Apteronotus Kang, Hu & Luo, 2024

Kang, Ning, Hu, Hongying, Guo, Shuhan & Luo, Shungang, 2024, A new genus and three newly recorded species of Encyrtidae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) from China, ZooKeys 1193, pp. 49-61 : 49

Genus Apteronotus Kang, Hu & Luo gen. nov.

Figs 1 , 2

Type species.

Apteronotus indigus Kang, Hu & Luo, sp. nov.

Etymology.

Female, “Apteron” refers to lack of wings in this genus, and “notus” is a suffix often used in insect taxonomy.

Diagnosis.

This genus exhibits distinct morphological divergences when compared to the two subfamilies ( Encyrtinae and Tetracneminae ) in Encyrtidae . The new genus can be differentiated from other related genera by a combination of the following characteristics: Body length 0.65-0.75 mm, short and robust, body indigo blue, eyes and ocelli dark red, mandible yellow, tibia and trochanter yellow, basitarsus, and apical tibiae yellow. Head in dorsal view without occipital margin; antenna slender, slightly longer than head width, clava 3-segmented; mesoscutum slightly shorter than head width, with faint reticulation and sparse setose; notaular lines absent, axillae separate apically; propodeum shorter than 1/2 scutellum medially; wings absent in both sexes; mid tibial spur shorter than basitarsus; gaster ovate, posterior margin of T1 medially incised in some individuals, ovipositor sheath not exserted, paratergite not present.

Distribution.

China (Xinjiang).

Hosts.

Unknown.

Comments.

The genus does not run to any genus in the keys ( Trjapitzin 1989; Noyes et al. 1997). Extensive morphological comparisons were made with several brachypterous genera ( Trjapitzin and Gordh 1979); however, Globulencyrtus Hoffer, 1976 differs in the following characteristics: head with sharp occipital margin, clava shorter than funicle, forewing rudiments, and reaching to about apex of scutellum posteriorly ( Hayat et al. 2013); Austrochoreia Girault, 1929 is distinguished by the elongate pronotum that almost covers the mesoscutum, lack of notaular lines and abbreviated wings ( Noyes and Hayat 1984); it can be distinguished from Aglyptus ( Tetracneminae ) by several key characteristics: body chocolate-brown-yellow, with light green shine, female body length 1.9-2.0 mm, forewing not developed and with dark transverse band in the apical third; similarly, the related genus Bactritopus with large and deep depression on face, clypeal margin forming a spatulate protrusion, antennal toruli located at the edge of mouth, mandible tridentate, with a long middle tooth, mesoscutum with complete notauli, wings not shortened ( Trjapitzin 1978). The specimens also share some characteristics with the genus Choreia ( Encyrtinae ), but they differ notably in having a large punctation on the vertex and frons, occipital margin sharp, mesoscutum usually 3 × as broad as long, scutellum roundish in back view, axillae meeting, and female body length at least 1 mm ( Westwood 1833; Förster 1856). We also found some characteristic differences within the new species, the hind margin of T1 slightly incised medially in some individuals.

Figures

Figure 1. Apteronotus indigus Kang, Hu & Luo, sp. nov., female A habitus, dorsal view B head, frontal view C antenna D mesoscutum, dorsal view E mid leg F body, dorsal view G, H tip of gaster. Scale bars: 100 μm.

Figure 2. Apteronotus indigus Kang, Hu & Luo, sp. nov., male A habitus, dorsal view B mesoscutum, lateral view C habitus, lateral view D head, frontal view E antenna F gaster. Scale bars: 100 μm.