Zele irregularis Fang, van Achterberg & Chen, 2025

Fang, Yu, van Achterberg, Cornelis, Tang, Pu & Chen, Xue-xin, 2025, Revision of genus Zele Curtis (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Euphorinae) from China, with description of nineteen new species, ZooKeys 1248, pp. 125-208 : 125-208

Zele irregularis Fang, van Achterberg & Chen sp. nov.

Fig. 19

Type material.

Holotype. China – Jilin Prov. • ♀; Yanbian, Huangsongpu Forest Farm ; 4 Aug. 2004; light trap; ( ZJUH) No. 202401070 . Paratypes. China – Gansu Prov. • 1 ♀; Mt. Qingsong ; 9 Aug. 1991; Ling Li leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 974297 . – Henan Prov. • 1 ♀; Ludai, Qihe ; 29 Aug. 1996; Ping Cai leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 973261 . – Jilin Prov. • 2 ♀♀; Yanbian, Huangsongpu Forest Farm ; 4 Aug. 2004; Yu-zhou Du, Zhi-jie Wang leg.; ( ZJUH) Nos. 202401068, 202401069 . • 1 ♀; Wangqing ; 21 May 1980; En-yu Jin leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 948232 . – Shaanxi Prov. • 1 ♀; Niubeiliang ; 33.76°N, 108.77°E; alt. 1135 m; 11 Aug. 2013; Bing-bing Tu leg.; light trap; ( ZJUH) No. 201300221 . • 2 ♀♀; Qingling, Chezhan ; 18 Aug. 1965; Yao Zhou leg.; ( ZJUH) Nos. 200011735, 200011736 . • 1 ♀; Zhouzhi, Banfangzi ; 7 Sep. 1994; Xue-yuan Lin leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 200011632. GenBank accession no. PV 356318 , PV 356319 .

Diagnosis.

Propodeum with coarse and irregular sculpture including subbasal carina (Fig. 19 C, B ) propodeum oblique anteriorly in front of subbasal carina (Fig. 19 B ); fore femur comparatively robust, 6.0–6.3 × as long as wide; mesosoma in lateral view usually more darkened contrasting with dorsal view; vein r of hind wing present as unsclerotised vein (Fig. 19 D ); first tergite 2.3–2.4 × longer than its apical width; dorsope of first tergite medium-sized and area between dorsope wider than dorsope, basal part of first tergite in front of dorsope largely smooth (Fig. 19 L ); hind tarsus mainly white; ovipositor sheath ~ 0.27 × as long as fore wing; vein 1 r-m of hind wing comparatively long, vein 1 r-m of hind wing 1.6–2.0 × as long as vein 1 - M; fore tibial spur medium-sized (Fig. 19 G ).

Comparative diagnosis.

Very similar to Z. albiditarsus but differs mainly by the subbasal carina of propodeum removed from anterior margin of propodeum (close to anterior margin of propodeum in Z. albiditarsus ), the less developed fore spur, 0.3–0.4 × as long as fore basitarsus (more developed in Z. albiditarsus ) and the propodeum with coarse and irregular sculpture including subbasal carina (less coarse in Z. albiditarsus ).

Description.

Holotype, ♀, length of fore wing 9.5 mm, of body 10.0 mm, and antenna 1.3 × as long as fore wing.

Head. Antennal segments 47, third segment as long as fourth segment and third, fourth and penultimate segments 3.6 ×, 3.6 ×, and 1.8 × longer than wide, respectively; length of maxillary palp 1.6 × longer than height of head; frons smooth and behind antennal sockets impressed; POL: diameter of posterior ocellus: OOL = 8: 10: 5; vertex convex, punctulate and densely setose (Fig. 19 I ); clypeus rather convex in lateral view, widely punctate (Fig. 19 J ); face widely smooth but punctulate near antennal sockets, it slightly narrowed ventrally, minimum width of face 1.4 × height of face (Fig. 19 H ); length of eye 2.7 × temple in dorsal view (Fig. 19 I ); length of malar space 0.3 × basal width of mandible.

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.7 × its height; side of pronotum densely rugulose ventrally and posteriorly, sub-strigulate anteriorly; epicnemial area anteriorly rather smooth and matt, posteriorly punctate-rugose; precoxal sulcus narrowly crenulate, densely reticulate-punctate dorsally; dorsal of mesopleuron largely punctulate (Fig. 19 B ); mesosternum finely punctulate medially, punctate anteriorly; metapleuron roughly rugose; mesoscutal lobes densely punctulate; notauli rather widely crenulate, mesoscutum medio-posteriorly with a short media carina; scutellar sulcus deep and wide with one long median carina and four short carinae; scutellum rather convex and finely punctulate; metanotum with small smooth knob medio-posteriorly and without a median carina in front of it; propodeum reticulate-rugose, subbasal transverse carina of propodeum straight to curved posteriad, it irregular and laterally reduced, comparatively coarse; in lateral view propodeum gradually lowered posteriorly, posterior part not distinctly separated from antero-dorsal part distinctly (Fig. 19 B, C ).

Wings. Fore wing (Fig. 19 D ): r: 3 - SR: SR 1 = 8: 20: 95; 2 - SR: 3 - SR: r-m = 17: 20: 14; cu-a vertical, interstitial. Hind wing (Fig. 19 D ): r present; M + CU: 1 - M = 80: 15; 1 r-m 1.6 × 1 - M.

Legs. Hind coxa largely punctulate dorsally; length of fore femur 6.3 × its width (Fig. 19 F ); length of fore tibial spur 0.3 × fore basitarsus (Fig. 19 G ); lengths of hind femur and basitarsus 6.3 × and 12.2 × their widths, respectively (Fig. 19 M ).

Metasoma. First tergite 2.3 × longer than its apical width, its surface smooth, except some rugulosity behind spiracles; dorsope comparatively medium-sized, area behind dorsope depressed (Fig. 19 L ), laterope comparatively narrow but deep (Fig. 19 K ); second tergite mainly bare, smooth; ovipositor comparatively robust basally; length of ovipositor sheath 0.27 × length of fore wing, sheath with moderately erect and short setae (Fig. 19 E ).

Colour. Body brownish yellow; side of pronotum, mesosternum and metapleuron largely black; hind coxa and femur reddish brown; basal fourth of hind tibia nearly dark brown; hind tarsus white; veins C + SC + R, M + CU 1, 1 - M, cu-a and vein SR 1 of fore wing dark brown, other veins and pterostigma yellowish; ovipositor sheath (except pale apex) dark brown.

Variation. Vein 1 r-m of hind wing 1.6–2.0 × as long as vein 1 - M; fore femur of ♀ 6.0–6.3 × longer than wide; hind femur of ♀ 6.3–6.4 × longer than wide; first metasomal tergite 2.3–2.4 × its apical width.

Distribution.

China (Gansu, Henan, Jilin, Shaanxi).

Biology.

Unknown.

Etymology.

Named after the irregular subbasal carina; in and regularis is Latin for ‘ not according to rule’.

Figures

Figure 19. Zele irregularis sp. nov., holotype, ♀ A. Habitus, lateral aspect; B. Mesosoma, lateral aspect; C. Mesosoma, dorsal aspect; D. Wings; E. Ovipositor sheath; F. Fore femur, lateral aspect; G. Fore tibial spur and fore basitarsus; H. Head, anterior aspect; I. Head, dorsal aspect; J. Head, lateral aspect; K. First metasomal tergite, lateral aspect; L. First metasomal tergite, dorsal aspect; M. Hind femur, lateral aspect. Scale bars: 1000 μm (A); 500 μm (B – M).