GUWAHATI: A tiny parasitic wasp discovered in Assam’s Dibru-Saikhowa National Park has added a new record to India’s insect biodiversity, with scientists formally describing a new species and documenting the presence of its genus in the country for the first time.

Named Oxyserphus narendrani, the new species was described by Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) researchers Rupam Debnath and K. Rajmohana. Their study, published in September 2026, records the first occurrence of the genus Oxyserphus in India.

The study also marks the first formal description of a species of this genus from the Oriental biogeographic region, covering a large part of South and Southeast Asia.

Measuring only around 3.3 mm, the wasp was collected in November 2024 from Dibru-Saikhowa National Park using a yellow pan trap, a water-filled device commonly used by entomologists to collect and study flying insects.

The discovery highlights the rich and still underexplored insect diversity of Assam’s protected forest ecosystems.