S. Mahunka szerk.: Folia Entomologica Hungarica 58. (Budapest, 1997)

ROVARTANI KÖZLEMÉNYEK LVIII 1997 pp. 173-181 New Indian Tenthredo species (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae) from the North-eastern Himalayas M. S. Saini and H. Bharti New Indian Tenthredo species (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae) from the North-eastern Himalayas Five new species of the genus Tenthredo Linnaeus are described from the north-eastern states of India. They are Tenthredo nigricasta sp. n. from Lachung (Sikkim), T. nefaensis sp. n. from Zunhebotto (Nagaland), T. balbiri sp. n. from Gangtok (Sikkim), T. dirangensis sp. n. from Dirang (Arunachal Pradesh) and T. sikkimensis sp. n. from Gangtok (Sikkim). Drawings of clypeus, labrum, tarsal claw and external genitalia are provided. INTRODUCTION With about 141 valid species already on record, the genus Tenthredo is the largest sawfly genus in India. After Malaise's (1945) revisionary work on South-east Asian Tenthredinoidea, numerous new species were added to this genus by Muche (1982, 1983), Singh et al. (1985a, 19856, 1985c, 1986) and Singh and Saini (1987-1995). In the present work, five new species are described from the north-eastern states: Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland. The new species are compared with the related species. The holotypes will be submitted to IARI (Pusa National collections), while some paratypes to the Hungarian Natural History Museum (Budapest). Abbreviations - AST = anterior subbasal teeth; AT = apical tooth; CL = clypeus; EL = eye length; GP = gonostipes; H = harpe (parameron); IATS = inner apical tibial spur; ICD = intercenchral distance; IDMO = interocular distance at level of median ocellus; ITD = intertegular distance; LB - labrum; LID = lower interocular distance; MB = metabasitarsus; OATS = outer apical tibial spur; OCL = oculo-occipital line; OOL = oculo-ocellar line; PNS = parapenis; POL = postocellar line; PST = posterior subbasal teeth; SAT = subapical tooth; VC = valviceps; VV = valvura. Tenthredo nigricasta sp. n. (Figs 1,6, 11, 16, 19) Female - Average length 10.5 mm. Body black; pale green are distal half of mandible, labrum clypeus, face below antenna, supra-antennal tubercles, lower 2/3rds of hind orbit, outer aspects of pronotum, tegula, V-shaped apex of mesonotal middle lobe, stripe outer to scutellum on each lateral lobe, mesoscutellum except narrow hind margin, appendage, broad spots on anterior and posterior convexity of mesepisternum, stripe on pleural suture, deflexed sides and narrow posterior margins of all tergites, all sternites,