Chelonus (Microchelonus) illatus, Zhou & Achterberg & Tang & Chen, 2024

Zhou, Jin-Jin, Achterberg, Cornelis Van, Tang, Pu & Chen, Xue-Xin, 2024, A review of the subgenera Carinichelonus, Microchelonus, Parachelonus and Stylochelonus of the genus Chelonus Panzer (Braconidae: Cheloninae) with descriptions of twenty-one new species from China, Zootaxa 5412 (1), pp. 1-127 : 45-47

Chelonus (Microchelonus) illatus sp. nov.

Figs 35–36

Material examined. Holotype: male, Qingliang Mt. , Zhejiang Prov., China, 9.VIII.2005, Hongying Zhang, No. 200603221 ( ZJUH).

Diagnosis. This new species is similar to C. (M.) gratus (Tobias, 1989) , sharing the parallel-sided metasomal carapace in dorsal view ( Fig. 36E ), but the two species can be separated by the following characters: face very narrow, its width 1.5 × its height ( Fig. 36G ) (versus very wide, 2.4 × in C. (M.) gratus ); vein SR1 of fore wing straight ( Fig. 36A ) (versus sinuate), vertex coarsely transversely rugose ( Fig. 36H ) (versus weakly striate); base of carapace irregularly reticulate-rugose ( Fig. 36E ) (versus clearly longitudinally rugose).

Description. Holotype, male, length of body 4.3 mm, of fore wing 3.3 mm.

Head. Head transverse, width of head 2.2 × its dorsal length; occiput slightly excavated; antenna damaged and with 16 antennomeres remaining; eye in dorsal view 1.9 × as long as temple; OOL: OD: POL=20: 9: 14; temple narrowed behind eyes; vertex and frons coarsely transverse-rugose ( Fig. 36H ); face flat, transversely coarsely reticulate-rugose, width of face 1.5 × its height; eyes about parallel; clypeus dense punctate, shiny, clypeus 2.1 × wider than high; distance between tentorial pits 2.1 × distance between pits and eyes ( Fig. 36G ).

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.7 × its height; side of pronotum sparsely punctulate ( Fig. 36B ); notauli distinct, mesoscutum punctate-rugose, but medio-posteriorly coarsely reticulate-rugose; scutellum punctate; scutellar suture comparatively deep and broad, with carinae; propodeum coarsely rugose, tubercles very small and weak ( Fig. 36C ).

Wings. Vein r slightly arched; marginal cell as long as pterostigma; pterostigma 2.8 × longer than wide; r: 3-SR: SR1=18: 19: 77; SR1 straight ( Fig. 36A ); marginal cell 2.3 × longer than second submarginal cell; 1-CU1: 2-CU1=15: 38; 2-R1 short ( Fig. 36A ).

Legs. Hind coxa mainly smooth, densely setose laterally; length of hind femur, tibia and basitarsus 3.0 ×, 4.0 × and 4.8 × their maximum width, respectively; length of inner hind tibial spur 0.5 × hind basitarsus.

Metasoma. Length of carapace 2.9 × its maximum width in dorsal view, parallel-sided, apically rounded; base of carapace reticulate-rugose up to middle, rugose apically ( Fig. 36D ); carapace in lateral view 3.4 × longer than high, posterior height of metasoma 1.4 × its anterior height, apex of metasomal carapace slightly incurved ( Fig. 36E ); apical aperture in posterior view large, oval and median process of aperture shaped as vertical carina ( Fig. 36F ).

Colour. Body black; antenna brown but scapus yellowish; mandible yellow but tip darkened; palpi light yellow; pterostigma brown, middle of wing and its veins yellowish ( Fig. 36A ), wing base and its veins light brown; legs almost entirely yellow but apices of hind femur and tibia dark brown; metasoma with pair of large yellowish spots basally.

Female. Unknown.

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. China (Zhejiang).

Etymology. Named after the parallel-sided metasomal carapace in dorsal view: “ il- ” is Latin for negative prefix and “ latus ” is Latin for broad, wide.

Figures

FIGURE 35. Chelonus (Microchelonus) illatus sp. nov., male, holotype, habitus, lateral aspect.

FIGURE 36. Chelonus (Microchelonus) illatus sp. nov., male, holotype. A, fore wing; B, mesosoma, lateral aspect; C, mesosoma, dorsal aspect; D, metasoma, lateral aspect; E, metasoma, dorsal aspect; F, metasoma, posterior aspect; G, head, anterior aspect; H, head, dorsal aspect; I, head, lateral aspect.