Shelfordia Cameron, 1902

Li, Yang, He, Jun-Hua & Chen, Xue-Xin, 2020, Review of six genera of Braconinae Nees (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) in China, with the description of eleven new species, Zootaxa 4818 (1), pp. 1-74 : 41

Genus Shelfordia Cameron, 1902

Figs 31–38

Shelfordia Cameron, 1902a: 35 ; Shenefelt, 1978: 1721; Quicke, 1982: 227, 1983: 81, 1985b: 349, 1987: 130, 1988a: 77, 1988b: 125; van Achterberg, 1993b: 367; Wang et al., 2003: 215. Type species: Shelfordia ruficeps Cameron, 1902 (Monobasic) .

Schelfordia Szépligeti, 1904: 45 (misspelling).

Sigalphogastra Cameron, 1903: 124 ; Shenefelt, 1978: 1722. Type species: Sigalphogastra ashmeadi Cameron, 1903 (Monobasic) . Synonymized by Quicke, 1982: 227.

Barthasis Baltazar, 1972: 276; Quicke, 1982: 227 (as “ Bartharsis ruficeps ”; nom. nud.).

Rostraulax Quicke, 1984: 77, 1985b: 349 ; Quicke et Koch, 1990: 222. Type species: Rostraulax vechti Quicke, 1984 (Original designation). Synonymized by van Achterberg, 1993b: 367.

Diagnosis. Body usually large; terminal flagellomere often acute or with short spine apically; median flagellomeres often longer than wide; scapus medium-sized to rather elongate, usually somewhat protruding ventro-apically, rarely truncate or dorsally longer, inner side without secondary edge, and ventrally often gradually narrowed; eye glabrous, not or weakly emarginate; face often with punctures and setae; clypeus elevated above face, moderately narrow and without dorsal carina, but may be more or less carinate dorsally; malar suture moderately to strongly developed; labio-maxillary complex moderately elongate; frons distinctly concave medially, usually with a median groove, sometimes reduced; mesosoma usually largely smooth and shiny; notauli complete, or only impressed anteriorly; scutellar sulcus crenulate; metanotum distinctly convex medially, sometimes with short median carina anteriorly; propodeum often largely smooth, sometimes with a medio-longitudinal carina posteriorly, or with a few short crenulae medio-posteriorly; angle between veins 1-SR and C+SC+R of fore wing less than 60°; vein 1-SR+M of fore wing more or less straight or weakly and evenly curved after arising from 1-M; hind wing vein 1r-m often shorter than vein SC+R1, rarely as long as vein SC+R1; base of hind wing glabrous or with setose area near vein cu-a; claws simple; median area of first metasomal tergite comparatively narrow to medium-sized, strongly elevated and more or less parallel-sided, and median area with angular sides; first tergite usually with medio-longitudinal carina, but often absent anteriorly, tergite concave basally, in lateral view low anteriorly, and dorsal carinae often present and protruding at margin of median area, but sometimes absent; second metasomal tergite with convex medio-basal area, and with oblique and relatively wide lateral grooves; third tergite often with developed antero-lateral areas, and without subapically transverse groove; fifth tergite truncate or slightly concave posteriorly and smooth, or strongly convex posteriorly and sculptured; ovipositor often normal, far protruding, subapically upper valve slender and with nodus (sometimes small, rarely absent), and its lower valve with some minute teeth ventrally.

Biology. Unknown, but related genera are parasitoids of larvae of Cerambycidae and Buprestidae living in dead wood ( van Achterberg 1993b).

Distribution. Afrotropical; Australasian; Oriental; Palaearctic.

Figures

FIGURE 31. Shelfordia chinensis Wang, Chen et He, 2003, ♀, holotype, habitus lateral.

FIGURE 32. Shelfordia chinensis Wang, Chen et He, 2003, ♀, holotype. a. fore wing; b. hind wing; c. mesosoma, lateral view; d. mesosoma, dorsal view; e. metasoma, dorsal view; f. hind leg, lateral view; g. head, front view; h. head, dorsal view; i. head, lateral view; j. sacpus outer side, lateral view; k. apex of antenna; l. apex of ovipositor, lateral view.