Ablerus fasciarius Wang, Huang & Polaszek, 2016

Wang, Zhu Hong, Huang, Jian & Polaszek, Andrew, 2016, The species of genus Ablerus Howard (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Azotidae) from China, with description of a new species, Florida Entomologist 99 (3), pp. 395-405 : 399-402

5. Ablerus fasciarius Wang, Huang & Polaszek sp. nov.

( Figs. 9–17 )

DESCRIPTION

Holotype female. Body length: 0.75 mm (excluding exserted part of ovipositor).

Color. Head with frontovertex silvery white, eyes red and ocelli red brown; occiput mostly, except for 2 small oval areas above, dark brown; a narrow dark brown band across face above toruli and extending on malar space below eyes, and merging with the dark brown occiput; areas above this band along eyes nearly white, face and malar space below this band brown; mouth space brown yellow, mandible apically dark brown. Mesosoma and metasoma dark brown to dark, apex of ovipositor white. Antenna with most of radicle, ventral margin and apicad of scape, basad of pedicel, F1, F3 and most of clava dark brown to dark; rest of scape and pedicel, F2 and F4 white; apex of clava brown yellow. Forewing hyaline and about apical fourth of wings slightly infuscate, with an infuscated crossband below apical third of marginal vein and stigmal vein, and a cluster of dark bristles below the apex of marginal vein. Legs white to brown yellow, except basal half of hind coxae dark brown, femora apically and tibiae basally pale brown to dark brown, the 5th tarsi pale brown.

Head. Eyes bare. Mandible with 3 teeth and a truncation. Antenna with scape 4.5 times as long as wide; pedicel 1.7 times as long as wide, slightly shorter than F1; F2 and F4 equal in length, 3 times and 2.1 times as long as wide, respectively; F3 shortest, 1.25 times as long as wide, 0.48 times as long as F2 and F4 respectively; F1–F4 each with 2–4 multiporous plate sensilla; clava 4.18 times as long as wide, with 6 or 7 multiporous plate sensilla in 2 rows.

Mesosoma. Vertex reticulate. Notum of mesosoma with distinct reticulate cells and irregular sculpture in these cells; mid-lobe of mesoscutum with transverse reticulate cells anteriorly and longitudinal or oblique reticulated cells posteriorly, with 1 pair of setae; each side-lobe of mesoscutum with 2 setae; each axilla with 1 seta, distance between axillae about 2.67 times as long as axilla; scutellum transverse, 0.69 times as long as mid-lobe of mesoscutum, with oblique or longitudinal reticulations medially and oblique stripes laterally, bearing 2 pairs of setae, placoid sensilla distantly placed, slightly closer to hind pair than to fore pair of setae; metanotum narrow, with sculptures; propodeum long, 0.88 times as long as scutellum and 4.2 times as long as metanotum, with oblique or longitudinal reticulations medially and oblique stripes laterally; mesopostphragma, measured from apex of scutellum, 3.04 times as long as scutellum. Forewing narrow, 3.13 times as long as maximum width of wing disc; marginal fringe 0.46 times as long as maximum width of disc; disc with dense setae except basal cell and asetose area below a cluster of dark bristles on the infuscated crossband extending to around stigmal vein, ciliation on disc inside the infuscated crossband unusual, consisting of dense, fine setae with a rather large base; 1 seta on submarginal vein and 1 seta premarginal vein, 1 seta below the end of submarginal vein, 3 setae on anterior margin of marginal vein; stigmal vein with a slender neck and expanded apex, postmarginal vein absent.

Metasoma. The apex of metasoma projecting; ovipositor long, basally located at the base of T1, projecting beyond the apex of metasoma, 2.61 times as long as mid-tibia, 3rd valvula 0.94 times as long as mid-tibia.

MALE

Unkown.

TYPE MATERIAL

Holotype ♀, China, Fujian, Fuzhou, Jinshan , 26-IX-2013, Zhu-Hong Wang, ex. unidentified diaspidid scale ( Hemiptera : Diaspididae ) on bamboo ( FAFU). Paratypes 2 ♀♀, same data as holotype ( FAFU).

HOST

Unidentified Diaspididae scale on bamboo.

DISTRIBUTION

China (Fujian).

REMARKS

Ablerus fasciarius sp. nov. resembles Ablerus similis ( De Santis, 1948) with regard to the forewing having an infuscated crossband, but is distinguished from the latter by the following characters: an infuscated crossband below apical third of marginal vein and stigmal vein (in A. similis : below marginal vein), and a cluster of dark bristles below the apex of marginal vein (in A. similis : without a cluster of dark bristles); the asetose area below a cluster of dark bristles on the infuscated crossband, ciliation on disc inside the infuscated crossband unusual, consisting of dense, fine setae with a rather large base (in A. similis : the setae arranged on most of the infuscated crossband, the disc inside the infuscated crossband asetose).

Ablerus fasciarius sp. nov. also resembles Ablerus macchiae ( Annecke & Insley, 1970) and Ablerus separaspidis ( Annecke & Insley, 1970) with regard to the forewing having an infuscated crossband below marginal vein, but is distinguished from them by the different form of the infuscated crossband and ciliation on disc of forewing.

ETYMOLOGY

The species name is derived from the Latin word fasciarius = banded, referring to the forewing with an infuscated crossband.

Figures

Figs. 9–13. Ablerus fasciarius sp. nov. (female). 9. Body, dorsal view; 10. body, ventral view; 11. foreleg; 12. mid-leg; 13. hind leg.

Figs. 14–17. Ablerus fasciarius sp. nov. (female). 14. Antenna; 15. forewing; 16. mesosoma; 17. ovipositor.