Chelonus (Scabrichelonus) nigrifemoratus, Zhou & Achterberg & Tang & Chen, 2022

Zhou, Jin-Jin, Achterberg, Kees Van, Tang, Pu & Chen, Xue-Xin, 2022, A review of the subgenera Arichelonus, Megachelonus and Scabrichelonus of the genus Chelonus Panzer (Braconidae: Cheloninae) with description of five new species from China, Zootaxa 5165 (4), pp. 527-547 : 544-546

Chelonus (Scabrichelonus) nigrifemoratus sp. nov.

Figs 13–16

Material examined. Holotype:female, China, Hainan Prov., Mt.Wuzhi , 16–20.V.2007, Liqiong Wen,No. 200705133 ( ZJUH) . Paratype, 1 male, China, Hainan Prov., Mt. Wuzhi , 17. V .2007, Bin Xiao, No. 200705132 ( ZJUH) .

Diagnosis. This new species is similar to C. (S.) sinensis He, Chen & van Achterberg , but can be separated from the latter by the following characters: hind coxa and hind femur black in both sexes (hind coxa apically and hind femur basally more or less yellowish-brown in C. (S.) sinensis ); apical opening of male carapace is relatively large and close to lateral margins of carapace (apical opening of male carapace relatively small and remaining removed from lateral margins of carapace).

Description. Holotype, female, length of body 4.5 mm, of fore wing 3.4 mm.

Head. Antennomeres more than 8 (broken in holotype), scapus robust, length of third antennomere 1.2 × fourth, length of third and fourth antennomeres 3.8 × and 3.3 × their width, respectively; in dorsal view its maximum width and width between eyes 1.2 × and 1.8 × its median length, respectively; temple strongly swollen posteriorly; frons slightly concave; temple and vertex distinctly transversely rugose; OOL: OD: POL= 21: 9: 11; longitudinal diameter of eye 0.8 × height of temples ( Fig. 14G ); face as long as its width, evenly convex; clypeus flat, sparsely and finely punctate; length of malar space 0.5 × basal width of mandible ( Fig. 14F ); face and eyes with densely setose in lateral view ( Fig. 14I ).

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 2.2 × its height; pronotum densely irregularly reticulate; mesoscutum evenly convex, irregularly finely reticulate-rugose, more strongly and coarsely rugose postero-medially; scutellum finely punctate-rugose; scutellar sulcus narrow, with 7 carinae; propodeum densely reticulate-rugose ( Fig. 14C ); mesopleuron evenly convex, densely finely reticulate-rugose, more strongly and coarsely so antero-dorsally; prepectal carina just extending to level of postero-ventral margin of pronotum; metapleuron coarsely rugose ( Fig. 14B ).

Wings. Fore wing ( Fig. 14A ): length of fore wing 3.0 × its width; length of vein 1-R1 0.9 × length of pterostigma; vein 2-R1 just present; r: 3-SR: SRl =11: 19: 70; parastigma slightly swollen; 1-CU1: 2-CU1 = 13:46; vein CUlb present.

Legs. Hind coxa shallowly punctate-rugose; hind femur robust, its length 3.1 × its width; hind tibia rather thick apically, its length 1.2 × length of tarsus; hind tarsus narrowed towards apex; length of basitarsus 0.4 × length of tarsus, 2.0 × length of inner tibial spur ( Fig. 14E ).

Metasoma. Length of metasoma 2.8 × its maximum width in dorsal view; metasomal carapace longitudinally densely reticulate-rugose ( Fig. 14H ); ovipositor is hidden under the ventral opening of metasomal carapace, the ovipositor sheath 0.12 × as long as fore wing, 0.31 × as long as hind tibia ( Fig. 14D ).

Colour. Black; antennomeres blackish-brown; palp yellowish brown; scapus (except for base) and mandibles basally reddish-brown; pterostigma and most of veins blackish-brown; basal third of carapace yellowish; legs almost yellowish-brown totally; hind соха blасk but apically yellowish-brown; hind femur blackish-brown; basal hind tibia light yellow and apically brown.

male. Antennomeres 30; similar to female, but differs in entirely black carapace ( Figs 16D, 16E ); carapace with a small apical opening which transverse elongate-oval in posterior view, 2.3 × wider than high, and height of opening 0.5 × ventral height of carapace ( Fig. 16K ).

Biology. Unknown

Etymology. Named after its blackish-brown hind femur: niger is Latin for black, femora is Latin for femur.

Figures

FIGURE 13. Chelonus (Scabrichelonus) nigrifemoratus sp. nov., female, holotype, habitus, lateral aspect.

FIGURE 14. Chelonus (Scabrichelonus) nigrifemoratus sp. nov., female, holotype. A, fore wing; B, mesosoma, lateral aspect; C, mesosoma, dorsal aspect; D, metasoma, lateral aspect; E, hind leg; F, head, anterior aspect; G, head, dorsal aspect; H, metasoma, dorsal aspect; I, head, lateral aspect.

FIGURE 15. Chelonus (Scabrichelonus) nigrifemoratus sp. nov., male, paratypes, habitus, lateral aspect.

FIGURE 16. Chelonus (Scabrichelonus) nigrifemoratus sp. nov., male, paratypes. A, fore wing; B, mesosoma, lateral aspect; C, mesosoma, dorsal aspect; D, metasoma, lateral aspect; E, metasoma, dorsal aspect; F, hind leg; G, head, anterior aspect; H, head, dorsal aspect; I, head, lateral aspect; J, antenna; K, metasoma, posterior aspect.