratory, Malabar Christian College, Kozhikode, Affiliated to University of Calicut, Kerala-673001, India.
10.48311/jibs.12.03.477
Abstract
This paper describes four new species of fig-associated Pteromalidae wasps from the Western Ghats of India. These new species belong to the genera Philotrypesis Förster, 1878, and Sycoryctes Mayr, 1885, both of which are obligately associated with Ficus species. The newly described taxa include Philotrypesis virentis sp. nov. (ex. Ficus virens Aiton), Philotrypesis talbotii sp. nov. (ex. Ficus talbotii King), Sycoryctes racemosae sp. nov. (ex. Ficus racemosa L.), and Sycoryctes tsjakelae sp. nov. (ex. Ficus tsjakela Burm.f.). The research provides detailed morphological descriptions, illustrations, and diagnostic features to distinguish each new species from other existing species.

Graphical Abstract

Four new species of fig-associated Pteromalidae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) from the Western Ghats, India
Keywords

Subjects


Burks, R., Mitroiu, M.D., Fusu, L., Heraty, J.M., Janšta, P., Heydon, S., Dale-Skey Papilloud, N., Peters, R.S., Woolley, J.B., van Noort, S., Tselikh, E., Baur, A., Cruaud, A., Darling, C., Haas, M., Hanson, P., Krogmann, L. & Rasplus, J.-Y. (2022) From hell’s heart I stab at thee! A determined approach towards a monophyletic Pteromalidae and reclassification of Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera). Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 94, 13–88. https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.94.94263
Cruaud, A., Rasplus, J.-Y., Zhang, J., Burks, R., Delvare, G., Fusu, L., Gumovsky, A., Huber, J.T., Jansta, P., Mitroiu, M.D., Noyes, J.S., van Noort, S., Baker, A., Bohmova, J., Baur, H., Blaimer, B.B., Brady, S.G., Bubenikova, K., Chartois, M., Copeland, R.S., Dale-Skey Papilloud, N., Dal Molin, A., Dominguez, C., Gebiola, M., Guerrieri, E., Kresslein, R.L., Krogmann, L., Lemmon, E., Murray, E.A., Nidelet, S., Nieves-Aldrey, J.L., Perry, R.K., Peters, R.S., Polaszek, A., Saune, L., Torrens, J., Triapitsyn, S., Tselikh, E.V., Yoder, M., Lemmon, A.R., Woolley, J.B. & Heraty, J.M. (2024) The Chalcidoidea bush of life: evolutionary history of a massive radiation of minute wasps. Cladistics, 40, 34–63. https://doi.org/10.1111/cla.12561
Joseph, K.J. (1955) Observations sur la biologie de Philotrypesis caricae (Hym. Chalcidiens Callimomidae). Comptes Rendus Hebdomadaires des Séances de l’Académie des Sciences, 241, 1624–1625.
Joseph, K.J. (1958) Recherches sur les chalcidiens Blastophaga psenes (L.) et Philotrypesis caricae (L.), du figuier Ficus carica (L.). Annales des Sciences Naturelles. Zoologie, 20, 197–260.
Joseph, K.J. (1959) The biology of Philotrypesis caricae (L.), a parasite of Blastophaga psenes (L.) (Chalcidoidea: parasitic Hymenoptera). The Proceedings of the International Congress of Zoology, London, 6, 62–63.
Jousselin, E., van Noort, S., Berry, V., Rasplus, J.Y., Rønsted, N., Erasmus, J.C. & Greeff, J.M. (2008) One fig to bind them all: host conservatism in a fig wasp community unraveled by cospeciation analyses among pollinating and nonpollinating fig wasps. Evolution, 62 (7), 1777–1797. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1558-5646.2008.00406.x
Priyadarsanan, D.R. (2000) Fig insects of Kerala. Records of the Zoological Survey of India, Occasional Paper, 182, 1–175.
Satheesan, S.K. & Santhosh, S. (2023) Description of a new species of the genus Walkerella (Pteromalidae: Otitesellinae) from Kerala, India. Oriental Insects, 57 (1), 115–126. https://doi.org/10.1080/00305316.2022.2070879
Satheesan, S.K. & Santhosh, S. (2024) Description of nine new species of the genus Sycophila Walker (Chalcidoidea, Eurytomidae) from Kerala, India. Entomon, 49 (3), 381–398. https://doi.org/10.33307/entomon.v49i3.1258
Segar, S.T., Lopez-Vaamonde, C., Rasplus, J.Y. & Cook, J.M. (2012) The global phylogeny of the subfamily Sycoryctinae (Pteromalidae): parasites of an obligate mutualism. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 65 (1), 116–125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2012.05.030
Sureshan, P.M. (2000) Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera: Insecta) status and diversity in India. Zoos' Print Journal, 15 (2), 211–213. https://doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.ZPJ.15.2.211-3
UCD Community (2023) Universal Chalcidoidea Database Website. https://ucd.chalcid.org [Accessed April 28, 2026]

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 10 May 2026

  • Receive Date 01 December 2025
  • Revise Date 26 February 2026
  • Accept Date 29 April 2026
  • Publish Date 10 May 2026