Gasteruption shengi Tan & van Achterberg

Tan, Jiang-Li, Achterberg, Cornelis van, Tan, Qing-Qing & Chen, Xue-Xin, 2016, Four new species of Gasteruption Latreille from NW China, with an illustrated key to the species from Palaearctic China (Hymenoptera, Gasteruptiidae), ZooKeys 612, pp. 51-112 : 95-99

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Gasteruptiidae

Gasteruption shengi Tan & van Achterberg sp. n. Figs 78-79, 80-88, 89-94

Type material.

Holotype, ♀ (NWUX), "China: Ningxia, Pingluo, Mt. Shizui, 25.v.2015, Mao-Ling Sheng", "on Hedysarum scoparium Fisch ex Mey". Paratypes: 1♀ 1♂ (RMNH), "N. China: Ningxia, Mt. Shizui, 6.v.2009, M.-L. Sheng, RMNH’11”; 1♂ (NWUX), "China: Inner Mongolia, Otog Banner, Yikebulage, 31.iii.2015, Mao-Ling Sheng", "on Tetraena mongolica Maxim." [translation of Chinese labels].

Comparative diagnosis.

Runs in Zhao et al. (2012) to Gasteruption dimidiatum Semenov, 1892, because of the emarginate head, the long and black ovipositor sheath, punctate mesoscutum and the finely sculptured propodeum. The new species differs from Gasteruption dimidiatum by having the head not prolonged below eyes in anterior view and malar space 0.2-0.3 times as long as second antennal segment (head shortly prolonged below eyes in Gasteruption dimidiatum ; fig. 107 in Zhao et al. 2012, malar space 0.4 times as long as second antennal segment), first metasomal tergite black (orange or yellowish brown), basal half of hind coxa only coriaceous (transversely rugulose), apex of ovipositor sheath black (narrowly ivory), mesoscutum rather finely punctate (somewhat coarser punctate) and slightly wider hind tibia (slightly narrower). Males may be confused with Gasteruption sinarum Kieffer, 1911, the latter species has the hind coxa distinctly transversely rugose, the hind tibia is slim and the mesoscutum is more or less rugulose.

Description.

Holotype, female, length of body 13.1 mm, of fore wing 5.9 mm.

Head. Vertex and frons with satin sheen and very finely punctulate, but vertex posteriorly superficially coriaceous (Fig. 86), distinctly convex (Fig. 80) and without a depression medio-posteriorly; frons densely silvery setose anteriorly; head trapezoid and gradually narrowed behind eyes in dorsal view (Fig. 86); temple 0.7 times as long as eye in dorsal view; fourth antennal segment 1.4 times as long as third segment and 0.9 times as long as second and third segments combined, fifth antennal segment 1.1 times as long as third segment, third antennal segment 1.8 times as long as second segment; occipital carina narrow and hardly lamelliform medio-dorsally (Figs 80, 86); OOL 1.4 times as long as diameter of posterior ocellus; face 3 times wider than high, 2.2 times wider than eye in anterior view (Fig. 85); minimum width of malar space 0.2 times as long as second antennal segment (Fig. 80); clypeus rather flat, slightly depressed ventrally and distinctly emarginate medio-ventrally (Fig. 85); eye largely glabrous; head shallowly U-shaped emarginate posteriorly (Fig. 86).

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma twice its height; propleuron rather robust and 0.8 times as long as mesoscutum in front of tegulae; pronotal side mainly superficially coriaceous, with grooves crenulate and largely densely silvery setose, with small acute tooth antero-ventrally (Fig. 80); antesternal carina narrow and non-lamelliform; mesopleuron coriaceous and largely densely silvery setose; mesosternal sulcus rather wide and crenulate; mesoscutum and scutellum with satin sheen, mesoscutum rather coarsely punctate but interspace mostly wider than diameter of punctures, interspaces superficially coriaceous, but middle lobe medio-posteriorly with few rugae (Fig. 82); scutellum mainly superficially coriaceous and with few small punctures; propodeum mainly coriaceous but medially with transverse crenulation connected to smooth median area.

Wings. First discal cell parallel-sided and with outer posterior corner rounded and with vein 3-CU1 near its apical third (Fig. 83).

Legs. Hind coxa very finely coriaceous and with satin sheen; length of hind femur, tibia and basitarsus 4.6, 4.7 and 5.3 times their width, respectively; middle tarsus 1.2 times as long as middle tibia; middle femur subparallel-sided and slightly slimmer than fore femur; hind tibia moderately inflated (Fig. 87).

Metasoma. Ovipositor sheath 14.4 mm, 1.1 times longer than body, 1.6 times as long as metasoma and 5.9 times as long as hind tibia, apex of sheath black; apical 0.5 of hypopygium incised (Fig. 84).

Colour. Black; mandible brown and basally slightly darkened; base and apex of fore and middle tibiae, most of fore and middle basitarsi and subbasal ring of hind tibia ivory or pale brown; tegulae, base and apex of fore and middle femora, remainder of fore and middle tarsi (but middle telotarsus dark brown), hind tibial spurs, secondfifth metasomal segments, apical half of hypopygium and lateral spots on sixth tergite brown; pterostigma, veins and clypeus ventrally dark brown; wing membrane subhyaline.

Male. Similar to female, but sculpture of mesoscutum coarser (Fig. 90), head less emarginate posteriorly and propodeum more or less reticulate; third antennal segment 1.3 times as long as second segment, fourth antennal segment 1.9-2.1 times as long as third segment and 1.1-1.2 times as long as second and third segments combined, fifth antennal segment 1.9-2.3 times as long as third segment (Fig. 93); mouthparts partly ivory; paramere greyish setose and its apex black (Fig. 94); hind tarsus mainly dark brown or blackish.

Variation. Body length of female 12.1-13.1 mm, of male 10.1-11.5 mm; length of malar space 0.2-0.3 times as long as second antennal segment; propleuron 0.8-0.9 times as long as mesoscutum in front of tegulae; ovipositor sheath 10.5-14.4 mm, 0.9-1.1 times longer than body, 1.4-1.6 times as long as metasoma and 4.1-5.9 times as long as hind tibia; occipital carina of female paratype narrow lamelliform medio-dorsally, mandible rather yellowish brown, hypopygium and sixth tergite entirely brown and seventh tergite laterally so, fore and middle legs (except coxae and trochanters) mainly brown, tegulae dark brown, hind femur brownish black and subbasal ring of hind tibia brownish.

Distribution.

China (Ningxia, Inner Mongolia).

Biology.

Unknown.

Etymology.

Named after the collector, Prof. Dr Mao-Ling Sheng, for his contribution of our knowledge of Chinese parasitoid Hymenoptera .