Areotetes convergens Han & van Achterberg, 2024

Han, Yunjong, van Achterberg, Cornelis & Kim, Hyojoong, 2024, Four genera of the subfamily Opiinae Blanchard (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) new for Japan, with the description of two new species, ZooKeys 1206, pp. 207-229 : 207-229

Areotetes convergens Han & van Achterberg sp. nov.

Figs 1 , 2–13

Type material.

Holotype, ♀ ( OMNH), “ Japan (Ryuku): Oganeku, Yamato , Amamioshima Island , Kagoshima, 28.3593 ° N, 129.3441 ° E, 25. v. – 15. vi. 2019, MT [= Malaise trap], A. Yoshikawa & Shunpei Fujie leg., OMNH ”.

Diagnosis.

Antenna of ♀ with white band (Figs 1 , 12 , 13 ; apical sixth segments); second metasomal tergite largely smooth except faintly striate-rugose medio-basally; clypeus 2.3 × wider than its maximum height; pronope transverse elliptical; vein r of fore wing emanating from basal 0.2 of pterostigma (Fig. 2 ); vein m-cu of fore wing distinctly converging towards vein 1 - M posteriorly; vein 3 - SR of fore wing 2.4 × longer than vein 2 - SR and curved downward (Fig. 2 ); propodeum largely shiny and smooth but with a long medio-longitudinal carina and two diverging oblique carinae and area behind carinae with distinct areola (Fig. 9 ); setose part of ovipositor sheath about as long as first tergite (Fig. 11 ).

Description.

Holotype, female; length of body 1.6 mm, of fore wing 1.9 mm.

Head. Antenna with 20 segments, 1.4 × longer than body (Fig. 12 ); third segment 4.3 × longer than its width and 1.3 × longer than fourth segment, subapical segments 2.5 × longer than its width; eye 2.9 × longer than temple in dorsal view (Fig. 8 ); vertex, frons and occiput smooth and glabrous; face smooth and sparsely long setose (Fig. 7 ); clypeus 2.3 × wider than its maximum height; clypeus shiny, smooth, remotely setose, and rather flat in lateral view, ventral margin of clypeus concave; hypoclypeal depression present; maxillary palp nearly 0.9 × as long as height of head; malar sulcus absent; occipital carina interrupted dorsally (Fig. 8 ); mandible gradually widened basally, moderately setose and slightly twisted in lateral view without acute basal lamella (Figs 4 , 7 ).

Mesosoma. Mesosoma 1.4 × longer than its height (Fig. 4 ); pronope distinct, elliptical (Fig. 5 ); pronotum smooth and sparsely setose along anterior and lateral margin; pronotal side and propleuron smooth and glabrous (Fig. 4 ), but smooth transverse carina present ventro-posteriorly; mesopleuron largely smooth and glabrous, but precoxal sulcus crenulate medially, medium-sized and oblique; epicnemial area smooth; mesopleural sulcus smooth; mesosternum smooth and moderately setose; anterior groove of metapleuron smooth, remaining area shiny, smooth and densely setose dorso-anteriorly and ventrally; notauli absent on mesoscutal disc, but a pair of crenulate impressions present anteriorly (Fig. 5 ); medio-posterior depression of mesoscutum round and shallow; mesoscutum shiny, smooth and sparsely setose; scutellar sulcus narrow and densely crenulate; scutellum smooth and rather flat in lateral view; propodeum smooth, but with a long medio-longitudinal carina and two diverging oblique two transverse carinae and area behind carinae with areola distinct (Fig. 9 ).

Wings. Fore wing (Fig. 2 ): Pterostigma narrow elongate triangular, and gradually narrowed apically; vein r very short, angled with vein 3 - SR and emanating from basal; veins 1 - M and 1 - SR + M straight; vein 3 - SR curved downward, vein 3 - SR 2.7 × longer than vein 2 - SR and subparallel with vein 2 - M apically; r: 3 - SR: SR 1 = 5: 71: 109; vein SR 1 curved upwards; vein m-cu distinctly postfurcal and distinctly converging to vein 1 - M posteriorly; second submarginal cell elongated (Fig. 2 ); first subdiscal cell closed; vein CU 1 b present. Hind wing (Fig. 3 ): narrow; vein 1 r-m 0.4 × longer than vein 1 - M; veins m-cu and 2 - M absent.

Legs. Length of hind femur 4.7 × its maximum width (Fig. 1 ); basal carina of inner side of hind tibia long and slightly sinuate (Figs 6 , 10 ).

Metasoma. First metasomal tergite 1.6 × longer than its apical width, its surface rugose and slightly convex medio-basally in lateral view (Figs 1 , 11 ); dorsope absent; second metasomal suture obsolescent (Fig. 6 ); second tergite shiny, smooth but faintly striae-rugose anteriorly and with shallow pair of depressions medio-basally; following tergites shiny, smooth and posteriorly setose; setose part of ovipositor sheath 1.6 × longer than first tergite and with very long setae (Fig. 11 ).

Colour. Body generally dark brown (Fig. 1 ); 6 apical segments of antenna, white; face, clypeus, mandible and pronotal side antero-ventrally, yellowish-brown; scape and basal fifth of antenna and legs, light yellowish; palpi, pale yellowish; pterostigma and vein of wings, light greyish-brown; wings, hyaline.

Distribution.

Japan (Ryuku Islands).

Biology.

Unknown.

Etymology.

From “ con- ” (Latin for together) and “ vergo ” (Latin for incline or turn toward) because of the posteriorly converging veins 1 - M and m-cu of the fore wing.

Remarks.

The new species belongs to the genus Areotetes van Achterberg & Li because it has a distinct carina on the inner side of the hind tibia, clypeus slightly concave ventrally with a thick ventral margin, and the propodeum with a long medio-longitudinal carina and a distinct areola. It does not run in the keys by Li et al. (2013) and Tobias (1998). In Fischer (1972, 1987) it runs to the subgenus Utetes Foerster and to O. kamikochiensis Fischer, 1963 from Japan and O. sanguanus Fischer, 1966 from Nepal, respectively.

Opius kamikochiensis Fischer differs from the new species by having the first metasomal tergite about as long as wide apically (1.6 × in A. convergens ), vein 1 - SR of fore wing comparatively long (short), antenna with 25 segments (20 segments), vein r of fore wing longer and emanating from near basal third of pterostigma (very short and from basal 0.2 of pterostigma) and pterostigma wider (narrower). Opius sanguanus Fischer differs from the new species as follows: vein m-cu of fore wing comparatively far postfurcal (narrowly postfurcal in A. convergens ), pterostigma wider (narrower), vein r emanating from basal 0.3 of pterostigma (from 0.2 of pterostigma) and third antennal segment brown (yellow). Actually, it is much more similar to O. nepalensis Fischer, 1966 from Nepal to which it does not run in Fischer (1987) because of the weird choice of not considering variation between mesosoma 1.4 or 1.5 × longer than height in lateral view; the few differences between both species are summarized in the key.

Figures

Figure 1. Areotetes convergens Han & van Achterberg, sp. nov., holotype, ♀, Japan, habitus, lateral.

Figures 2–13. Areotetes convergens Han & van Achterberg, sp. nov., holotype, ♀, Japan. 2 fore wing 3 hind wing 4 mesosoma lateral 5 mesosoma and head dorsal 6 metasoma dorsal 7 head anterior 8 head dorsal 9 propodeum dorsal 10 hind leg inner side 11 metasoma and ovipositor sheath lateral 12 antenna 13 apex of antenna. The arrow indicates carina on inner side of hind tibia.