Chelonus (Microchelonus) platyetrus, 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 : 67-69

Chelonus (Microchelonus) platyetrus sp. nov.

Figs 61–64

Material examined. Holotype: female, Dalian , Liaoning Prov., China, 5.IV.1992, Juxian Lou, No. 976128 ( ZJUH) . Paratype: 1 male, same label data as holotype but No. 976267 .

Diagnosis. This new species is similar to C. (M.) fumipennis ( Tobias, 1986) , sharing the brown fore wing ( Fig. 62A ), apical aperture of male in posterior view large, elongate and slit-shaped, and median process of aperture horizontal and oval ( Fig. 64F ), but the two species can be separated by the following characters: 3 rd antennomere 4.7 × longer than wide (versus 2.5 × in C. (M.) fumipennis ), all legs dark black (versus fore and middle tibiae brownish yellow); lateral tubercles distinct and strong ( Fig. 64C ) (versus small and weak).

Description. Holotype, female, length of body 3.3 mm, of fore wing 3.0 mm.

Head. Head transverse, width of head 2.4 × its dorsal length, occiput excavated; antennomeres 16, antenna slightly widened medially, length of 3 rd and penultimate antennomeres 4.7 × and 1.3 × their width, respectively ( Fig. 62H ); eye in dorsal view 1.2 × as long as temple; OOL: OD: POL=18: 8: 13; temple parallel-sided behind eyes; frons and vertex very finely striate-reticulate ( Fig. 62G ); face flat, concentric punctate-rugose, width of face 1.7 × its height; eyes about parallel; clypeus densely punctate, interspaces shiny, 1.6 × wider than high, lower margin of clypeus slightly excised, sinuate; distance between tentorial pits 1.6 × distance between pits and eyes ( Fig. 62F ).

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.3 × its height; side of pronotum and mesopleuron coarsely reticulate-rugose ( Fig. 62B ); notauli distinct, mesoscutum coarsely areolate-rugose; scutellum evenly convex, coarsely punctate medially, crenulate laterally; scutellar suture comparatively deep, narrow, with carinae; propodeum coarsely rugose, lateral pair of tubercles small ( Fig. 62C ).

Wings. Vein r straight; marginal cell 1.1 × as long as pterostigma; pterostigma 2.7 × longer than wide; r: 3-SR: SR1=14: 17: 66; SR1 slightly sinuate; marginal cell 3.5 × longer than second submarginal cell; 1-CU1: 2-CU1=17: 37; 2-R1 short ( Fig. 62A ).

Legs. Hind coxa mainly smooth; length of hind femur, tibia and basitarsus 3.5 ×, 4.0 × and 4.1× their maximum width, respectively; length of inner hind tibial spur 0.5 × hind basitarsus.

Metasoma. Length of carapace 1.6 × its maximum width in dorsal view, widest after middle, apically rounded; carapace straight striae up to apex ( Fig. 62E ); carapace in lateral view 3.2 × longer than high, posterior height of metasoma 1.6 × its anterior height, posteriorly rather truncate ( Fig. 62D ); carapace apically slightly incurved.

Colour. Body and antenna black; palpi and pterostigma dark brown; middle of wing membrane greyish brown, pterostigma and veins dark brown; legs entirely black; metasomal carapace entirely black.

Male. Antenna damaged and with 16 antennomeres remaining; eyes slightly diverging ventrally; lower margin of clypeus truncate ( Fig. 64G ); metasomal carapace distinctly incurved in lateral view ( Fig. 64D ); apical aperture in posterior view very wide, slit-shaped, 4.5 × wider than high medially and median process of aperture horizontal and oval ( Fig. 64F ); other characters as in female.

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. China (Liaoning).

Etymology. Named after its wide carapace in dorsal view (only 1.6 × longer than wide): “ platys ” is Greek for broad, wide and “ etron ” is Greek for belly, abdomen.

Figures

FIGURE 61. Chelonus (Microchelonus) platyetrus sp. nov., female, holotype, habitus, lateral aspect.

FIGURE 62. Chelonus (Microchelonus) platyetrus 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, antenna; I, head, lateral aspect.

FIGURE 63. Chelonus (Microchelonus) platyetrus sp. nov., male, paratype, habitus, lateral aspect.

FIGURE 64. Chelonus (Microchelonus) platyetrus sp. nov., male, paratype. A, fore wing; B, mesosoma, lateral aspect; C, mesosoma, dorsal aspect; D, metasoma, lateral aspect; E, metasoma, dorsal aspect; F, metasoma, posterior aspect; G, head, anterior aspect; H, head, dorsal aspect; I, head, lateral aspect.