Sternaulopius macrophthalmos Sheng & Chen, 2019

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

Sternaulopius macrophthalmos Sheng & Chen, 2019

Figs 48 , 49–57

Sternaulopius macrophthalmos Sheng & Chen, 2019: 595–598.

Material.

1 ♂ ( OMNH), “ Japan (Honshu): Oyamada-chou, Kawachinagano, Osaka, 34.4509 ° N, 135.5504 ° E, 4. xii. 2018, SW [= collected by sweeping], Shumei Fujie leg., OMNH ”.

Diagnosis.

Antenna with 24 segments (Fig. 53 ); hypoclypeal depression distinct (Fig. 54 ); malar space depressed (Figs 50 , 54 , 56 ); dorsope slightly impressed (Figs 50 , 51 ); precoxal sulcus and sternaulus distinctly crenulate, absent posteriorly and subparallel posteriorly (Fig. 50 ); medio-posterior depression rather large and round (Fig. 51 ); length of eye in dorsal view 2.2 × temple (male; Fig. 55 ); mesoscutum shiny and densely setose (Fig. 51 ); vein 1 - M of fore wing slightly curved (Fig. 49 ).

Re-description.

Male; length of body 2.1 mm, of fore wing 2.2 mm.

Head. Antenna with 24 segments and 1.1 × longer than body (Fig. 53 ); third segment 1.3 × longer than fourth segment; eye 2.2 × longer than temple (Fig. 55 ); vertex, frons and occiput smooth and glabrous; face faintly and moderately punctate and sparsely setose (Fig. 54 ); median keel present on face, smooth; clypeus 1.8 × wider than its maximum height; clypeus faintly punctate, and its ventral margin pointed downward; hypoclypeal depression present; maxillary palp 0.7 × longer than height of head; malar space with a wide depression; occipital carina interrupted dorsally (Figs 55 , 56 ); mandible gradually widened basally.

Mesosoma. Mesosoma 1.4 × longer than its height (Fig. 50 ); pronope elliptical (Figs 51 , 55 ); crenulate carina wide posteriorly on pronotal side (Fig. 50 ); propleuron smooth and moderately setose; mesopleuron largely smooth with setae dorsally and ventro-posteriorly, but precoxal sulcus crenulate and wide, oblique, reaching anterior part (wide and crenulate carina in epicnemial area); sternaulus crenulate and subparallel with precoxal sulcus (Fig. 50 ); epicnemial area crenulate; mesopleural sulcus wide and crenulate; mesosternum rather moderately setose; anterior groove of metapleuron crenulate and rather densely setose, remaining area rugose and setose; notauli narrowly crenulate on disc of mesoscutum and partly absent posteriorly, not reaching medio-posterior depression of mesoscutum (Fig. 51 ); medio-posterior depression of mesoscutum rather large, round and shallow; mesoscutum more or less densely, superficially punctate and densely setose; scutellar sulcus wide and crenulate; scutellum superficially punctate and slightly convex in lateral view, but not protruding above level of mesoscutum; propodeum rugose with indistinctly short medio-longitudinal carina, two diverging oblique transverse carinae behind medio-longitudinal carina, and remaining area reticulate-rugose (Fig. 51 ).

Wings. Fore wing (Fig. 49 ): Pterostigma wide, wide elliptical; vein 1 - M of fore wing slightly curved basally; vein 1 - SR + M almost straight; vein r angled with vein 3 - SR; vein 3 - SR distinctly longer than vein 2 - SR (1.3 × longer than vein 2 - SR); vein 2 - SR slightly sinuate; r: 3 - SR: SR 1 = 1: 5: 8; vein SR 1 slightly curved upward; vein m-cu distinctly postfurcal and sublinear with vein 2 - M; second submarginal cell relatively long (Fig. 49 ); first subdiscal cell closed; vein CU 1 b present. Hind wing: vein 1 r-m 0.7 × as long as vein 1 - M; vein m-cu short, oblique, pigmented and straight; vein 2 - M pigmented.

Legs. Length of hind femur 4.2 × its maximum width (Fig. 48 ).

Metasoma. First metasomal tergite 1.3 × longer than its apical width, its surface rugose with striae, convex medially in lateral view (Fig. 51 ); dorsope present (Figs 50 , 51 ); second tergite shiny and smooth, with pair of narrow depressions basally; third tergite convex posteriorly in lateral view; following tergites shiny and smooth, with band or row of setae posteriorly.

Colour. Body generally black (Fig. 48 ); socket of antenna, mandible, tegulae and legs, brownish-yellow; palpi, light yellow; basal part of second metasomal tergite, brown; antenna, pterostigma and veins of wings, dark brown; wings, hyaline.

Distribution.

Japan (new record), China (Sichuan and Jilin).

Biology.

Unknown.

Remarks.

This species runs to Sternaulopius Fischer in the key by Sheng et al. (2019), specifically to S. macrophthalmos , but it differs by having the mesoscutum more setose and less shiny than in the holotype of S. macrophthalmos , the somewhat smaller medio-posterior depression of the mesoscutum and less distinct posterior part of notauli, length of eye 2.2 × temple in dorsal view (2.8 × longer than temple according to description but 2.6 × in fig. 34 of the original description), the less curved vein 1 - M of fore wing, hind femur 4.2 × longer than its width (4.8 × longer than its width according to description but 4.3 × in fig. 36 of the original description) and second tergite and following tergites shiny and smooth with band or row of setae posteriorly (without distinct band or row of setae). The holotype of S. macrophthalmos was collected in alcohol in a Malaise trap and later treated by the AXA method (specimens were chemically treated with a mixture of xylene + alcohol 96 % and amyl acetate, respectively ( van Achterberg 2009; van Achterberg et al. 2010). The collecting method and the chemical treatment explain the cleanness of specimen, as well as the shinier appearance and loss of dorsal setae. The relative size of the eyes and legs may be related to the difference in sex (the holotype is female); the other differences are not enough to assign the specimen from Japan to a separate species.

Figures

Figure 48. Sternaulopius macrophthalmos Sheng & Chen, ♂, Japan, habitus, lateral.

Figures 49–57. Sternaulopius macrophthalmos Sheng & Chen, ♂, Japan. 49 wings 50 mesosoma lateral 51 mesosoma dorsal 52 base of antenna 53 antenna 54 head anterior 55 head dorsal 56 head lateral 57 metasoma dorsal.