Chelonus (Microchelonus) brachykeraiatus, Zhou & Achterberg & Tang & Chen, 2024

Zhou, Jin-Jin, Achterberg, Cornelis Van, Tang, Pu & Chen, Xue-Xin, 2024, A review of the subgenera Carinichelonus, Microchelonus, Parachelonus and Stylochelonus of the genus Chelonus Panzer (Braconidae: Cheloninae) with descriptions of twenty-one new species from China, Zootaxa 5412 (1), pp. 1-127 : 23-25

Chelonus (Microchelonus) brachykeraiatus sp. nov.

Figs 13–14

Material examined. Holotype: female, Baishanzu , Zhejiang Prov., China, 15.VIII.2003, Jinxian Liu, No. 20047591 ( ZJUH) . Paratype: 1 female, Guangnan , Yunnan Prov., China, VI.1975, Jiasheng Gan, No. 760720 .

Diagnosis. This new species is similar to the male of C. (M.) latifunis ( Tobias, 1986) both species having the metasomal carapace slightly depressed medio-posteriorly in lateral view ( Fig. 14D ) and widest after the middle in dorsal view ( Fig. 14E ). The species can be separated by the following characters: carapace apically slightly incurved ( Fig. 14D ) (versus distinctly incurved in C. (M.) latifunis ); wing base and veins light brown to brown ( Fig. 14A ) (versus dark brown or blackish); and basal third of carapace with yellowish band ( Fig. 14E ) (versus entirely black).

Description. Holotype, female, length of body 3.1 mm, of fore wing 2.4 mm.

Head. Head transverse, width of head 2.5 × its dorsal length, occiput deeply excavated; antennomeres 16, clearly widened after middle; length of 3 rd and penultimate antennomeres 4.2 × and 1.0 × their width, respectively; eye in dorsal view 1.0 × as long as temple; OOL: OD: POL=18: 5: 11; temple parallel-sided behind eyes; frons and vertex transversely striate-rugose ( Fig. 14G ); face flat, densely setose, transverse-longitudinally punctate-rugose, width of face 1.8 × its height; clypeus sparsely punctulate medially, 1.8× wider than high, distance between tentorial pits 1.6 × distance between pits and eyes ( Fig. 14F ).

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.7 × its height; side of pronotum finely punctate; mesopleuron areolate-rugose ( Fig. 14B ); notauli distinct; mesoscutum alveolate-rugose; scutellum rugose; scutellar suture comparatively deep, narrow, with carinae; tubercles very small and weak ( Fig. 14C ).

Wings. Vein r somewhat arched; marginal cell 0.7 × as long as pterostigma; pterostigma 3.5 × longer than wide; r: 3-SR: SR1=9: 10: 49; SR1 slightly sinuate; marginal cell 1.8 × longer than second submarginal cell; 1-CU1: 2- CU1=6: 15; 2-R1 indistinct; ( Fig. 14A ).

Legs. Hind coxa punctate and densely setose laterally; length of hind femur, tibia and basitarsus 3.3 ×, 3.5 × and 3.0 × their maximum width, respectively; length of inner hind tibial spur 0.5 × hind basitarsus.

Metasoma. Length of carapace 2.1 × its maximum width in dorsal view, widest after middle, apically rounded; base of carapace longitudinally rugose, up to middle, posteriorly coriaceous ( Fig. 14E ); carapace in lateral view 3.1 × longer than high, posteriorly truncate and medio-posteriorly slightly depressed ( Fig. 14D ); ventral opening of carapace 0.9 × as long as carapace, apically carapace slightly incurved.

Colour. Body dark; antenna bicoloured, 3 rd –6 th antennomeres yellow and remainder of antenna brown; palpi light brown; pterostigma brown; middle of wing and its veins medium dark brown, below pterostigma similarly darkened as apical quarter of fore wing, wing base and its veins light brown; legs almost entirely brown, but hind tibia with wide light ring; carapace with yellowish band in basal 1/3.

Male. Unknown.

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. China (Yunnan, Zhejiang).

Etymology. Named after its very short antenna: “ brachys ” is Greek for short; “ keraia ” is Greek for antenna.

Figures

FIGURE 13. Chelonus (Microchelonus) brachykeraiatus sp. nov., female, holotype, habitus, lateral aspect.

FIGURE 14. Chelonus (Microchelonus) brachykeraiatus sp. nov., female, holotype. A, fore wing; B, mesosoma, lateral aspect; C, mesosoma, dorsal aspect; D, metasoma, lateral aspect; E, metasoma, dorsal aspect; F, head, anterior aspect; G, head, dorsal aspect; H, head, lateral aspect; I, antenna.