Chelonus (Microchelonus) ruficorpus, 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 : 79-81

Chelonus (Microchelonus) ruficorpus sp. nov.

Figs 69–70

Material examined. Holotype: female, Gutian Mt. , Zhejiang Prov., China, 22.VII.1986, Xiaoming Lou, No. 863205 ( ZJUH).

Diagnosis. The new species is similar to C. (M.) elaeaphilus ( Silvestri, 1908) sharing the metasoma posteriorly slightly declivous in lateral view ( Fig. 70D ), widest at middle in dorsal view ( Fig. 70E ), and eye almost as long as temples, temples parallel-sided to widened in dorsal view ( Fig. 70G ), but the two species can be separated by the following characters: body entirely reddish brown and carapace with yellowish irregular edge band in basal third ( Fig. 69 ) (versus body black and carapace with one large medial yellowish spot in C. (M.) elaeaphilus ); antenna of female as long as head, mesosoma and 0.5 metasoma combined ( Fig. 70H ) (versus as long as head and mesosoma combined); mesosoma medium-sized, its length 1.5 × its height ( Fig. 70B ) (versus short, 1.25 × its height).

Description. Holotype, female, length of body 2.7 mm, of fore wing 2.6 mm.

Head. Head transverse, width of head 2.1 × its dorsal length; occiput slightly excavated; antennomeres 16, antenna filiform, not widened; length of 3 rd and penultimate antennomeres 4.0 × and 2.0 × their width, respectively ( Fig. 70H ); eye 1.1 × longer than temple in dorsal view; OOL: OD: POL= 21: 6: 11; temple parallel-sided behind eyes; frons and vertex striate-rugose ( Fig. 70G ); face flat, longitudinally punctate-rugose, width of face 2.0 × its height; eyes slightly converging; clypeus very transverse, sparsely punctulate, shiny, 2.2 × wider than high; distance between tentorial pits 1.6 × distance between pits and eyes ( Fig. 70F ).

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.5 × its height; side of pronotum finely punctate, mesopleuron densely setose ( Fig. 70B ); scutellum rather flat, smooth medially, punctate laterally; scutellar suture comparatively deep, narrow, with carinae; propodeum coarsely rugose, lateral tubercles weak and small ( Fig. 70C ).

Wings. Vein r straight; marginal cell 0.9 × as long as pterostigma, pterostigma 2.4 × longer than wide; r: 3-SR: SR1=10: 9: 42; SR1 slightly sinuate; marginal cell 2.0 × longer than second submarginal cell; 1-CU1: 2-CU1=7: 16, 2-R1 absent ( Fig. 70A ).

Legs. Hind coxa punctate and shiny laterally; length of hind femur, tibia and basitarsus 3.5 ×, 4.9 × and 4.4 × their maximum width, respectively; length of inner hind tibial spur 0.5 × hind basitarsus.

Metasoma. Length of carapace 1.8 × its maximum width in dorsal view, widest after middle, apically rounded; carapace striate-rugose up to basal 60% and posteriorly punctate ( Fig. 70E ); carapace in lateral view 3.2 × longer than high, posteriorly rather truncate and declivous; carapace evenly widened; posterior height of carapace 1.9 × its anterior height; apex of metasomal carapace slightly incurved and ventral opening of carapace 0.9 × as long as carapace ( Fig. 70D ).

Colour. Body reddish brown; antenna light brown; palpi reddish brown; pterostigma light brown; parastigma yellowish; wing and its veins light brown; legs almost entirely yellowish brown; carapace with yellowish irregular edge band in basal 1/3, and latero-basally light.

Male. Unknown.

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. China (Zhejiang).

Etymology. Named after the reddish-brown body: “ corpus ” is Latin for body, flesh and “ rufus ” is Latin for red, reddish.

Figures

FIGURE 69. Chelonus (Microchelonus) ruficorpus sp. nov., female, paratype, habitus, lateral aspect.

FIGURE 70. Chelonus (Microchelonus) ruficorpus sp. nov., female, paratype. 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.