Bracon (Glabrobracon) megaventris, Li & He & Chen, 2020

Li, Yang, He, Jun-hua & Chen, Xue-xin, 2020, The subgenera Glabrobracon Fahringer, Lucobracon Fahringer and Uncobracon Papp of the genus Bracon Fabricius (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Braconinae) in China, with the description of eleven new species, Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 67 (2), pp. 209-252 : 209

Bracon (Glabrobracon) megaventris sp. nov. Figs 9 , 10

Type material.

Holotype. ♀, China, Henan Prov., Mt. Jigong, 11.VII.1997, Chen Xuexin, No. 973791 ( ZJUH).

Diagnosis.

This new species is very similar to B. (G.) leptotes sp. nov., but can be separated from the latter by the following characters: ovipositor sheath 0.1 × as long as fore wing (0.4 × in B. (G.) leptotes ); hind femur relatively robust, 2.8 × as long as maximum width (slightly more slender, 3.8 × as long as maximum width); second metasomal suture medially distinctly wider than laterally, nearly straight (medially slightly wider than laterally and slightly sinuate); mesosoma in lateral view 1.9 × as long as high (1.6 times).

Description.

Holotype, ♀, length of body 3.5 mm, of fore wing 3.6 mm, of ovipositor sheath 0.4 mm.

Head. Antenna with 35 segments; apical antennal segment with a short spine apically, 3.1 × longer than its maximum width (Fig. 10l ); first flagellomere 2.3 × longer than wide, 1.2 × longer than second and third, respectively, the latter being 1.9 × longer than wide; malar suture rather weak, with some short setae; clypeus height: inter-tentorial distance: tentorio-ocular distance = 3: 8: 4; clypeus sparsely short setose; eye not emarginated (Fig. 10g ); face smooth and with some long setae laterally (Fig. 10g ); eye height: shortest distance between eyes: head width = 4: 5: 10; frons smooth, slightly concave behind antennal sockets, with a rather weak median groove (Fig. 10h ); vertex smooth, with sparse short setae; shortest distance between posterior ocelli: minimum diameter of elliptical posterior ocellus: shortest distance between posterior ocellus and eye = 5: 5: 8; temples linearly narrowed behind eyes (Fig. 10h ).

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.9 × its height (Fig. 10c ); notauli only impressed anteriorly (Fig. 10d ); mesoscutum smooth, with sparse long setae posteriorly and along imaginary notaulic courses (Fig. 10d ); scutellar sulcus deep, narrow, with crenulae (Fig. 10d ); scutellum smooth, with dense short setae posteriorly; metanotum moderately convex medially (Fig. 10d ); propodeum largely smooth, with a short medio-longitudinal carina posteriorly and sparsely setose medially, with dense long setae laterally (Fig. 10d ).

Wings. Fore wing (Fig. 10a ): SR1: 3-SR: r = 19: 12: 4; 1-SR+M more or less straight, 1.3 × longer than 1-M; 2-SR: 3-SR: r-m = 2: 3: 1; m-cu straight, 2.3 × longer than 2-SR+M; angle between 1-SR and C+SC+R about 70°; cu-a more or less interstitial. Hind wing (Fig. 10b ): SC+R1: 2-SC+R: 1r-m = 15: 3: 8.

Legs. Length of fore femur: tibia: tarsus = 17: 20: 26; length of hind femur: tibia: basitarsus = 11: 16: 6; length of femur, tibia and basitarsus of hind leg 2.8, 7.1 and 4.8 × their maximum width, respectively; hind tibial spurs 0.3 and 0.4 × as long as hind basitarsus.

Metasoma. Length of first tergite 1.5 × its apical width; first tergite concave medio-basally, median area convex and smooth (Fig. 10j ); lateral grooves of first tergite moderately narrow, with distinct crenulae (Fig. 10j ); second tergite rugose except for laterally and posteriorly smooth (Fig. 10e ); median length of second to sixth tergites approximately similar; second metasomal suture moderately wide, crenulate, more or less straight medially (Fig. 10e ); third to seventh tergites smooth (Fig. 10e ); setose part of ovipositor sheath 0.1 × as long as fore wing.

Colour. Largely blackish-brown (Fig. 9 ); scapus basally, mandible (but apically blackish-brown), face posteriorly, middle lobe of mesoscutum posteriorly, lateral lobes anteriorly, pronotum laterally, mesopleuron anteriorly, scutellum anteriorly and laterally, metanotum, metapleuron anteriorly, legs (but claws and telotarsus dark brown), first metasomal tergite, second tergite medio-anteriorly and laterally and third to seventh tergites laterally yellow (Figs 9 , 10c-g, i, j ); ovipositor sheath black (Fig. 9 ); wing membrane infuscate, pterostigma dark brown, veins yellow to dark brown (Fig. 10a, b ).

Biology.

Unknown.

Distribution.

China (Henan).

Etymology.

Named after the large metasoma: “mega” is Greek for “large” and “venter” is Latin for “belly”.

Figures

Figure 9. Bracon (Glabrobracon) megaventris sp. nov., ♀, holotype, habitus lateral.

Figure 10. Bracon (Glabrobracon) megaventris sp. nov., ♀, holotype. a. Fore wing; b. Hind wing; c. Mesosoma, lateral view; d. Mesosoma, dorsal view; e. Metasoma, dorsal view; f. Hind leg, lateral view; g. Head, front view; h. Head, dorsal view; i. Head, lateral view; j. First metasomal tergite, dorsal view; k. Scapus outer side, lateral view; l. Apex of antenna; m. Apex of ovipositor, lateral view.