Sycophila melanoloma Zhang & Xiao, 2021

Xiao, Hui, Zhang, Rui & Gao, Mengqing, 2021, Three new species of the genus Sycophila (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea, Eurytomidae) from China, ZooKeys 1029, pp. 123-137 : 123

Sycophila melanoloma Zhang & Xiao sp. nov. Figs 1-5

Material examined.

Holotype. ♀, China: Hainan: Danzhou , 19.31°N, 109.34°E, VI.2006, reared form Ficus microcarpa L., leg. Haoyuan Hu. Paratypes. 4♀, same data as holotype .

Diagnosis.

Body slim, length 1.8-2.3 mm, mainly yellowish except eyes dark brown, median line of gaster black; antenna slender with Fu1 2.0 × as long as broad; fore wing hyaline, marginal vein enlarged and with dark brown maculae; gastral petiole longer than wide, gaster compressed laterally, dorsally arched.

Description.

Female (holotype). Body (Fig. 1 ) length 2.0 mm. Body brownish yellow except eyes red-brown, median line of gaster black; antennae and legs concolorous with body; wings hyaline, venation yellow-brown except marginal vein enlarged with black maculae; head and thorax smooth, umbilicate puncturation sparse and shallow.

Head with white pubescens sparse, head in frontal view 1.5 × as wide as high (Fig. 2 ), eyes separated by 1.5 × their height, malar space 0.7 × eyes height, malar sulcus space 1.43 × malar space. Antennal insertion above lower ocular line; scrobes deep and smooth, not reaching anterior ocellus, interantennal crest absent. Lower face smooth. Lower margin of clypeus with incision separating a single tooth on both sides; mandible three teethed. Head in dorsal view (Fig. 3 ) 1.67 × as broad as long, occipital carina inconspicuous; temple length 0.2 × eyes length; POL 2.5 × OOL, OOL 2.0 × ocellus diameter. Antennal formula 11153 (Figs 1 , 2 ); scape reaching anterior ocellus, equal to eyes height, 5.0 × as long as broad, 2.5 × pedicel length; pedicel and flagellum combined 1.33 × head width; pedicel in lateral view 2.0 × as long as broad, equal to Fu1; anellus 0.5 × as long as broad; Fu1 2.0 × as long as broad, Fu2-Fu5 slightly shorter than Fu1 (1.85 × as long as broad); clava length 3.0 × width, shorter than the following three funiculars combined; each funicular with single row of sensilla; ventral surface of clava without micropilose area.

Mesosoma 1.45 × as long as broad in dorsal view. Pronotum 0.46 × as long as broad. Mesoscutum 0.62 × as long as broad, notauli deep and complete. Scutellum as long as broad. Propodeum shorter than mesoscutum (0.39 ×), nucha distinct, median carina and plica absent; median longitudinal furrow distinct, irregular cells formed by irregular ridges on both sides (Fig. 4 ). Fore wing (Fig. 5 ) 2.86 × as long as broad, with marginal fringe; maculae dark brown, confining on marginal vein and stigmal vein, not extending backward; marginal vein triangular broadened; ratio of marginal vein: postmarginal vein: stigmal vein as 8:3:3. Fore femur stout, fore tibia with a ventral spur at apex; mid femur enlarged, mid tibia thin and outer edge with a single row of setae; hind coxa stout, 2.0 × as long as broad; hind femur enlarged, 1.67 × as long as broad; hind tibia with 2 ventral spurs at apex.

Metasoma 1.67 × as long as mesosoma. Gaster petiolate, 3.0 × as long as broad, laterally compressed. Gaster bare and smooth, distinctly compressed and dorsally arched, median line of gaster black; length of Gt4 as long as Gt1-Gt3 combined, 2.0 × as Gt3. Ovipositor exposed, 0.08 × as long as gaster.

Male. Unknown.

Etymology.

The specific name is derived from the Latin ’melanolomus’, referencing the character of the gaster with a median black line.

Remarks.

The species is similar to S. petiolata Chen, 1999 from Taiwan ( Chen et al. 1999) but noticeably different by the gaster compressed and dorsally arched (gaster oval in S. petiolata ), mesonotum and metanotum yellowish (mesonotum and metanotum with dark brown patches in S. petiolata ).

Host.

Ficus microcarpa L.

Distribution.

China (Hainan).

Figures

Figures 1 - 5. Sycophila melanoloma sp. nov., female holotype 1 body in lateral view 2 head in frontal view 3 head and mesosoma in dorsal view 4 propodeum in dorsal view 5 fore wing in dorsal view.