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

Fig. 9

Type material.

Holotype. China – Zhejiang Prov. • ♀; Hangzhou, Mt. Tianmu ; 2 Jul. 2010; Jiang-li Tan leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 202401046 . Paratypes. China – Anhui Prov. • 1 ♀; Yuexi ; 21 Sep. 1981; Fu-an Yang leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 820519 . – Fujian Prov. • 1 ♀; Guadun ; 2 Jul. 1982; Shi-cheng Qi leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 202315031 . – Guangdong Prov. • 1 ♀; Shaoguan, Nanling Nature Reserve ; 1 Oct. 2004; Zai-fu Xu leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 202401055 . – Guizhou Prov. • 1 ♀; Dashahe ; 22 Aug. 2004; Qiong Wu leg.; light trap; ( ZJUH) No. 200617535 . • 1 ♀; Kuankuoshui Reserve ; 6–8 Jun. 2004; Jiang-li Tan leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 201005567 . – Hubei Prov. • 1 ♀; Shennongjia, Songbai ; 19 Jul. 1997; Yu-zhou Du leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 975178 . • 1 ♀; Huanggang, Mt. Dabie, Mt. Wujia Scenic Spot ; 30 Jun. 2014; Zhen Liu leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 202401056 . – Hunan Prov. • 1 ♀; Shimen, Mt. Huping, Sanhecun ; 11 Jul. 2009; Li Ma leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 200901933 . – Shaanxi Prov. • 1 ♀; Baoji, Fengxian, Huangniupu ; 20 Aug. 2013; Bin-bin Tu leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 201308574 . – Sichuan Prov. • 1 ♀; Yajiang ; 14 Jun. 1996; Yu-zhou Du leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 977673 . – Yunnan Prov. • 1 ♀; Kunming ; 18 May 1981; Jun-hua He leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 814731 . – Zhejiang Prov. • 2 ♀♀; Anji ; 11 Jul. 1991; Jun-hua He leg.; ( ZJUH) Nos. 915978, 915980 . • 1 ♀; Mt. Xitianmu ; 8 Oct. 1982; Kun-yan Zhu leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 825943 . • 2 ♀♀; same locality as for preceding; 4 Jun. 1994; Xue-xin Chen leg.; ( ZJUH) Nos. 941882, 941883 . • 1 ♀; same locality as for preceding; 6 Jul. 1994; Jun-hua He leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 965027 . • 1 ♀; Mt. Tianmu ; 23 Jun. 1984; Tao-liang Zhu leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 842003 . • 1 ♀; same locality as for preceding; 21 Jul. 1987; Xue-xin Chen leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 873539 . • 1 ♀; Hangzhou, Mt. Xitianmu, Sanmuping ; 7 Jul. 1998; Ming-shui Zhao leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 20003596 . • 3 ♀♀; Hangzhou, Mt. Xitianmu, Xianrending ; 29 Jul. 1998; Ming-shui Zhao leg.; light trap; ( ZJUH) Nos. 993181, 993182, 993621 . • 1 ♂; same locality and collector as for preceding; 10 Aug. 1998; light trap; ( ZJUH) No. 997225 . • 1 ♀; same locality and collector as for preceding; 27 May 1999; light trap; ( ZJUH) No. 996029 . • 1 ♀; same locality and collector as for preceding; 3 Jul. 1999; light trap; ( ZJUH) No. 996527 . • 1 ♀; same locality and collector as for preceding; 20 Jul. 1998; Malaise trap; ( ZJUH) No. 992688 . • 1 ♀; same locality and collector as for preceding; 20 Jul. 1998; Malaise trap; ( ZJUH) No. 992963 . • 1 ♀; same locality as for preceding; 20 Jul. 1998; Yang Ma ; light trap; ( ZJUH) No. 997955 . • 1 ♂; same locality as for preceding; 29 Jul. 2003; Qiong Wu leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 20039762 . • 1 ♀; Hangzhou, Mt. Tianmu, Xianrending ; 11 Jul. 1998; Ming-shui Zhao leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 200010745 . • 4 ♀♀, 1 ♂; same locality as for preceding; alt. 1520 m; 1 Jul. 2001; Mei-hua Piao leg.; ( ZJUH) Nos. 200106251, 200106258, 200106260, 200106292, 200106252 . • 1 ♀ 1 ♂; same locality as for preceding; 27 Jul. 2011; Zhen Liu leg.; ( ZJUH) Nos. 201101436, 201101446 . • 1 ♀; Hangzhou, Mt. Xitianmu, Houshanmen ; 3 Nov. 1998; Ming-shui Zhao leg.; light trap; ( ZJUH) No. 20000468 . • 2 ♀♀; Hangzhou, Mt. Xitianmu, Laodian ; 3 Aug. 1998; Ming-shui Zhao leg.; light trap; ( ZJUH) Nos. 20001049, 20001050 . • 1 ♀; same locality and collector as for preceding; 23 Aug. 1998; light trap; ( ZJUH) No. 20001045 . • 1 ♀; same locality as for preceding; 10 Aug. 1998; Yun Ma leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 20001715 . • 4 ♀♀; Qingyuan, Baishanzu ; 25 Oct. 1993; Hong Wu leg.; ( ZJUH) Nos. 945636, 945849, 945852, 945857 . • 1 ♀; Jingning ; Aug. 1994; Shu-feng Ye leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 943698 . • 1 ♀; Mt. Longwang ; 20 Oct. 1987; Ying Qian leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 87–320 . • 1 ♂; Mt. Longwang ; 12 May 1996; light trap; ( ZJUH) No. 202315032 . • 1 ♀; Longquan, Mt. Fengyang, Fengyangjian ; 27 Jul. 2007; Jing-xian Liu leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 200801351 . • 1 ♀; Mt. Longwang, Qianmutian, Bingchuandashigu ; 28 Jul. 2011; Sheng-nan Song leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 201102536 . • 1 ♀; Lishui, Longquan Mt. Fengyang ; 12 Dec. 2008; Jin-hua Xu & Li-quan Liu leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 201914070 . • 1 ♂; Lishui ; 15 Oct. 1981; Kun-yan Zhu leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 815801. GenBank accession no. PV 356297 , PV 356306 , PV 356316 .

