Basalys sinensis, Hou & Xu, 2016

Hou, Zi & Xu, Zaifu, 2016, First record of the genus Basalys Westwood, 1833 (Hymenoptera: Diapriidae) from China, with descriptions of two new species, Zoological Systematics 41 (3), pp. 337-341 : 338

Basalys sinensis sp. nov. ( Fig. 1 )

Diagnosis. Head flattened and subrectangular in dorsal view; scape markedly widened at middle; antenna club 3-segmented.

Description. Female (Holotype). Body length 0.89 mm. Fore wing length 0.46 mm.

Colour. Head black. Antennae brown, with clubs blackish-brown. Mandibles reddish-brown. Mesosoma blackishbrown. Fore and hind wings hyaline, veins brown. Legs brown, with coxae, trochanters and first to fourth tarsi yellowish-brown. Metasoma blackish-brown.

Head. Head smooth and shining, with scattered hairs; subrectangular, 1.08 times as long as wide in dorsal view (8.1: 7.5); 1.65 times as long as high in lateral view (8.1: 4.8). Clypeus convex. Antennal shelf well developed, prominent anteriorly in lateral view. Antenna 12-segmented; club 3-segmented, strongly abrupt dorsally; relative ratio of length to width as follows: A1(11.0: 3.0), A2(3.0: 2.0), A3(1.0: 1.0), A4(1.0: 1.0), A5(1.0: 1.0), A6(1.0: 1.5), A7(1.0: 1.5), A8(1.0: 2.0), A9(1.5: 2.0), A10(4.0: 4.0), A11(4.0: 3.5), A12(4.5: 3.5). A1 markedly widened at middle. Toruli at level of lower margin of eye. Eye oval, with scattered hairs; 1.67 times as long as wide (9.5: 5.7); 1.67 times as long as malar space (9.5: 5.7). POL: OOL=2.0: 3.0. Temple rounded in dorsal view, 0.62 times as long as eye (5.1: 8.2). Postgenal cushion with tufts of hairs. Occipital carina complete.

Mesosoma. Pronotum with scattered hairs; with anterior margin straight in dorsal view. Epomium absent. Propleuron densely hairy. Mesoscutum smooth and shining, slightly convex, with scattered hairs; 0.64 times as long as wide (6.2: 9.8). Notauli absent. Mesoscutellum with distinct transverse basal fovea. mesoscutellar disc subquadrate, smooth and shining, with scattered hairs, predominantly flat. Mesopleuron flat, smooth and shining, with scattered hairs. Sternaulus absent. Dorsellum smooth and shining, with scattered hairs. Metapleuron rugulose and densely hairy. Propodeum 0.57 times as long as wide (2.6: 4.6), with strong longitudinal median keel and well defined pilca. Area between median keel and plica predominantly glabrous and smooth. Fore wing fully developed, surpassing apex of metasoma. Fore wing venation distinctly surpassing basal third of wing length, with stigmal vein moderate developed, and basal vein straight, perpendicular to but never contiguous with submarginal vein. Legs slender, with femora and tibia clavate; fore tibia without dorsal spine apically; tarsi not compressed.

Metasoma. Petiole cylindrical, densely hairy, 1.20 times as long as wide in dorsal view (6.6: 5.5); 1.14 times as long as high in lateral view (6.6: 5.8); with some longitudinal keels on dorsal surface. Syntergite slightly convex in lateral view. Syntergite with anterior margin straight and complete, not excised medially. Metasoma moderately pointed apically.

Male. Unknown.

Material examined. Holotype ♂, China, Yunnan, Zhaotong, Yongshan , Huanghua , V–X.2012, leg. Shiwen Yang ( SCAU). Paratypes. 10♂, Yunnan, Zhaotong, Yongshan, Huanghua, VIII–X.2012, leg. Shiwen Yang ; 10♂, Yunnan, Kaiyuan , VIII.2014, leg. Zi Hou ( SCAU) .

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. China (Yunnan).

Remarks. This new species resembles Basalys unicus Rajmohana & Narendran, 2006 from India, but it can be separated from the latter by: antenna 12-segmented (11-segmented in B. unicus ); head distinctly long than high in lateral view (almost quadrate in B. unicus ); notauli absent (present but faint in B. unicus ).

Etymology. The new species is named after the type locality, China.

Figures

Figure 1. Basalys sinensis sp. nov., ♀, holotype, habitus, lateral view. Scale bar=0.2mm.