Zoological Survey of India Discovers New Parasitic Wasp Species in Assam's Dibru-Saikhowa National Park

In Brief:

1. Researchers identified a 3.3-millimeter parasitic wasp named Oxyserphus narendrani.
2. The specimen was captured using a yellow pan trap inside Dibru-Saikhowa National Park.
3. The finding represents the first formal record of the Oxyserphus genus in the entire Oriental biogeographical region.

Researchers Rupam Debnath and K. Rajmohana from the Zoological Survey of India formally identified a new parasitic wasp species, Oxyserphus narendrani, inside Dibru-Saikhowa National Park in Assam. Measuring 3.3 millimeters in length, the insect belongs to the family Proctotrupidae and was collected using a yellow pan trap placed in the lowland forest ecosystem.

The discovery marks the first time the genus Oxyserphus has been documented in India or anywhere within the Oriental biogeographical region. Prior to this finding, species of Oxyserphus were primarily recorded across the Australian, Palaearctic, and Nearctic regions.