Blacus (Hysterobolus) laculaticornis, Lu & Achterberg & Tang & Chen, 2023

Lu, Qian-Yu, Achterberg, Cornelis Van, Tang, Pu & Chen, Xue-Xin, 2023, The discovery of the subgenus Hysterobolus Viereck, 1913 (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Brachistinae, Blacini, Blacus) in China, with description of nine new species, Zootaxa 5293 (3), pp. 472-498 : 477-481

Blacus (Hysterobolus) laculaticornis sp. nov.

( Figs. 5-6 )

Material examined. Holotype: ♀, China, Ningxia, Longde, Liupanshan Nature Park, Sutai Tree Farm , 22.VI.2008, Liu Jingxian, No. 200902135( ZJUH).

Description. Female. Length of body 2.5 mm, length of fore wing 2.25 mm.

Body setosity. Body with dense setae, setae on pronotum and propodeum denser than on mesonotum, mesopleuron and metasoma.

Head. Antennomeres 18; length of first flagellomere 1.6 × second flagellomere; length of first, second, penultimate and terminal flagellomere 3.6, 2.2, 1.0 and 2.2 × their width, respectively; length of maxillary palp 0.95 × height of head; OOL: diameter of posterior ocellus: POL = 4:1:2; frons smooth, with a deep longitudinal groove in upper half; stemmaticum with a distinct furrow from triangle centre to occipital carina; eyes with short sparse setae; length of eye in dorsal view 0.9 × temple; occiput slightly concave; face transversely rugose; temple smooth; clypeus convex, smooth; width of clypeus 2.3 × its medial height; tentorial pits large, distance between pits 1.8 × distance from pit to eye; malar suture absent, length of malar space 3.0 × basal width of mandible, mandible with long setae.

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.4 × its height; side of pronotum smooth dorsally, remainder coarsely reticulate; precoxal sulcus wide, with some long striae, reaching anterior edge of mesopleuron; notauli complete, wide and simple; mesoscutal lobes convex; scutellar sulcus with distinct median carina; scutellum sculpture reduced, its lateral carina lamelliform; propodeal tubercles large ( Figs 6F and 6H ), obtuse apically, lateral apical angle slightly less than 90°; surface of propodeum rugulose.

Wings. Fore wing: parastigma small; length of pterostigma 3.5 × its maximum width; length of vein r 1.3 × width of pterostigma; vein r arising slightly from apical of pterostigma; 1-CU1:2-CU1 = 2:3. Hind wing: 1r-m:1-M =1:2; M+CU distinctly less than 1-M; 2-1A present and short, branched posteriorly.

Legs. Hind coxa coarsely rugose dorsally, with distinct dorsal carina; length of femur, tibia and basitarsus of hind leg 5.0, 8.75 and 8.3 × their width, respectively; fore tarsal claws with blackish bristles.

Metasoma. Length of first tergite 2.1 × its apical width, widened apically, longitudinally rugose, dorsal carinae distinct in basal 0.9; remainder of tergites smooth; length of ovipositor sheath 0.16 × length of fore wing.

Colour. Reddish-brown; stemmaticum dark reddish-brown; palpi, tegulae, fore and middle legs yellow; antenna yellow (scape and apical flagellomeres reddish-brown); parastigma and base of pterostigma white; mandible, clypeus, side of pronotum dorsally and mesonotum yellowish-brown; side of pronotum ventrally, mesopleuron, propodeum and first metasomal tergite black; second and third tergite light yellow, remainder of metasomal tergites, ovipositor and sheath, veins and pterostigma brown; hind leg reddish-brown; all basitarsi and claws brown; wing membrane slightly infuscate.

Male. Unknown.

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. China (Ningxia).

Etymology. The specific name laculaticornis refers to the square penultimate flagellomere and is derived from “ laculatus ” (Latin for four-cornered) and “ cornu ” (Latin for horn).

Notes. The new species is similar to B. (H). mamillanus Ruthe, 1861 because the malar suture is absent, the propodeal tubercle rather large, the fore claw has blackish bristles, and length of the penultimate flagellomere1.3 times its width or less, but differs by having the malar space 3.0 × longer than basal width of mandible (2.2 × in B. mamillanus ), second flagellomere 3.6 longer than wide (3.0 ×), length of first tergite 2.1 × its apical width (1.4 ×), and length of setose part of ovipositor sheath 0.16 × length of fore wing (0.18 ×).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Hysterobolus laculaticornis sp. nov. (body, lateral aspect). Scale bar: 1 mm.

FIGURE 6. Hysterobolus laculaticornis sp. nov. A. head, dorsal aspect; B. head, anterior aspect; C. antenna; D. mesosoma, dorsal aspect; E. mesopleuron; F. propodeum and metasoma, dorsal aspect; G. wings; H. propodeal tubercle and hind leg; I. fore claw; J. ovipositor and ovipositor sheath.