Astigmapraon hei Tian et Chen, 2017

Tian, Hong-Wei, Achterberg, Kees & Chen, Xue-Xin, 2017, A new genus of the tribe Praini Mackauer (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae) from China, Zootaxa 4362 (1), pp. 131-134 : 132-134

Astigmapraon hei Tian et Chen , sp. nov. Figure 1

Description. Female. Body length 1.5 mm, fore wing length 1.8 mm.

Head. Head transverse in dorsal aspect, slightly wider than mesoscutum, smooth and shiny, with sparse long setae ( Fig. 1H ). Eyes medium-sized ( Fig. 1G ), oval, sparsely setose. Temple in dorsal aspect 1.2 times as long as eye. Malar space equal to 0.2 × longitudinal diameter of eye. POL 1.25 × Od. Width of face 1.2 × its height and 0.4 × width of head. Face with dense setae. Clypeus oval, raised with several long setae, tentoriocular line equal to 0.3 of intertentorial line. Antenna filiform, with 18 segments. F1 about 1.3 times longer than F2. F1 5.0 × as long as wide, F2 4.0 × as long as wide ( Fig. 1F ).

Mesosoma. Mesonotum with central and lateral lobes densely pubescent. Notauli deep and distinct throughout ( Fig. 1J ). Propodeum with dense long setae except a glabrous posterior triangular ( Fig. 1C ).

Wings. Apical margin of fore wing with long setae, which are longer than setae on wing membrane. Pterostigma absent. Distal abscissa of 1-R1 (= metacarp) rather long. Vein r+3-SR+SR1 (= radial vein) as long as 1-R1, do not reach the wing apex. Basal half of 1-SR+M vein distinctly pigmented ( Fig. 1B ).

Metasoma. T1 with sculpture, longer than wide at spiracle level, with long setae close to lateral corners. Ovipositor sheath with some long setae and its apex obtuse ( Fig. 1K ).

Colour. Head dark brown, face somewhat paler, clypeus and mandibles yellowish to light brown. Maxillary and labial palpi white to yellowish. Antennal scape, pedicel, F1 and F2 yellowish. Remainder of antenna and mesoscutum dark brown. Wings hyaline with brown venation. Legs yellowish to light brown, apices of tarsi dark. Metasoma and ovipositor sheath brown.

Male. Antenna 20-segmented, colouration generally paler than female. Body length 1.6 mm. otherwise similar to female.

Host. Unknown.

Material examined. Holotype: ♀, N China, Shaanxi, Baoji , 21.VIII.2013, Tu Bin-Bin, No. 201306561 . Paratypes: ♂, S China, Sichuan, Pingwu, 25.VII.2006, Gao Zhi-Lei , 200615767 . 2♂, S China, Sichuan, Pingwu , 25.VII.2006, Zhang Hong-Ying, No. 200614125, 200614768.

Distribution. China (Shaanxi, Sichuan).

Taxonomic remarks. This species is easily differentiated from all other species of Praini by the absence of the pterostigma. It is similar to Praon alaskensis Ashmead, 1944 , by having a long metacarp (vein 1-R1) of the fore wing, but the vein r+3-SR+SR1 of A. hei is comparatively long. In addition, the antenna of P. alaskensis is 21-segmented, and of A. hei Tian et Chen , sp. n., only 18-segmented.

Etymology. The new species is named in honour of Prof. Junhua He (ZJUH), for his valuable contribution to the taxonomy of parasitoid wasps in China.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Astigmapraon hei Tian et Chen, sp. nov. A habitus, lateral aspect B fore wing C hind wing D propodeum & T1, dorsal aspect E metasoma, lateral aspect F antenna G head, anterior aspect H head, dorsal aspect I mesosoma, lateral aspect J mesoscutum, dorsalaspect K ovipositor sheath,lateral aspect.Scale line = 0.2 mm.