Diagnosis.

First metasomal tergite dark brown or blackish, at most apical 1 / 3 brown (Fig. 9 J ) and 2.6–2.7 × longer than its apical width; Posterior part of propodeum usually distinctly differentiated from dorsal part; propodeum with irregular subbasal transverse carina and dorsal face of propodeum with more or less developed posterior crest, and dorsally behind transverse carina with distinctly spaced rugae (Fig. 9 C ); first metasomal tergite dark brown or blackish, at most its apical 1 / 3 brown (Fig. 9 J ); dorsope hardly visible in lateral view (and hardly so in lateral view: Fig. 9 I ), rather small and space between dorsope much wider than dorsope and sculptured (Fig. 9 J ); hind tarsus mainly whitish; ovipositor sheath ~ 0.23 × as long as fore wing.

Comparative diagnosis.

In the past often identified as Z. f. rufulus (Thomson) , but Chinese specimens differ in colour (hind tibia apically distinctly contrasting with whitish tarsus vs weakly contrasting in Z. rufulus ), marginal cell of hind wing (moderately widened vs strongly widened apically), pterostigma (slightly elongate vs not elongate), shape of first tergite (posterior 1 / 2 less robust vs more robust), clypeus (lower 1 / 2 mainly below lower level of eyes vs mainly between eyes) and propodeum (often with (or part of) medial crest (lateral view) vs absent or indistinct).

Description.

Holotype, ♀, length of fore wing 7.9 mm, of body 8.8 mm, and antenna 1.2 × as long as fore wing.

Head. Antennal segments 43, third segment 1.1 × longer than fourth segment and third, fourth and penultimate segments 3.9 ×, 3.3 ×, and 1.6 × longer than wide, respectively; length of maxillary palp incomplete; frons smooth and behind antennal sockets impressed; POL: diameter of posterior ocellus: OOL = 10: 7: 5; vertex convex, punctulate and densely setose (Fig. 9 G ); clypeus rather convex in lateral view, widely smooth, only punctate medially (Fig. 9 H ); face punctulate and matt, widened ventrally, minimum width of face 1.1 × height of face (Fig. 9 F ); length of eye 2.6 × temple in dorsal view (Fig. 9 G ); length of malar space 0.3 × basal width of mandible.

