Diachasmimorpha anshunensis, Ao & Shi & Zheng & Chen & Ji, 2022

Ao, Guo-Fu, Shi, Shuang, Zheng, Min-Lin, Chen, Shi & Ji, Qing-E, 2022, A new species of Diachasmimorpha Viereck (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Opiinae) from China, Zootaxa 5116 (3), pp. 429-438 : 432-436

Diachasmimorpha anshunensis , new species

( Fig.2 A–B ; Fig.3 A–G ; Fig.4 B, D, F )

Description. Holotype, ♀, length of body 4.5 mm, and of fore wing 4.1 mm .

Head. Antenna with 47 antennomeres and 1.3 × longer than fore wing; scape compressed, outer side almost glabrous, remainder densely setose; first flagellomere 1.2 × longer than second; first, second and penultimate flagellomeres 2.9, 2.4 and 2.3 × longer than wide, respectively. In dorsal view, head 1.25 × broader than mesoscutum, 1.6 × broader than face; frons somewhat concave, smooth, glabrous medially, finely setose laterally; OOL: diameter of posterior ocellus: POL =13: 4: 6. Eye in dorsal view 1.44 × longer than temple, temples not receding, but width at eyes somewhat greater than width at temples (about 1.08 ×); eye in lateral view 3.0 × longer than temple. Face 1.9 × wider than high, rather prorupt medially, densely and finely punctuate and setose. Malar sulcus absent; malar space about 1.1 × basal width of mandible, 0.45 × eye height. Clypeus 2.1 × wider than high, very weakly convex, almost smooth, very sparsely setose, ventral margin flat, and completely concealing labrum when mandibles closed. Occipital carina rather developed laterally, extending dorsally from base of mandible to about two-third eye height. Length of maxillary palp 0.93 × height of head.

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.38 × its height. Pronotum visible dorsally, mainly smooth, its lateral margin sharply indented; pronope present only by a faint impression; propleuron flattened, smooth and glabrous, distinctly setose only close to its ventral margin; sides of pronotum mainly smooth except a rugose sulcus along its posterior margin ( Fig. 4 F ). Precoxal sulcus wide and deep, strongly crenulate, not reaching base of middle coxa; remainder of mesopleuron largely smooth; ventral half of epicnemial area crenulate, smooth on its dorsal half; densely setose postero-ventrally; only ventral half of pleural sulcus finely crenulate; metapleuron largely smooth, very sparsely setose on its anterior-dorsal area, remainder of metapleuron rather densely setose. Mesosternal sulcus moderately impressed, crenulate; no postpectal carina. Mesoscutum mainly smooth, sparsely and finely setose, middle mesoscutal lobe smooth and rather protruding; notauli deep, smooth, complete, and ending in short, deep and smooth medio-posterior pit; scutellar sulcus wide, about 3.1 × wider than midlength, deep and weakly crenulate except for one strong medio-longitudinal carina ( Fig. 4 B ); scutellum almost flat and smooth; propodeum sparsely setose, irregularly areolate except for a rather regular median areola, with a strong but short medio-longitudinal carina extending from anterior margin to areola.

Wings. Fore wing: vein 1-M mainly straight, but curved posteriorly; r: 3-SR: SR1= 2: 7: 25; 1-SR+M distinctly sinuate; 2-SR 1.38 × longer than 3-SR; 3-SR 1.28 × longer than r-m; SR1 straight and ending close to apex of wing; m-cu postfurcal by 0.19 × length of m-cu; cu-a oblique and straight; 1-CU1: 2-CU1= 3: 16; cu-a distad 1-M by 0.75 × its length; first subdiscal cell elongate and almost parallel-sided on its apical half; 3-CU1 about 1.8 × longer than CU1b. Hind wing: vein SR absent; m-cu developed, long and straight, pigmented nearly to wing margin; 1-M 1.2 × longer than 1r-m; M+CU as long as 1-M; cu-a straight and almost vertical; subbasal cell almost glabrous (not more than 5 setae).

