Apanteles (Choeras) semirugosus Song & Chen

Song, Sheng-Nan, He, Jun-Hua & Chen, Xue-Xin, 2014, The subgenus Choeras Mason, 1981 of genus Apanteles Foerster, 1862 (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Microgastrinae) from China, with descriptions of eighteen new species, Zootaxa 3754 (5), pp. 501-554 : 536-538

Apanteles (Choeras) semirugosus Song & Chen , sp. n.

( Figure 14. a–j )

Description. Female. Length of body 3.8 mm, of fore wing 4.0 mm.

Head. 2.1 times as wide as long, equal to the width of mesoscutum. Antenna with 18 segments, slightly shorter than the body, segments normally finely setose, subapical antennal segments slightly elongated, length of 16th segment 0.9 times as long as 15th segment, length of third segment equal to fourth segment, length of third, fourth, 15th, 16th and penultimate segments 2.8, 2.8, 1.6, 1.4 and 1.5 times as long as their width, respectively. In dorsal view length of eye 2.0 times as long as temple. Ocellar triangle finely setose and punctulate, smooth and shiny. Ocelli in a moderately low triangle, the posterior transverse tangent to the median ocellus slightly touching the posterior pair; ocelli large, their diameter longer than the distance between the hind and fore ocellus, closer to each other than to the eyes. OOL: OD: POL= 16: 9: 12. Temple, vertex, face and clypeus densely, rather finely punctulate and setose. Frons smooth and distinctly concave medially, narrowly punctulate and setose laterally and posteriorly. Face with median longitudinal carina. Labrum flat and smooth. Length of malar space 0.6 times as long as basal width of mandible.

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.4 times as long as its height. Side of pronotum faintly rugose and sparsely setose, with a ventral furrow which with a few longitudinal carinae. Propleuron smooth and shiny. Prepectal carina completely absent. Precoxal sulcus smooth, half of mesopleuron. Mesopleuron shiny, largely smooth and glabrous, but punctulate and setose ventrally and anterio-ventrally. Mesoscutum finely, densely punctulate and setose, softly shiny. Notauli absent. Scutellar sulcus very wide, with visible crenulation, its width about equal to length of scutellum. Scutellum convex medially, densely punctulate and setose. Side of scutellum with wide crenulate depression, lunula small-sized and obtusely triangular. Propodeum shiny and largely smooth, rugose laterally and with a rugose median band which with a strong and complete irregular median carina.

Wings. Fore wing evenly covered with brown hairs, denser towards the apex. Pterostigma relatively wide, 2.6 times as long as wide. Vein 1-R1 1.3 times as long as pterostigma and about 6.7 times as long as the distance from it to the top of marginal cell. Vein r almost equal to 2-SR and slightly curved, vein r arising beyond the middle of pterostigma and equal to breadth of pterostigma. Vein 2-SR straight. Stub of vein r-m of fore wing short, resulting in an open second submarginal cell. 1-CU1: 2-CU1= 4: 5. Vein 1-SR pointing to 2-CU1. Hind wing evenly covered with brown hairs, setose. Vein cu-a slightly curved. Edge of vannal lobe beyond its widest part straight and here without a fringe of hairs.

Legs. Hind coxa sparsely punctulate laterally, but densely punctulate dorsally. Length of hind coxa shorter than half of thorax. Tarsal claws setose. Longer spur of middle tibia reaching apex of middle basitarsus and terminating in a long bristle. Length of femur, tibia and basitarsus of hind leg 3.5, 5.8 and 3.8 times as long as their width, respectively. Length of hind tibial spurs 0.6 and 0.5 times as long as hind basitarsus respectively. Hind femur densely punctulate and setose.

Metasoma. Tergite I distinctly quadrangular, less narrowed apically, lateral sides straight and basally with a wide and shallow excavation, its basal width 1.7 times as long as its apical width which is 1.5 times as long as median length of tergite II; excavation of tergite I smooth and shiny, remainder strongly rugose and coarsely sculptured. Tergite II transversely subtriangular, apical sides slightly curved which is 3.0, 4.3 times as long as basal width and its length; medially smooth, rugose laterally and anteriorly, sparsely punctulate posteriorly. Tergite III smooth, densely setose and longer than tergite II. Remaining tergites smooth and sparsely setose. Ovipositor sheath narrow and hairy, very slender at base, but broadening conspicuously toward apex, length of it (total length) 1.1 times as long as hind tibia. Hypopygium subhyaline and largely sclerotized, only near median line membranous and tightly folded along the middle line, with longitudinal creases laterally, acute apically.

