Sinophorus zeirapherae Sheng

Sheng, Mao-Ling, Li, Tao & Cao, Jiang-Feng, 2015, Three new species of genus Sinophorus Förster (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) parasitizing twig and defoliating Lepidoptera, Zootaxa 3949 (2), pp. 268-280 : 275-279

Sinophorus zeirapherae Sheng , sp. n.

( Figs. 19 –28,29)

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the host’s name.

Holotype. female, CHINA: Fengtai Forest Farm, 35.52°N, 106.23°E, 2187m, Mt. Liupanshan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, 29 June 2013, reared from Zeiraphera grisecana (Hübner) by De-Jia Li.

Paratypes. 4 females, same data as holotype except 28 to 29 June 2013.

Diagnosis. Mesoscutum evenly convex, finely granularly coriaceous, without puncture. Areolet shortly petiolate, receiving vein 2m-cu at posterior 0.2. Hind femur 3.9–4.0x as long as its widest width. First to third tergites finely granularly coriaceous, without puncture. Ovipositor sheath 1.7–1.8x as long as first tergite, 1.4–1.5x as long as hind femur, approximately 1.2x length of hind tibia. Ovipositor evidently curved upwardly. Femora and tibiae almost entirely reddish brown. Tegulae brownish black.

Description. Female. Body length 5.5–6.0 mm. Fore wing length 3.5–4.0 mm. Ovipositor sheath length 1.5– 2.0 mm.

Head. Inner margins of eyes slightly convergent downwards, concavity near antennal socket indistinct. Face ( Fig. 20 ) coarse, narrowest width approximately 1.2x as long as total length of face and clypeus, with indistinct fine punctures, median portion longitudinally convex. Basal half of clypeus with texture as that of face; apical slightly polished, with sparse fine punctures; apicomedian portion evidently convex; subapical margin with indistinct shallow groove. Mandibles comparatively short, coarse. Lower tooth of mandible approximately as long as upper tooth. Cheek with texture as that of face. Malar space 0.6–0.7x as long as basal width of mandible. Gena slightly convergent backwardly, finely coriaceous or finely granularly coriaceous, in lateral view approximately as long as width of eye. Vertex ( Fig. 21 ) with texture as that of gena, subhind margin with weak transverse concavity. Interocellar area weakly finely granularly coriaceous. Postocellar line 1.5–1.6x as long as ocular-ocellar line. Ocular-ocellar line as long as diameter of postocellus. Frons almost flat, with texture as that of face; lower-median portion weakly concave, smooth. Antenna with 27–29 flagellomeres; ratio of length from first to fifth flagellomeres approximately: 1.5:1.2:1.0:1.0:1.0. Occipital carina complete, lower end joining oral carina evidently above base of mandible.

Mesosoma. Lateral concavity of pronotum broad, comparatively deep, with oblique transverse wrinkles, upper-posterior portion finely granularly coriaceous. Epomia distinct. Mesoscutum ( Fig. 22 ) evenly convex, finely granularly coriaceous, without puncture. Notaulus indistinct. Anterior side of scutoscutellar groove oblique-flat, posterior side steep, bottom with weak longitudinal wrinkles. Scutellum strongly convex, with texture as that of mesoscutum. Postscutellum transversely convex, anterior-lateral portion with shallow concavity. Mesopleuron ( Fig. 23 ) unclearly finely granularly coriaceous, with sparse, indistinct, fine punctures. Upper anterior portion of mesopleuron between speculum and subalar prominence with dense longitudinal wrinkles. Upper end of epicnemial carina reaching about 0.7 level of front margin of mesopleuron. Speculum smooth, shiny. Posterior FIGURES 19–28 . (Continued) FIGURES 19–28 . (Continued)

transverse carina of mesosternum complete, regular. Metapleuron weakly convex, with texture as that of mesopleuron. Submetapleural carina complete, strongly flakily convex. Wings slightly brownish, hyaline. Fore wing with vein 1cu-a distal to 1/M approximately by 1.5x width of vein. Areolet quadrangular, shortly petiolate, receiving vein 2m-cu at posterior 0.2. Vein 2-Cu approximately as long as 2cu-a. Hind wing vein M+Cu slightly arched, 2-Cu almost unpigment, 1-cu 3.0–4.0x as long as cu-a. Hind femur 3.9–4.0x as long as its widest width. Ratio of length of hind tarsomeres 1:2:3:4:5 is 4.0:2.0:1.3:0.8:1.2. Basal portion of hind tarsal claw with 1–3 feeble teeth. Propodeum ( Fig. 24 ) with complete, strong median longitudinal, lateral longitunal and pleural carinae. Costula strong, almost straight. Area basalis strongly convergent backwardly, 1.2–1.3x as long as widest width. Area superomedia combined with area petiolaris, combined area deeply, longitudinally concave. Areas of basalis, superomedia, externa and dentipara finely granularly coriaceous, without puncture. Area lateralis slightly coarse. Area petiolaris with distinct transverse wrinkles. Propodeal spiracle small, oval, connect with pleural carina by a distinct carina.

Metasoma. First to third tergites finely granularly coriaceous. First tergite ( Fig. 25 ) 2.3–2.4x as long as apical width; median dorsal carinae indistinct; dorsolateral carinae complete; suture separating from sternite at 0.3 the distance from base of the tergite lying at the mid-height of the segment; spiracle small, circular, located at posterior 0.42. Second tergite ( Fig. 26 ) approximately 0.9x as long as apical width. Third tergite 0.75–0.80x as long as widest width. Subsequent tergites unclearly finely granularly coriaceous. Ovipositor sheath 1.7–1.8x as long as first tergite, 1.4–1.5x as long as hind femur, approximately 1.2x length of hind tibia. Ovipositor evidently curved upwards, with distinct subapical dorsal notch.

Color ( Fig. 19 ). Black, except the following. Scape, ventral profile of pedicel, apical portion of mandible except tooth, maxillary palpi, labial palpi, legs reddish brown. Tegulae brownish black. All coxae and hind trochanters black. Apexes of hind tibiae and hind tarsi blackish brown. Stigma darkish brown. Veins brownish black.

Cocoon ( Figs. 27, 28 ). Length 7.0–9.0 mm. Grey to silver gray. Cocooned in or out of the cocoon of host.

Host. Larva of Zeiraphera grisecana (Hübner) .

Host plant. Larix principis -rupprechtii Mayr.

Remarks. This new species is similar to S. desertus Kasparyan, 1976 , but can be distinguished from the latter by the following combination of characters: malar space 0.6–0.7x as long as basal width of mandible; ocularocellar line as long as diameter of postocellus; hind femur 3.9 to 4.0x as long as its widest width; ovipositor sheath 1.6 to 1.7x as long as first tergite. all tibiae and tarsi brown to blackish brown, without white portion. S. desertus : malar space 0.35 as long as basal width of mandible; ocular-ocellar line not more than 0.5 diameter of postocellus; hind femur 3.5x as long as its width; ovipositor sheath as long as first tergite; all tibiae and tarsi white, apical 0.33 of outside of hind tibia red.

Figures

FIGURES 19 – 28. Sinophorus zeirapherae Sheng, sp. n. Female. Holotype. 19. Habitus, lateral view. 20. Head, anterior view. 21. Head, dorsal view. 22. Mesoscutum. 23. Mesopleuron. 24. Propodeum. 25. First tergite, lateral view. 26. Second and third tergites. 27, 28. Cocoons.