Spathius aspratiloides, Tang & Belokobylskij & Chen, 2015

Tang, Pu, Belokobylskij, Sergey & Chen, Xue-Xin, 2015, Spathius Nees, 1818 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Doryctinae) from China with a key to species, Zootaxa 3960 (1), pp. 1-132 : 26-27

Spathius aspratiloides sp. nov.

( Fig. 5 )

Description. Female. Body length 4.2 mm; fore wing length 3.3 mm.

Head. Antennae slender, weakly setiform, more than 31-segmented (apical segments missing). Scape 1.6 × as long as its maximum width. First flagellar segment 5.7 × as long as its apical width, 1.4 × as long as second segment. Head not depressed, its width (dorsal view) 1.3 × median length. Head behind eyes roundly narrowed. Transverse diameter of eye 1.8 × length of temple. Ocelli arranged in triangle with base 1.3 × as long as its sides; POL: Od: OOL = 6: 4: 18. Vertex and frons densely coarsely rugose-striate, with rugulosity between striae. Eye glabrous, 1.5 × as high as broad. Malar space 0.3 × eye height and 0.8 × basal width of mandible. Temple distinctly coarsely rugose-striate, with rugulosity between striae. Face densely coarsely rugose-reticulate; its width equal to eye height and 1.2 × height of face and clypeus combined. Clypeal suture distinct. Occipital carina complete dorsally, not joined below with hypostomal carina being obliterated on short distance upper base of mandible.

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 2.4 × its height. Pronotal keel distinct, its posterior branch widely fused with posterior margin of pronotum; anterior branch distinct, situated in posterior third of pronotum. Mesoscutum highly and roundly elevated above pronotum. Mesoscutum with sparse and semi-erect setae along notauli and laterally; densely irregularly rugose-striate with granulation, with rather long and more or less distinct rugae near notauli and laterally; lateral lobes medially with wide granulate areas, with two convergent posteriorly carinae and narrow rugosity between them in medioposterior half. Notauli complete, wide, shallow, densely crenulate. Prescutellar depression shallow, with five carinae, 0.3 × as long as scutellum. Scutellum densely granulate, flat, with distinct lateral carinae. Mesopleuron entirely granulate and irregularly rugose-striate. Subalar depression shallow, wide, coarsely rugose-striate and granulate. Precoxal sulcus shallow, narrow, straight, distinctly crenulate and granulate, running along anterior 0.6 of lower part of mesopleuron. Propodeum without distinct tubercles, distinctly granulate in basal half, without areas delineated by carinae; basal carina 1.3 × as long as anterior fork of areola; areola narrow and long; petiolate area indistinct.

Wings. Fore wing 3.8 × as long as wide. Vein r arising from middle of pterostigma. 3-SR: r: SR1: 2-SR = 22: 6: 30: 17. Second submarginal cell not narrowed distally, its length 3.0 × maximum width, 1.2 × length of first subdiscal cell. Vein cu-a weakly postfurcal. Vein m-cu postfurcal. Vein CU1a interstitial. Hind wing vein M+CU 0.5 × as long as vein 1-M. Vein m-cu distinctly antefurcal, straight, oblique towards base of wing.

Legs. Hind coxa densely granulate, finely striate dorsally, without basoventral tooth and corner. Hind femur coriaceous, 2.6 × as long as wide. Hind tibia apically with five spines on outer margin. Dorsal surface of hind tibia with long, sparse and semi-erect setae, their length 0.8–1.2 × maximum width of tibia. Hind tarsus 0.9 × as long as hind tibia. Hind basitarsus 0.6 × as long as second-fifth segments combined. Second segment of hind tarsus 0.5 × as long as basitarsus, 0.9 × as long as fifth segment (without pretarsus).

Metasoma. Petiole (lateral view) almost straight ventrally and distinctly arched in basal third dorsally, with spiracular tubercles in basal third; entirely rugose-striate, with rugulosity and granulation between striae. Length of petiole 3.2 × its apical width (dorsal view), 1.5 × length of propodeum. Second and third tergites with separated laterotergites. Second suture absent. Median length of second and third tergites combined 1.9 × basal width of second tergite, 0.8 × as long as their maximum width. Second and third tergites rather densely and small reticulate-areolate. Remaining tergites reticulate-coriaceous, narrowly smooth apically. Ovipositor sheath 3.1 × as long as petiole, 1.2 × as long as metasoma, 1.7 × as long as mesosoma, 0.8 × as long as fore wing.

Colour. Body mainly yellowish brown, but mesosoma reddish brown. Antenna brownish yellow basally, darken toward apex. Palpi pale yellow. Legs yellowish brown, hind leg mostly reddish brown; fore tarsus dark brown. Ovipositor sheath brown, almost black apically. Fore wing faintly infuscate, with distinct maculation. Pterostigma brown, pale in basal 0.3.

Variation. Body length 3.8–4.6 mm; fore wing length 3.0– 3.4 mm. Scape 1.5–1.8 × as long as its maximum width. First flagellar segment 5.6–6.0 × as long as its apical width, 1.3–1.5 × as long as second segment. Eye glabrous, 1.3 × as high as broad. Mesosoma 2.2 × as long as its height. Hind femur 2.8 × as long as wide. Median length of second and third tergites combined 1.8 × basal width of second tergite, 0.7 × as long as their maximum width.

Male. Body length 4.0 mm; fore wing length 3.2 mm. Scape 1.7 × as long as its maximum width. First flagellar segment 6.0 × as long as its apical width, 1.5 × as long as second segment. Eye glabrous, 1.4 × as high as broad. Prescutellar depression with three carinae. Fore wing 3.6 × as long as wide. Hind femur 3.0 × as long as wide. Length of petiole 3.5 × its apical width (dorsal view), 2.0 × length of propodeum. Otherwise similar to female.

Material examined. Holotype: female, China, Hainan Prov., Jianfengling , 22.XI.2008, Tan Jiangli, No. 200805315 ( ZJUH) . Paratypes: 1 female, China, Hainan Prov., Jianfengling, 5–7. VI .2007, Weng Liqiong, No. 200806451 ( ZJUH) ; 1 male, Hainan Prov., Wuzhishan, 16–20. V .2007, Liu Jingxian, No. 200703196 ( ZJUH) ; 1 female, Guangdong Prov., Zijin Qimuzhang , 31.VII.2003, Song Yanxia, No. 20059059 ( ZJUH) .

Comparative diagnosis. This new species belongs to the S. spilopterus Cameron species group. Spathius aspratiloides sp. nov. is similar to S. aspratilis Chen et Shi , but differs in having the mesoscutum densely and irregularly rugose-striate with granulation and with rather long and more or less distinct rugae near notauli and laterally (only granulate in S. aspratilis ), mesopleuron entirely granulate and rugose (only granulate in S. aspratilis ), and ovipositor sheath longer than metasoma (shorter in S. aspratilis ).

Etymology. From “spiratilus”, the name of the most similar species, and suffix “oides” because this species resemble S. aspiratilus Chen et Shi.

Distribution. China (Hainan, Guangdong).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Spathius aspratiloides sp. nov. A, habitus, lateral aspect; B, head, dorsal aspect; C, head, frontal aspect; D, petiole, lateral aspect; E, fore wing; F, mesosoma, lateral aspect; G, mesoscutum, dorsal aspect; H, metasoma, dorsal aspect. Scale bar 0.5 mm.