Legs. Hind coxa smooth, almost glabrous on its dorsal and inner side and its residual area densely long grayish setose; outside of apical part of hind tibia with several strong spikes ( Fig. 3 F ), tarsal claws simple, no ventral lobe and with several spiny setae; length of femur, tibia and basitarsus of hind leg 4.18, 11.3, and 6.5 × their width, respectively; length of hind tibial spurs 0.23 and 0.27 × length of hind basitarsus.

Metasoma. Apical width of T1 equal to its length, 2.15 × its basal width and 0.7 × width of head. Surface of T1 almost glabrous (only sparsely setose on its posterior-median area), longitudinally striate, with dorsal carinae strongly elevated (area between them also distinctly elevated), mainly parallel-sided, but separated and weaken posteriorly; T1 with a strong median carina longitudinally extending to almost whole tergite, also with another two short dorsal longitudinal carinae between lateral carinae close to posterior margin of T1; spiracle small, at midlength of T1, situated on a subdorsal carina; dorsope absent but dorsal and dorso-lateral carina elevated at junction, giving appearance of a depression; laterope deep. T2 longitudinally striate medially, smooth laterally; spiracle on notum. Ovipositor straight, sinuate apically, with two dorsal protuberances and minute ventral teeth; ovipositor sheath 3.4 ×, 1.26 × and 2.3 × longer than mesosoma, fore wing and metasoma, respectively, with long setae and two small apical spine; hypopygium sharp apically and somewhat protruded beyond apex of metasoma.

Colour. Quite similar to D. longicaudata . Body mainly yellow orange; hind legs distinctly darker (at least hind tibia and tarsus yellowish brown to dark brown) than fore and middle legs.

Variation. Body length 3.6–5.0 mm; antenna with 45–51 antennomeres; sometimes T1, striate area of T2 and large area of T3 distinctly darker (yellowish brown to dark brown).

Male. Similar to female. Antenna with 48–53 flagellomeress; body entirely yellow orange, or with black transverse stripes subapically on metasomal terga.

Biology. So far only known to be the endoparasitoids of larvae of Z. tau .

Etymology. The specific name refers to Anshun, Guizhou Province of China (Southwest of China) where this species was first found.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality in Anshun, Guizhou Province of China.

Remarks. Diachasmimorpha anshunensis sp. nov. is very similar to D. longicaudata morphologically, but they can be differentiated from each other as follows:

- Sides of pronotum with a rugose fine sulcus along its posterior margin ( Fig. 4 F ); scutellar sulcus wide, weakly crenulate, only with a distinct medio-longitudinal carina ( Fig. 4 B ); outside of apical part of hind tibia with several strong spikes ( Fig. 3 F ); T1 with a strong median longitudinal carina extending to almost whole tergite ( Fig. 4 D )..................................................................................................... Diachasmimorpha anshunensis sp.nov.

- sides of pronotum with a smooth fine sulcus along its posterior margin ( Fig. 4 E ); scutellar sulcus relatively narrow and transversal long, strongly crenulate, with at least 3 distinct longitudinal carinae ( Fig. 4 A ); apical part of hind tibia without distinct spikes; T1 with a relatively weak median longitudinal carina, nearly absent on basal one-third of the tergite ( Fig. 4 C ).................................................................................... D. longicaudata (Ashmead)

Figures

FIGURE 2. Diachasmimorpha anshunensis, sp. nov. A. female; B. male. Habitus lateral.

FIGURE 3. Diachasmimorpha anshunensis, sp. nov. (A–G): A. head (frontal view); B. head (dorsal view); C. wings; D. antenna (scapus, pedicellus,1st–3rd and last nine flagellomeres; E. mesosoma (lateral view); F. hind leg (arrow shows the spikes of apical part of hind tibia); G. posterior part of ovipositor and ovipositor sheath.

FIGURE 4. Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ashmead) (A, C, E): A. mesosoma, dorsal view; C. 1st–3rd tergites of metasoma; E. side of pronotum; Diachasmimorpha anshunensis, sp. nov. (B, D, F): B. mesosoma, dorsal view; D. 1st–3rd tergites of metasoma; F. side of pronotum.