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

Fig. 11

Type material.

Holotype. China – Sichuan Prov. • ♀; Ganzizangzu Zizhizhou, Luding, Moxi ; 19 Jun. 2005; light trap; ( ZJUH) No. 202401058 . Paratype. China – Qinghai Prov. • 1 ♀; Yushuzangzu Zizhizhou, Nangqian ; 25 Jun. 2005; Jiang-li Tan leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 202401048. GenBank accession no. PV 356308 , PV 356298 .

Diagnosis.

Eyes more protruding and temples more directly narrowed in dorsal view (Fig. 11 H ); vein m-cu of fore wing slightly curved (Fig. 11 D ); anterior tentorial pits close to eyes (Fig. 11 G ) second tergite black; mandible yellowish (except dark apex) (Fig. 11 G ); pterostigma pale yellowish (Fig. 11 D ); first tergite ~ 2.3 × longer than its apical width; dorsope of first tergite small and space between dorsope much wider than dorsope and sculptured (Fig. 11 K ); hind tarsus mainly white; ovipositor sheath ~ 0.24 × as long as fore wing.

Comparative diagnosis.

Very similar to Z. shaanxiensis but differs mainly by the more protruding eyes (less protruding in Z. shaanxiensis ), curved vein m-cu of fore wing (straight in Z. shaanxiensis ) and anterior tentorial pits close to eyes (distinctly removed from eyes in Z. shaanxiensis ).

Description.

Holotype, ♀, length of fore wing 8.0 mm, of body 8.0 mm, and antenna 1.2 × as long as fore wing.

Head. Antennal segments 42, third segment nearly as long as fourth segment and third, fourth and penultimate segments 3.3 ×, 3.1 ×, and 1.8 × longer than wide, respectively; length of maxillary palp 1.5 × longer than height of head; frons smooth and behind antennal sockets impressed; POL: diameter of posterior ocellus: OOL = 12: 10: 5; vertex convex, punctulate and densely setose (Fig. 11 H ); clypeus rather convex in lateral view, widely smooth, punctate medially (Fig. 11 I ); face largely smooth, it widened ventrally, minimum width of face 1.1 × height of face (Fig. 11 G ); length of eye 2.2 × temple in dorsal view (Fig. 11 H ); length of malar space 0.3 × basal width of mandible.

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.6 × its height; side of pronotum reticulate-rugulose ventrally and posteriorly, rugose anteriorly; epicnemial area reticulate-rugulose; precoxal sulcus densely strigate-rugose dorsally, narrowly reticulate-punctate antero-ventrally; dorsal of mesopleuron largely smooth (Fig. 11 B ); mesosternum almost smooth, finely punctulate; metapleuron smooth anteriorly, and widely scabrous posteriorly; mesoscutal lobes finely punctulate and shiny; notauli anteriorly finely and narrowly crenulate, mesoscutum medio-posteriorly widely crenulate-rugose and with a long carina; scutellar sulcus deep and rather narrow with one long obvious median carina; scutellum rather convex and finely punctulate; metanotum with small smooth knob medio-posteriorly, with one short media carina on knob, with two weakly converging long carinae medially; propodeum widely reticulate-rugose, subbasal transverse carina of propodeum mainly straight to curved posteriad, comparatively finely punctulate anteriorly; in lateral view propodeum gradually lowered posteriorly (Fig. 11 B, C ).

Wings. Fore wing (Fig. 11 D ): r: 3 - SR: SR 1 = 9: 20: 105; 2 - SR: 3 - SR: r-m = 23: 20: 14; 1 - CU 1: 2 - CU 1 = 3: 60; cu-a vertical, postfurcal. Hind wing (Fig. 11 E ): r absent; M + CU: 1 - M = 62: 12; 1 r-m 3.3 × 1 - M; marginal cell strongly widened apically (Fig. 11 E ).

Legs. Hind coxa densely punctate dorsally; length of fore femur 8.0 × its width (Fig. 11 L ); length of fore tibial spur 0.3 × fore basitarsus (Fig. 11 M ); lengths of hind femur and basitarsus 7.3 × and 8.5 × their widths, respectively (Fig. 11 N ).

Metasoma. First tergite 2.3 × longer than its apical width, its surface rugulose; dorsope comparatively small and narrow, area in front of dorsope depressed (Fig. 11 K ), laterope comparatively narrow (Fig. 11 J ); second tergite mainly bare, smooth; ovipositor comparatively robust basally; length of ovipositor sheath 0.24 × length of fore wing, sheath with moderately erect and short setae (Fig. 11 F ).

Colour. Mesosoma, metasoma, coxae and trochanters of middle and hind legs, hind femur, hind tibia (except dark brown apical 1 / 3) black; head, fore and middle legs mainly brownish yellow; hind tarsus white; antenna and veins C + SC + R, 1 - M and cu-a of fore wing dark brown; palpi, pterostigma and other veins pale yellow; and ovipositor sheath (except pale whitish apex) brown.

Variation. Vein 1 r-m of hind wing 3.3–3.6 × as long as vein 1 - M; fore femur of ♀ 8.0–8.5 × longer than wide; hind femur of ♀ 7.0–7.3 × longer than wide; first metasomal tergite 2.3–2.5 × its apical width.

Distribution.

China (Qinghai, Sichuan).

Biology.

Unknown.

Etymology.

Named after the slightly curved vein m-cu of the fore wing; curvus and nervus is Latin respectively for curved and vein.

Figures

Figure 11. Zele curvinervis sp. nov., holotype, ♀ A. Habitus, lateral aspect; B. Mesosoma, lateral aspect; C. Mesosoma, dorsal aspect; D. Fore wing; E. Hind wing; F. Ovipositor sheath; 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. Scale bars: 500 μm.