Earinus aurantius, van Achterberg, Cornelis & Long, Khuat Dang, 2010

van Achterberg, Cornelis & Long, Khuat Dang, 2010, Revision of the Agathidinae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) of Vietnam, with the description of forty-two new species and three new genera, ZooKeys 54, pp. 1-184 : 53-55

Earinus aurantius sp. n. Figs 142-150

Type material.

Holotype, ♀ (RMNH), "N.W. Vietnam: Tonkin, Hoang Lien N.R., 15 km W [of] Sa Pa, c. 1900 m, 15-21.x.1999, Malaise traps, C. v. Achterberg, RMNH’99”.

Diagnosis.

The new species is similar to Earinus burmensis Gupta & Bhat, 1974, from Myanmar, but differs by having the first tergite 1.3 times as long as its apical width ( Earinus burmensis : twice); mesoscutum medio-apically and scutellum orange brown; hind tarsus black (burmensis: only apices of hind tarsal segments) and tibia with dark brown ring (burmensis: absent).

Description.

Holotype, ♀, length of body 6.6 mm, of fore wing 6.0 mm, of ovipositor sheath 6.0 mm.

Head.

Antennal segments 34; length of third segment 1.1 times fourth segment, length of third, fourth and penultimate segments 3.8, 3.4 and 1.7 times their width, respectively; maxillary palp as long as height of head; length of malar space twice as long as basal width of mandible; in dorsal view length of eye 4.2 times temple (Fig. 149); POL:OD:OOL = 7:3:6; face shiny, nearly smooth with very sparse minute punctures; between antennal sockets two carinae and a short groove (Fig. 149); frons, vertex and temple shiny and smooth (Fig. 149).

Mesosoma.

Length of mesosoma 1.6 times its height; subpronope large and deep; pronotum shiny and largely smooth; area near lateral carina of mesoscutum smooth anteriorly and crenulate posteriorly; notauli completely absent; mesoscutum shiny with sparse fine punctures and setae, slightly depressed medio-posteriorly; notauli completely absent; scutellar sulcus short, 0.2 times as long as scutellum and with 4 carinae; scutellum distinctly narrowed posteriorly, sparsely finely punctate; precoxal sulcus absent; mesopleuron shiny, smooth; metapleuron nearly smooth with sparse punctures; propodeum with two medial parallel carinae from base to apex of propodeum (Fig. 144).

Wings.

Fore wing: second submarginal cell pentagonal (Fig. 146); vein SR1 straight; r:3-SR: SR1 = 4:2:53; vein 1-SR+M completely sclerotized and pigmented. Hind wing: vein M+CU 1.2 times as long as vein 1-M.

Legs.

Length of hind femur, tibia and basitarsus 3.8, 8.2 and 9.5 times their width, respectively; hind femur (as remainder of legs) with short setae (Fig. 147); length of outer and inner spur of middle tibia 0.4 and 0.5 times middle basitarsus, respectively; outer apex of middle tibia with a row of 6 pegs and 2 pegs at apex; ventral side of middle basitarsus with sparse unusual thick setae; length of outer and inner spur of hind tibia 0.2 and 0.4 times hind basitarsus; tarsal claws without lobe; outer side of hind tibia with sparse unusual thick setae.

Metasoma.

First tergite widened apically, slightly depressed laterally, with short medial carina and strongly convergent dorsal carinae; length of first tergite 1.3 times its apical width (Fig. 145); second tergite 1.1 times longer than third tergite (Fig. 145); metasoma shiny and smooth but first tergite coriaceous basally; ovipositor sheath as long as fore wing.

Colour.

Black; palpi, mandible, tegula, legs, but subbasal ring and apex of hind tibia and hind tarsus dark brown; mesoscutum medio-apically and scutellum orange brown; wing membrane infuscate.

Distribution.

NW Vietnam: Lao Cai.

Biology.

Unknown.

Etymology.

From “aurantium” (Latin for “orange”), because of the orange brown scutellum.