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.5 × its height; side of pronotum striate-rugose ventrally, reticulate-rugose medially, crenulate and punctate postero-dorsally; epicnemial area widely reticulate-rugose; precoxal sulcus densely reticulate-rugose dorsally, only narrowly punctate ventrally; dorsal of mesopleuron densely double-punctate; (Fig. 9 B ); mesosternum largely punctulate and shiny; metapleuron anteriorly narrowly striate near pleural suture, mainly smooth and shiny, posteriorly largely rugose; mesoscutal lobes finely punctulate and comparatively shiny; notauli anteriorly widely crenulate, mesoscutum medio-posteriorly narrowly crenulate-rugose with a medium-sized carina; scutellar sulcus deep and comparatively narrow with one long median carina; scutellum slightly convex and finely punctulate; metanotum with three long carinae medially, lateral ones rather converging; propodeum widely reticulate-rugose, subbasal carina of propodeum irregular, comparatively conspicuously rugulose anteriorly, dorsally behind transverse carina distinctly spaced rugose; propodeum with distinctly developed posterior crest, no long median carina, in lateral view gradually lowered posteriorly, posterior part of propodeum usually distinctly differentiated from dorsal part (Fig. 9 B, C ).

Wings. Fore wing (Fig. 9 D ): r: 3 - SR: SR 1 = 10: 32: 130; 2 - SR: 3 - SR: r-m = 31: 32: 18; 1 - CU 1: 2 - CU 1 = 3: 80; cu-a vertical, postfurcal. Hind wing: r absent; M + CU: 1 - M = 85: 18; 1 r-m 2.5 × 1 - M.

Legs. Hind coxa largely punctulate dorsally; length of fore femur 8.5 × its width (Fig. 9 K ); length of fore tibial spur 0.3 × fore basitarsus (Fig. 9 M ); lengths of hind femur and basitarsus 7.2 × and 10.0 × their widths, respectively (Fig. 9 L ).

Metasoma. First tergite 2.6 × longer than its apical width, its surface irregularly rugulose; dorsope narrow elliptical and rather small, area in front of dorsope depressed (Fig. 9 J ), laterope comparatively narrow and deep (Fig. 9 I ); second tergite mainly bare, smooth; ovipositor comparatively robust basally; length of ovipositor sheath 0.25 × as long as fore wing, sheath with moderately erect and short setae (Fig. 9 E ).

Colour. Antenna, legs (except hind tibia and tarsus) and metasoma (but first tergite somewhere blackish) reddish brown; head and mesosoma largely black; clypeus, mandible, hind tibia (except blackish apical 1 / 3), veins C + SC + R, 1 - M, and vein cu-a of fore wing, ovipositor sheath (except pale yellow apex) dark brown; hind tarsus largely whitish yellow, but its telotarsi dorsally and base of basitarsus dark brown; palpi and pterostigma pale yellowish; wings subhyaline with some infuscation.

Variation. Vein 1 r-m of hind wing 2.5–3.0 × as long as vein 1 - M; fore femur of ♀ 8.0–8.5 × longer than wide; hind femur of ♀ 6.9–7.2 × longer than wide; first metasomal tergite 2.6–2.7 × its apical width. Antennal segments of ♂ 40–44, pterostigma of ♂ dark brown;

Distribution.

China (Anhui, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang).

Biology.

Unknown.

Etymology.

Named after the more or less developed postero-dorsal crest of the propodeum; cristatus is Latin for crested.

Figures

Figure 9. Zele cristatus sp. nov., holotype, ♀ A. Habitus, lateral aspect; B. Mesosoma, lateral aspect; C. Mesosoma, dorsal aspect; D. Wings; E. Ovipositor sheath; F. Head, anterior aspect; G. Head, dorsal aspect; H. Head, lateral aspect; I. First metasomal tergite, lateral aspect; J. First metasomal tergite, dorsal aspect; K. Fore femur, lateral aspect; L. Hind femur, lateral aspect; M. Fore tibial spur and fore basitarsus. Scale bars: 500 μm.