Discovery of two new remarkable species of Heydenia (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Heydeniidae) from India

Hemanth Kumar H. M., Gupta Ankita
Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 66(1): 111-122, 2026
Published online: 4th August 2026
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Abstract: In the present study, two new remarkable species of the genus Heydenia Förster, 1856 (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Heydeniidae), namely H. dichroma Hemanth & Gupta sp. nov. and H. gracifemoralis Hemanth & Gupta sp. nov., are described and illustrated from Karnataka, India. Heydenia dichroma sp. nov. was reared from branch cuttings of Pongamia pinnata (L.) Pierre (Fabaceae), while H. gracifemoralis sp. nov. was reared as larval parasitoid of an indeterminate species of Coleoptera associated with Albizia amara (Roxb.) Boivin. (Fabaceae). Heydenia gracifemoralis sp. nov. is unique among other Indian species in possessing a slender fore femur. Heydenia dichroma sp. nov. is a dichromatic species and occurs in testaceous and metallic colour forms. The two newly described species are compared with closely related species. Detailed diagnoses, identification key along with live photographs and field observations are provided for both new species.
Key words: Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea, Heydeniidae, colour forms, dichromatism, diversity, host rearing, new species, parasitoid, taxonomy, wood-boring beetles, Oriental Region