Choeras qazviniensis Fernandez-Triana & Talebi, 2019

Abdoli, Parisa, Talebi, Ali Asghar, Farahani, Samira & Fernandez-Triana, Jose, 2019, Three new species of the genus Choeras Mason, 1981 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Microgastrinae) from Iran, Zootaxa 4545 (1), pp. 77-92 : 85-86

Choeras qazviniensis Fernandez-Triana & Talebi sp. nov.

(Figs 5a–h)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:868F3B37-F4EF-4D4E-B86E-90F26A87884E

Diagnosis: Pterostigma with a small light spot basally; vein r-m well developed, areolet closed; length/width T1: 1.40, slightly arched (barrel-shaped), with two yellow bands on lateral sides, T1 anterior two third with weak sculptures to smooth; T3+ yellow, medially with a brown band; ovipositor sheaths almost as long as metatibia.

Description. Body length without ovipositor: 4.00 mm.

Head: Antenna shorter than body; F 2/8/15 length/width: 2.50/2.40/1.25; mouthparts not elongated; gena, vertex and lower face densely and rather finely punctate; upper face smooth and setose; lower face with a weak median longitudinal carina on upper half, clypeus punctured; labrum flat and smooth; malar space length 0.32× basal width of mandible (Figs 5a,b); OOL/OD/POL length: 0.16/0.08/ 0.13 mm (Fig. 5c).

Mesosoma: Anteromesoscutum length 0.80× its maximum width, densely punctate, posterior area with weak punctures to smooth; notauli not defined; scutoscutellar sulcus with visible crenulation; mesoscutellar disc smooth and shiny; side of mesoscutellar disc with wider crenulate depression; anterior area of metanotum smooth and with coarse wrinkles posteriorly; propodeum smooth with a rugose median band, and a complete median longitudinal carina (Fig. 5e); side of pronotum smooth; propleuron smooth or weakly punctate; prepectal carina absent; mesopleuron medially smooth, at anterolateral and ventrolateral punctate; metapleuron smooth, anterodorsal corner rugulose, with deep medial pit at anterior half (Fig. 5d).

Wings: Fore wing. length: 4.00 mm; pterostigma length/width: 2.10; pterostigma distinctly shorter than vein R1; vein R1 5.50× as long as distance of vein R1 to vein 3RSb; vein r slightly shorter vein 2RS; vein 1M/m-cu length: 2.90; vein 3RSa distinct; areolet closed; vein 1-CUb almost as long as vein 1-CUa. Hind wing. vein M+CU/ 1-M length: 1.10; vein cu-a weak curved; vanal lobe with fringe anteriorly and slightly posteriorly, posterior margin partly straight (Figs 5f,g).

Legs: Metacoxa laterally smooth; metafemur/metatibia/metabasitarsus/sum of other segments metatarsus length: 1.03/1.23/0.61/ 0.80 mm, respectively; metafemur length/width: 3.10; metatibial spurs length unequal; internal metatibial spurs/metabasitarsus length: 0.50 (Fig. 5d).

Metasoma: T1 slightly curved, T1 length 1.40× its maximum width, barrel-shaped (i.e. anterior and posterior margins narrowed); anterior two third of T1 with weak sculptures to smooth, posterior one third rugose; T1 posterior width 2.50× T2 length medially; T2 transverse and rugose, medially slightly smooth; T3/T2 length: 2.80; T3+ smooth (Fig. 5h); ovipositor sheath curved downwards, rather widened posteriorly; ovipositor sheath length 1.20 mm, approximate as long as metatibia; hypopygium membranous and apically acute (Fig. 5d).

Colouration: Body black; labrum, mandibles, palpi, scape and tegulae yellow; clypeus brown; legs almost yellow; metacoxa reddish yellow with a basal dark spot; metatibia posteriorly with a dark spot; distal half of metatibial segments brown (Fig. 5d); wings with brownish yellow setae; wings venation brown and yellow; pterostigma brown with a small light spot basally (Figs 5f,g); T1 with two yellow lateral bands; T3+ yellow, medially with a brown band (Fig. 5h).

Etymology: The new species is named after the type locality. The species name " qazviniensis " is an adjective derived from the Qazvin province in the north of Iran.

Notes: This species runs in the key by van Achterberg (2002) and Kotenko (2007) to C. tiro (Reinhard, 1880) , it differs from Choeras qazviniensis sp. nov. as follows: in C. tiro pterostigma with a yellow spot on basal one third; T3/T2 length: 1.50–2.00; one third of metafemur black or with combination of black and yellow pattern. This species runs in the key by Song et al. (2014) to couplet 8. Two branches of the couplet 8 differ from Choeras qazviniensis sp. nov. as follows: in C. longitergitus Song & Chen, 2014 (first branch of couplet 8) T1 sharply narrowed apically; T1 and T2 largely smooth, only small areas rugose; T2 subtriangular. In the second branch of couplet 8 propodeum strongly rugose; T1 distinctly rectangular and parallel-sided.