Scutibracon fujianensis, Wang, Yi-Ping, Chen, Xue-Xin, Wu, Hong & He, Jun-Hua, 2010

Wang, Yi-Ping, Chen, Xue-Xin, Wu, Hong & He, Jun-Hua, 2010, Two genera of Braconinae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) in China, with descriptions of four new species, ZooKeys 61, pp. 47-62 : 53-54

Scutibracon fujianensis sp. n. Figs 4 a–i

Type specimens examined

: Holotype: ♀, small Wuyishan, Fujian, 26-29-VII-1983, He Jun-hua, Ex. Acrocercops cramerella Snellen, No. 832849. Paratype: 1♀, Zhangzhou, Fujian, 9-X-1983, Wu Huang-quan, No. 881417.

Description.

Length of body 2.6 mm, fore wing 2.7 mm, and ovipositor sheath 0.7 mm.

Head (Figs 4 a–b, d): Antennae as long as the fore wing, with 30 segments; scapus slightly flared apico-ventrally, distinctly weakly emarginated apico-laterally; first flagellomere parallel-sided, 1.5 times as long as the second flagellomeres; the latter 1.8 times as long as its maximum width; median flagellomeres 1.5 times as long as its maximum width; terminal flagellomere tapering apically, approximately 2.1 times as long as its basal width; medio-transversal clypeal carina with a row sparse short setae; height of clypeus: inter-tentorial distance: tentorio-ocular distance = 3: 6: 5; malar space 0.23 times as long as height of eyes; face with dense short setae, width of face: width of head: maximum length of eye in dorsal view = 15: 28: 14; frons smooth and shiny, densely short setose, strongly impressed and with longitudinal groove medially; shortest distance between posterior ocelli: diameter of posterior ocellus: shortest distance between posterior ocellus and eye = 2.5: 2: 6; vertex smooth and shiny, with dense setae.

Mesosoma (Fig. 4c): Mesosoma 1.2 times as long as its maximum height, smooth and shiny, densely evenly short setae; notauli deeply impressed along its whole length; middle lobe of mesoscutum strongly raised anteriorlly; scutellar sulcus relatively wide and deep, with distinctly crenulate; metanotum with strongly raised area medially; propodeum glabrous, with a completely mid-longitudinal carina, and sparse setae medially, but relatively densely setose laterally.

Wing (Figs 4e, h): Length of fore wing veins SR1: 3-SR: r = 27: 11: 7; vein 1-SR+M of fore wing weakly bent; length of fore wing veins 2-SR: 3-SR: r-m = 9: 11: 6; vein cu-a of fore wing distinctly postfurcal. Length of veins of hind wing SC+R1: 2-SC+R: 1r-m = 11: 2: 4; vein C+SC+R of hind wing without thickened humeral bristles apically.

Leg: Length of fore femur: tibia: tarsus = 15: 19: 23; length of hind femur: tibia: basitarsus = 22: 28: 12, and 3.2, 4.7 and 4.2 times their maximum width, respectively; tibia of hind leg without longitudinal groove medially; spur of hind leg 0.36 and 3.2 times as long as its basitarsus; tarsal claws simple and without basal lobe.

Metasoma (Figs 4f, g, i): Metasoma short and robust, evenly irregularly sculptured, slightly shorter than head and mesosoma combined; first metasomal tergite 1.3 times as wide as its maximum median long, with strongly raised area mid-apically occupying two-threes of its entire length, posterior part with coarse foveate rugose sculpture; second tergite without mid-basal triangular area, 2.0 times as long as its maximum width, with sub-lateral grooves medio-basally, extending to half of its entire length; third tergite broad and short, 2.7 times as wide as median long; suture between second and third tergites deep and crenulate, moderately wide; four tergite 0.5 times as long as third tergite medially; sixth-seventh tergites invisible, hypopygium short, acute apically, hardly extending beyond apex of metasoma; ovipositor sheath 0.25 times as long as fore wing, with dense setae; ovipositor without teeth apico-ventrally and dorsal notch pre-apically.

Colour:

Head yellow except for interocellar area black; mesosoma orange yellow but media and lateral lobes of mesoscutum with blackish spots; fore leg pale yellow, middle and hind legs dark yellow; wings membrane smokish grey, and veins yellowish brown; propodeum pale brown; metasomal tergites largely pale yellow but second metasomal tergite with blackish spots mid- apically, third metasomal tergite with black medially, four metasomal tergite with blackish spots sub-laterally; ovipositor sheath blackish brown.

Biology:

Based on labels of type specimens, the host of this species is Acrocercops cramerella Snellen ( Lepidoptera : Gracilariidae ).

Distribution:

China (Fujian).

Etymology:

The new species is named after the name of Fujian province, where the type specimens are collected.

Diagnosis:

This species is similar to Scutibracon hispae (Viereck), but distinctly differs from the latter by having the vein r of fore wing longer, 0.6 times as long as vein 3-SR (Fig. 4h); the second tergite without a mid-basal triangular area, 2.0 times as long as its maximum width, with sublateral longitudinal grooves medio-basally, extending to half of its length (Fig. 4i); the interocellar area black (Fig. 4b); the middle and lateral lobes of mesoscutum with distinct blackish spots (Fig. 4c); the second- fourth tergites with blackish spots medio-apically, medially and sublaterally, respectively (Fig. 4i) and the length of body more than 3.0 mm.