New Parasitoid wasp species, Taeniogonalos Deepaki, discovered in Western Ghats

A recent study by entomologists from the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) in Bengaluru has unveiled the discovery of a new species of parasitoid wasp in Karnataka, India. Named Taeniogonalos Deepaki, this wasp was found in the Nipani region of Belagavi within the Western Ghats.

Belonging to the family Trigonalyidae in the order Hymenoptera, the genus Taeniogonalos comprises hyperparasitoids, insects that infiltrate other parasitoids. These parasitoids develop either on or within the bodies of other insects. While Taeniogonalos species are distributed across various regions globally, including Afrotropical, oriental, Eastern Palaearctic, Nearctic, Australian, and neotropical areas, the newly discovered Taeniogonalos Deepaki exhibits unique characteristics that differentiate it from other species in India.

The species is named in honor of Deepak Deshpande, a medical doctor and nature enthusiast who collected the specimen. The scientific paper, authored by ATREE scientists Femi Ezhuthupallickal Benny, A P Ranjith, and Priyadarsanan Dharma Rajan, was published in the international journal Zootaxa. Additionally, the study reports the first male description of another species, Taeniogonalos eurysoma. While the female of this species was initially described in China in 2020, the male was collected in Arunachal Pradesh, suggesting a potential overlap of fauna between India and China.

The discovery in Arunachal Pradesh is significant, expanding our understanding of Taeniogonalos species beyond southern India. The study emphasizes the importance of broader taxonomic studies to unveil more species and establish connections between various regions.