Areopraon chui Tian & Chen

Tian, Hong-Wei, Achterberg, Cornelis van & Chen, Xue-Xin, 2018, The genera Areopraon Mackauer, 1959 and Pseudopraon Stary, 1975 (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Aphidiinae) from China, with keys to species, ZooKeys 780, pp. 61-70 : 61

Areopraon chui Tian & Chen sp. n. Figures 1, 2

Description.

Female. Body length 2.6 mm, fore wing length 2.2 mm.

Head. Head transverse in dorsal view, slightly wider than mesoscutum, smooth and shiny, with sparse long setae (Fig. 2H). Eyes medium-sized (Figure 2G), oval, sparsely setose. Temple in dorsal view 1.4 times as long as eye. Malar space equal to 0.15 × longitudinal diameter of eye. POL 1.0 × Od. Width of face 1.4 × its height and 0.4 × width of head. Face with several setae. Clypeus oval, raised with several long setae, tentoriocular line equal to 0.3 of inter-tentorial line. Antenna filiform, with 18 segments. F1 approx. 1.3 times longer than F2. F1 4.3 × as long as wide, F2 2.5 × as long as wide (Figure 2I).

Mesosoma. Mesonotum with central and lateral lobes glabrous, covered with several long setae. Notauli deep and distinct throughout (Figure 2D). Propodeum with complete areola (Figure 2J).

Wings. Apical margin of fore wing with long setae, which are longer than setae on wing membrane. Pterostigma triangular, 3.4 × as long as wide. Distal abscissa of 1-R1 (= metacarp) 0.7 × as long as pterostigma. Radial vein (= r+3- SR) 1.5 × as long as 1-R1, do not reach the wing apex. Basal half of SR+M vein distinctly pigmented (Figure 2A).

Metasoma. T1 with medial and lateral carinae, 2.3 × as long as wide at spiracle level, with two long setae each side close to spiracle (Figure 2F). Ovipositor sheaths glabrous, except the apex (Figure 2K).

Colour. Head dark brown, face somewhat paler, clypeus and mandibles yellowish to light brown. Maxillary and labial palpi white to yellowish. Antennal scape, pedicel and F1 yellowish to brown. The ventral view of mesosoma and propodeum brown. Wings hyaline with brown venation. Legs yellowish to light brown, apices of tarsi dark. Remainder of antenna and mesosoma dark brown. Metasoma and ovipositor sheath brown.

Male. Unknown.

Host.

Unknown.

Material examined.

Holotype: ♀, S China, Zhejiang, Mt. Qingliang, 16.V.2012, Tang Pu, No.201205480 .

Distribution.

China (Zhejiang).

Taxonomic remarks.

This species is similar to Areopraon helleni Starý, 1981, by having T1 very long, but can be separated by the differences listed in the above key. It is also similar to A. thailandicum Starý, 2008, by having the mesoscutum nearly hairless, but can be distinguished by having the vein m-cu of fore wing distinctly present (the latter completely absent) and the antenna 18-segmented (the latter 12-segmented).

Etymology.

The species is named in honour of Prof. Chu Joo-tso ( ZJUH), the well-known Chinese hymenopterist.