Colour. Head black. Mandible and labrum yellow. Clypeus largely yellowish brown but brown anteriolaterally. Scape and pedicel yellow with brown marking laterally. Flagellum brown. Mesosoma black except tegulae yellowish brown. Wing membrane subhyaline and weakly brownish. Pterostigma and veins of fore wings dark brown. Veins of hind wings weakly pigmented. Fore and middle legs yellow, but coxa and trochanter yellowish, distal tarsi black. Hind coxa, trochanter and femur yellow. Basal half of hind tibia and tarsi yellowish brown. The remainder of hind tibia brown. Tibial spurs yellow. Basal half of tergite I yellowish brown, the remainder blackish brown. Tergite II blackish brown. Remaining tergites yellow with indefinite reddish brown streaks. Ovipositor yellowish brown, its sheath blackish brown.

Variation. Body length 2.5–3.8 mm. Fore wing length 2.8–4.0 mm. And some Hainan individuals different in colour pattern: pronotum, mesonotum, propleuron and tegulae reddish-yellowish; tergite I all black; one Yunnan individual pronotum, mesosnotum, propleuron and tegulae reddish-yellowish with black tinge.

Male. Unknown.

Biology. Unknown

Material examined. Holotype, ♀, China, Zhejiang Prov., Gutianshan, 2005. VII. 3, Wu Qiong, No. 200617170 ( ZJUH). Paratypes (all in ZJUH): 1♀, China, Hebei Prov., Zhangjiakou, Xiaowutaishan, Yangjiaping, 2005. VIII. 20, Shi Min, No. 200611688; 2♀, China, Zhejiang Prov., Gutianshan, 2005. VII. 3, Wu Qiong, No. 200616965, 200617006; 1♀, China, Hunan Prov., Shimen, Hupingshan, Sanhecun, 2009. VII. 13, Ma Li, No. 200901040; 1♀, China, Hainan Prov., Jianfengling, Tianchi, 2006. VII. 12–15, Liu Jieming, No. 200803009; 1♀, China, Hainan Prov., Wuzhishan, 2007. X. 29, Liu Jingxian, No. 200710258; 1♀, China, Hainan Prov., Diaoluoshan, 2006. VII. 16–17, Liu Jingxian, No. 200802390; 1♀, China, Yunnan Prov., Anning Hot Spring, 1988. VII. 18–20, Chen Xuexin, No. 881845.

Distribution. China (Hebei, Zhejiang, Hunan, Hainan, Yunnan) ( Fig. 22 ).

Remark. The new species is similar to Apanteles (Choeras) parasitellae (Bouché, 1834) , but can be distinguished by the vein r almost equal to 2-SR (the latter 1.2–1.4 times); the antennal penultimate segment about 1.5 times as long as width (the latter about equal); and the propodeum with a strong and complete irregular median carina (the latter without median carina).

Etymology. The specific name “ semirugosus ” derives from the Latin prefixion “semi-” and adjective “rugosus”, referring to the apical half of tergite I strongly rugose and coarsely sculptured.

Figures

FIGURE 22. Distribution map of Choeras species in China III. ●: Apanteles (Choeras) parviocellus Song & Chen, sp. n.; ┼: Apanteles (Choeras) rugulosus Song & Chen, sp. n.; ▲: Apanteles (Choeras) semilunatus Song & Chen, sp. n.; Δ: Apanteles (Choeras) semirugosus Song & Chen, sp. n..

FIGURE 14. a – j. Apanteles (Choeras) semirugosus Song & Chen, sp. n. a, habitus, lateral view; b, antenna; c, fore wing; d, hind wing; e, head, dorsal view; f, head, frontal view; g, mesosoma, dorsal view; h, mesosoma, lateral view; i, metasoma, lateral view; j, T 1 – T 3, dorsal view.