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

Fig. 28

Type material.

Holotype. China – Zhejiang Prov. • ♀; Lishui, Qingyuan, Baishanzu ; 25 Oct. 1996; Hong Wu leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 945871 . Paratypes. China – Zhejiang Prov. • 1 ♀; same collection data as for Holotype; ( ZJUH) No. 945878 . • 1 ♀; same collection data as fore preceding but different date; 20 Nov. 1993; ( ZJUH) No. 946983 . – Taiwan Prov. • 1 ♀; Mt. Xue ; 15 Oct. 2009; Pu Tang leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 201301734 . – Yunnan Prov. • 1 ♀; Baoshan, Lujiangba, Mt. Gaoligong Natural Park ; 10–11 May 2009; Jie Zeng leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 201904147 .

Diagnosis.

Segments of apical 1 / 3 of antenna of ♀ shortened and ~ 1.4 × longer than wide (Fig. 28 O ); first metasomal tergite 2.3–2.5 × its apical width, it shiny and with comparatively large dorsope and area between dorsope wider than dorsope, part behind dorsope smooth or finely sculptured (Fig. 28 K ); hind coxa largely smooth or finely punctulate dorsally; pterostigma of ♀ pale yellowish (Fig. 28 D ); eyes length of eye 2.0–2.2 × temple in dorsal view; hind tarsus mainly white; ovipositor sheath ~ 0.25 × as long as fore wing.

Comparative diagnosis.

Similar to Z. confusus but differs mainly by having the segments of apical 1 / 3 of antenna ♀ shortened, ~ 1.4 × longer than wide (longer, at least 2 × in Z. confusus ), largely smooth or finely punctulate hind coxa (densely punctate in Z. confusus ) and brownish or yellowish hind femur (largely black in Z. confusus ).

Description.

Holotype, ♀, length of fore wing 5.1 mm, of body 4.8 mm, and antenna 0.9 × as long as fore wing.

Head. Antennal segments 35, third segment as long as fourth segment and third, fourth, and penultimate segments 4.0 ×, 3.3 ×, and 1.2 × longer than wide, respectively; length of maxillary palp 1.2 × longer than height of head; frons smooth and behind antennal sockets impressed; POL: diameter of posterior ocellus: OOL = 6: 5: 4; vertex finely punctulate and densely setose (Fig. 28 H ); clypeus rather convex in lateral view, punctulate (Fig. 28 I ); face finely punctulate and shiny, minimum width of face 1.4 × height of face (Fig. 28 G ); length of eye 2.0 × temple in dorsal view (Fig. 28 H ); length of malar space 0.5 × basal width of mandible.

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.6 × its height; side of pronotum shiny, slightly striate antero-medially, largely smooth, faintly punctulate posteriorly; epicnemial area rather smooth, postero-dorsally finely rugulose; precoxal sulcus rather widely reticulate-rugulose, postero-ventrally punctate (Fig. 28 B ); remainder of mesopleuron smooth and shiny; mesosternum punctulate; metapleuron spaced rugose; mesoscutal lobes superficially punctulate, interspaces smooth and shiny; scutellar sulcus deep and wide, with a long median carina; scutellum slightly convex, weakly punctulate; metanotum with small posterior knob and with a pair of rather long carinae; propodeum mainly areolate, subbasal carina complete, angulate, medio-longitudinal carina complete, and mostly well developed; propodeum gradually lowered posteriorly except dorsal part in front of subbasal carina, dorsal part comparatively large, mainly smooth and shiny (Fig. 28 B, C ).

Wings. Fore wing (Fig. 28 D ): r: 3 - SR: SR 1 = 8: 25: 131; 2 - SR: 3 - SR: r-m = 25: 25: 15; 1 - CU 1: 2 - CU 1 = 3: 50; cu-a vertical, postfurcal. Hind wing (Fig. 28 D ): r absent; M + CU: 1 - M = 65: 20; 1 r-m 2.0 × 1 - M.

Legs. Hind coxa largely smooth dorsally; length of fore femur 9.4 × its width (Fig. 28 L ); length of fore tibial spur 0.3 × fore basitarsus (Fig. 28 M ); lengths of hind femur and basitarsus 7.0 × and 8.2 × their widths, respectively (Fig. 28 N ).

Metasoma. First tergite 2.1 × longer than its apical width, smooth and shiny, part behind level of spiracles distinctly widened, dorsope elliptical and rather large, area behind dorsope depressed (Fig. 28 K ), laterope medium-sized and sublateral (Fig. 28 J ); second tergite mainly bare, smooth and strongly shiny; ovipositor comparatively slender basally; length of ovipositor sheath 0.25 × as long as fore wing and sheath with long oblique setae (Fig. 28 E ).

Colour. Head, mesosoma and first metasomal tergite mainly rather dark brown; palpi, antenna, and legs brown; hind tarsus largely white, but telotarsus dorsally and base of basitarsus brown; hind tibia (except apical 1 / 3) black; veins and pterostigma pale yellow; wings subhyaline with slight infuscation; apex of ovipositor sheath pale brown.

Variation. Vein 1 r-m of hind wing 1.9–2.3 × as long as vein 1 - M; fore femur of ♀ 7.5–9.4 × longer than wide; hind femur of ♀ 7.0–7.4 × longer than wide; first metasomal tergite 2.4–2.5 × its apical width. Antennal segments of ♀ 35 (3), 31 (1); of ♂ unknown. ♀ (Yunnan) mainly yellow, except apical 1 / 3 of antenna brown, telotarsus and base of basitarsus of hind leg yellow.

Distribution.

China ( Taiwan, Yunnan, Zhejiang).

Biology.

Unknown.

Etymology.

Named after the shortened antennal segments; syntomos is Greek for abridged.

Figures

Figure 28. Zele syntomus sp. nov., holotype, ♀ A. Habitus, lateral aspect; B. Mesosoma, lateral aspect; C. Mesosoma, dorsal aspect; D. Wings; E. Ovipositor sheath; F. Antenna; 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; N. Hind femur, lateral aspect; O. Apical 1 / 3 of antenna. Scale bars: 500 μm.