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

Fig. 15

Type material.

Holotype. China – Xizang Zizhiqu • ♀; Bomi ; 9 Jul. 2013; Zhen Liu leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 201405825.

Diagnosis.

Length of first metasomal tergite 1.7 × its apical width; first tergite robust, petiolate part comparatively short and dorsope close to base of tergite (Fig. 15 J, K ); precoxal sulcus comparatively narrowly sculptured anteriorly and mesopleuron shiny (Fig. 15 B ); in dorsal view eyes of ♀ 1.2 × as long as temple (Fig. 15 H ); malar space 0.6 × as long as basal width of mandible; scutellum yellowish, strongly contrasting with dark brown mesosoma (Fig. 15 C ); pterostigma of ♀ pale yellowish (Fig. 15 D ); dorsope of first tergite medium-sized and area between dorsope wider than dorsope (Fig. 15 K ); hind tarsus yellowish; ovipositor sheath ~ 0.58 × as long as fore wing.

Comparative diagnosis.

Similar to Z. annulicrus but differs mainly by longer ovipositor sheath, ~ 0.58 × as long as fore wing (shorter in Z. annulicrus ), longer malar space (shorter in Z. annulicrus ) and straight hind femur (swollen in Z. annulicrus ).

Description.

Holotype, ♀, length of fore wing 4.8 mm, of body 4.7 mm.

Head. Antenna missing; maxillary palp broken; frons smooth and behind antennal sockets impressed; POL: diameter of posterior ocellus: OOL = 5: 3: 6; vertex nearly smooth and setose (Fig. 15 H ); clypeus strongly convex in lateral view, weakly punctate (Fig. 15 I ); face largely smooth and shiny, slightly punctulate near antennal sockets, minimum width of face 1.5 × height of face (Fig. 15 G ); length of eye 1.2 × temple in dorsal view (Fig. 15 H ); length of malar space 0.6 × basal width of mandible.

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.8 × its height; side of pronotum crenulate antero-ventrally, widely smooth and shiny postero-dorsally; epicnemial area slightly sculptured; precoxal sulcus comparatively narrowly crenulate, remainder of mesopleuron distinctly smooth and shiny (Fig. 15 B ); mesosternum smooth, finely punctulate; metapleuron almost smooth, ventrally with some crenulae; mesoscutal lobes punctulate and shiny; notauli comparatively narrowly crenulate, mesoscutum medio-posteriorly widely crenulate-rugose and with a medium-sized carina. scutellar sulcus shallow and wide, with one long median carina; scutellum slightly convex, smooth; metanotum with medium-sized posterior knob and with two medium-sized carinae; propodeum mainly smooth dorsally, subbasal carina complete, angulate; medio-longitudinal carina complete, and mostly well developed; propodeum gradually lowered posteriorly except dorsal part in front of subbasal carina; posterior part not distinctly separated from antero-dorsal part distinctly in lateral view (Fig. 15 B, C ).

Wings. Fore wing (Fig. 15 D ): r: 3 - SR: SR 1 = 8: 18: 98; 2 - SR: 3 - SR: r-m = 18: 18: 14; 1 - CU 1: 2 - CU 1 = 3: 50; cu-a nearly vertical, postfurcal. Hind wing (Fig. 15 D ): r absent; M + CU: 1 - M = 58: 15; 1 r-m 2.0 × 1 - M. marginal cell slightly widened (Fig. 15 D ).

Legs. Hind coxa largely smooth dorsally; length of fore femur 7.1 × its width (Fig. 15 L ); length of fore tibial spur 0.4 × fore basitarsus (Fig. 15 M ); lengths of hind femur and basitarsus 6.5 × and 9.7 × their widths, respectively (Fig. 15 F ).

Metasoma. First tergite 1.7 × longer than its apical width, it robust, petiolate part comparatively short and dorsope close to base of tergite; its surface indistinctly strigulate but shiny; dorsope elliptical and medium-sized, area behind depressed (Fig. 15 K ), laterope sublateral (Fig. 15 J ); second tergite mainly bare, smooth and shiny; ovipositor comparatively slender basally; length of ovipositor sheath 0.58 × as long as fore wing, sheath with less erect and short setae (Fig. 15 E ).

Colour. Mesosoma (except yellowish scutellum), dorsal view of head, ovipositor sheath (but apex of ovipositor sheath yellowish) dark brown; face, legs, metasoma (first metasomal tergite between dorsope darked) yellowish; palpi, veins and pterostigma pale yellowish.

Distribution.

China (Xizang).

Biology.

Unknown.

Etymology.

Named after the shining mesopleuron; fulgidus is Latin for shiny.

Figures

Figure 15. Zele fulgidus sp. nov., holotype, ♀ A. Habitus, lateral aspect; B. Mesosoma, lateral aspect; C. Mesosoma, dorsal aspect; D. Wings; E. Ovipositor sheath; F. Hind femur, lateral aspect; G. Head, anterior aspect; H. Head, dorsal aspect; I. Head, lateral aspect; J. First metasomal tergite, lateral aspect; K. First metasomal tergite, dorsal aspect; L. Fore femur, lateral aspect; M. Fore tibial spur and fore basitarsus Scale bars: 500 μm.