Nitela vecarinata sp. nov.

Fig. 6

Type material.

Holotype. ♀, China • Yunnan, Wenshan, Malipo Country, Liuhe Township, 23.3175°N, 104.8989°E, 2017.IV.22–V.3, Yanqiong Peng collector .

Paratypes. • 1 ♀, Guangdong, Guangzhou, Haitzu National Wetland Park, 23.0603°N, 113.3369°E, 2021.V.24–VII.9, Fei Ye collector ; • 1 ♀, Shaoguan, Nanling National Forest Park, 24.9175°N, 113.0828°E, 2020.X.4–19, Fei Ye collector ; • 1 ♀, Shenzhen, Shenzhen Fairy Lake Botanical Garden, 22.5775°N, 114.1825°E, 2020.I.6–III.3, Jianwei Li collector ; • 5 ♀, Zhaoqing, Dinghu Mountain National Nature Reserve, 22.5775°N, 114.1825°E, 2021.V.10–25 (2 ♀); 2021.V.25–VI.9 (1 ♀); 2021.IX.9–X.9 (3 ♀), Fei Ye collector .

Diagnosis.

This species is closely similar to N. yasumatsui taiwana Tsuneki, 1982 in having frons with coarsely, irregular reticulate ridges; basal half of mesoscutum coarsely, densely, irregularly rugose; posterior half of mesoscutum with abundant long longitudinal wrinkles. It differs by the following characteristics (characters of N. yasumatsui taiwana in parentheses): propodeal dorsum with straight, longitudinal ridges from base to apex, interconnected by conspicuous, short, transverse carinae forming reticulate pattern (propodeal dorsal surface with curved oblique ridges without conspicuous short transverse carinae, not reticulate); submarginal cell length approximately equal to discal cell (discal cell longer than submarginal cell); mesoscutellum with conspicuous longitudinal carinae (mesoscutellum without longitudinal carina).

Description of female.

Body length 3.9–4.3 mm. Body black. Mandible basally dark brown, apex yellowish-brown; maxillary palpus and labial palpus pale yellow; Antennal base and outer margin dark brown; stigma and tegula dark brown; wing veins yellowish-brown; apical margin of gastral terga yellowish-brown; trochanters and tibiae yellowish-brown, tarsi pale yellow; mid and hind coxae apically yellowish-brown. Body covered with silvery pubescence.

Head. Inner margin of mandible subapically with one tooth. Clypeus conspicuously convex medially; with complete midclypeal carina slightly surpassing frontoclypeal sulcus; anterior margin of clypeus with triangular smooth area, slightly concave medially (Fig. 6 B). Frons coarsely, irregular reticulation, swelling medially, depressed laterally; frontal concavity shallow (Fig. 6 B). Ocellar triangle finely punctate and rugose (Fig. 6 C). Gena densely, finely punctate, with long transverse striations. Vertex with transverse ridges (Fig. 6 C). Eyes converging above; OOD: POD: ODD = 2: 6: 5 (Fig. 6 C). Flagellomere I approximately as long as pedicel.

Mesosoma. Pronotal collar stepped, without conspicuous transverse groove or with shallow transverse groove, with short longitudinal ridges; anterolateral angle rounded; anterior carina absent (Fig. 6 D). Mesoscutum slightly convex; basal median area of mesoscutum without short longitudinal ridges; basal half coarsely, densely, irregularly rugose; posterior half with abundant long longitudinal wrinkles bifurcating at middle of mesoscutum; scutal lateral sulcus crenulate, inner margin sharply defined, internal transverse ridges slightly exceeding border (Fig. 6 D). Mesoscutellum with median carina flanked by several longitudinal carinae; anterior margin crenulate (Fig. 6 D). Mesopleuron uniformly punctate except episcrobal area (Fig. 6 F) smooth, polished; central circular depression sparsely, finely punctate (Fig. 6 F); episternal sulcus normal, crenulate, internal longitudinal ridges not exceeding lateral margin; hypersternaulus narrow, deeply crenulate. Mesosternum densely, finely punctate (Fig. 6 F). Metanotum sparsely punctate (Fig. 6 D). Metapleuron inconspicuously separated from propodeal lateral surface; dorsally smooth, without carina (Fig. 6 F). Propodeal dorsum with longitudinal ridges from base to apex, between ridges with short transverse carinae forming reticulate pattern (Fig. 6 E); posterior surface with median sulcus narrowing from base to apex, forming subtriangular zone, internally with transverse ridges; posterolaterally with irregular transverse ridges (Fig. 6 E); lateral surface of propodeum with irregular oblique carinae (Fig. 6 F).

Wings. Recurrent vein with stub of vein just before its junction with submarginal cell (Fig. 6 G).

Metasoma. Metasoma spindly; terga polished, terga I sparsely, finely punctate, between punctures coriaceous. Remaining terga densely, finely punctate basally, remaining areas sparsely punctate, areasbetween punctures coriaceous. Tergum III and subsequent terga densely, finely punctate. Sternum I with keeled projection, laterally to keel with small punctures. Basal third of sternum II with deep transverse groove, groove surface coriaceous.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution.

China (Guangdong, Yunnan).

Etymology.

The specific epithet vecarinata is derived from the Latin prefix “ ve - ” and the Latin word “ carinata ”, referring to the absence of a conspicuous anterior marginal carina on the pronotal collar of this species.