Chelonus (Stylochelonus) punctulosus, 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 : 120-124

Chelonus (Stylochelonus) punctulosus sp. nov.

Figs 105–108

Material examined. Holotype: female, Dangchang Daheba , Gansu Prov., China, 31.VII.2004, Xuexin Chen, No. 20047049 ( ZJUH) . Paratype: 1 male, same label data as holotype but Min Shi, No. 20046984 .

Diagnosis. This new species is similar to C. (S.) mucronatus ( Thomson, 1874) , because both have apex of carapace with a distinct apical tooth in dorsal view ( Fig. 106E , 108E ), but they can be separated by the following characters: temples strongly narrowed posteriorly behind eyes in dorsal view ( Figs 106G , 108H ) (versus strongly widened in C. (S.) mucronatus ); metasomal carapace widest at middle ( Figs 106E , 108E ) (versus after middle); and metasomal carapace of female with a yellowish spot medio-basally ( Fig. 108E ) (versus entirely black).

Description. Holotype, female, length of body 3.1 mm, of fore wing 3.0 mm.

Head. Head transverse, width of head 1.7 × its dorsal length; occiput hardly excavated; antenna damaged and with 23 antennomeres remaining, clearly widened medially, length of 3 rd antennomere 3.1 × its width; eye 2.1 × as long as temple in dorsal view; OOL: OD: POL=17: 6: 13; temple strongly narrowed behind eyes; frons and vertex striate-rugulose ( Fig. 106G ); face flat, transversely punctate-rugose, width of face 1.5 × its height; eyes about parallel; clypeus sparsely punctate, interspaces shiny, 1.6 × wider than high, distance between tentorial pits 1.4 × distance between pits and eyes ( Fig. 106F ).

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.5 × its height; side of pronotum finely punctate, mesopleuron punctate-rugose and finely punctate ( Fig. 106B ); notauli indistinct; mesoscutum coarsely punctate-rugose, scutellum slightly convex, rugulose; scutellar suture comparatively deep and with carinae; propodeum coarsely rugose, tubercles distinct ( Fig. 106C ).

Wings. Vein r somewhat arched; marginal cell 0.8 × as long as pterostigma; pterostigma 3.5 × longer than wide; r: 3-SR: SR1=16: 12: 74; SR1 straight; marginal cell 3.0 × longer than second submarginal cell; 1-CU1: 2-CU1=13: 32; 2-R1 short ( Fig. 106A ).

Legs. Hind coxa smooth and shiny; length of hind femur, tibia and basitarsus 3.0 ×, 4.9 × and 3.6 × their maximum width, respectively; length of inner hind tibial spur 0.5 × hind basitarsus.

Metasoma. Length of carapace 3.0 × its maximum width, widest at middle, apex of carapace with a distinct apical tooth; carapace striate-rugose up to basal 70%, rugose apically ( Fig. 106E ); carapace in lateral view 3.0 × longer than high, posterior height of metasoma 1.5 × its anterior height, carapace apically slightly incurved ( Fig. 106D ).

Colour. Black; antenna brown but scapus yellow; mandible light brown; palpi white; pterostigma light brown; parastigma, wing and its veins light yellowish; legs almost entirely yellow, but hind tibia brown and with narrow light ring; metasomal carapace with one medial yellow spot.

Male. Antennomeres 27, antenna filiform, not widened, length of 3 rd and penultimate antennomeres 2.7 × and 1.8 × their width, respectively ( Fig. 108I ); lateral teeth of propodeum weak and small ( Fig. 108C ); vein SR1 sinuate ( Fig. 108A ); apical aperture in posterior view small, nearly round ( Fig. 108F ); carapace entirely black; other characters as in female ( Fig. 107 ).

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. China (Gansu).

Etymology. Named after its finely punctate mesopleuron, “ punctulosus ” is Latin for more finely punctate.

Note. We found that Мicrochelonus (Рarachelonus) rubriventris (Tobias, 1988) does not fit well in subgenus Рarachelonus because it fits the characters of the subgenus Baculonus ( Zhou et al. 2022a) and, therefore, we transfer it to the later subgenus, and Chelonus (Baculonus) rubriventris (Tobias, 1988) is a new combination.

Figures

FIGURE 105. Chelonus (Stylochelonus) punctulosus sp. nov., female, holotype, habitus, lateral aspect.

FIGURE 106. Chelonus (Stylochelonus) punctulosus 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.

FIGURE 107. Chelonus (Stylochelonus) punctulosus sp. nov., male, paratype, habitus, lateral aspect.

FIGURE 108. Chelonus (Stylochelonus) punctulosus 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, antenna; J, head, lateral aspect.