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

Fig. 29

Type material.

Holotype. China – Yunnan Prov. • ♀; Lijiang, Lashi ; 18 Aug. 2003; Ting-jing Li leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 20046094.

Diagnosis.

Hind femur robust, and basal part of ovipositor comparatively slender, maximum width of basal part of ovipositor 0.4 × maximum width of hind femur (Fig. 29 L, M ); subbasal transverse carina of propodeum not discernible from surrounding sculpture (Fig. 29 C ); fore femur robust, ~ 7.4 × as long as wide; hind femur reddish brown and apical 1 / 2 of hind tibia dark brown (Fig. 29 A ); first metasomal tergite 2.5 × its apical width, it less shiny and with comparatively small dorsope and area between dorsope much wider than dorsope, part behind dorsope irregular and obvious rugose (Fig. 29 K ); hind tarsus mainly whitish yellow; ovipositor sheath ~ 0.26 × as long as fore wing.

Comparative diagnosis.

Very similar to Z. confusus but differs mainly by the robust hind femur and slender basal part of ovipositor, maximum width of basal part of ovipositor 0.4 × maximum width of hind femur (slender hind femur and robust basal part of ovipositor, 0.6 × in Z. confusus ), subbasal transverse carina of propodeum not discernible from surrounding sculpture (different from surrounding sculpture in Z. confusus ), reddish brown hind femur (largely black in Z. confusus ) and yellowish hind tarsus (largely white in Z. confusus ).

Description.

Holotype, ♀, length of fore wing 6.7 mm, of body 7.1 mm.

Head. Antenna incomplete, third segment nearly as long as fourth segment and third and fourth segments 4.0 × and 4.2 × longer than wide, respectively; length of maxillary palp 1.3 × longer than height of head; frons smooth and behind antennal sockets impressed; POL: diameter of posterior ocellus: OOL = 8: 6: 4; vertex convex, punctulate and densely setose (Fig. 29 H ); clypeus rather convex in lateral view, punctate apically (Fig. 29 I ); face widely punctulate and smooth, it widened ventrally (Fig. 29 G ), minimum width of face 1.6 × height of face; length of eye 1.4 × temple in dorsal view (Fig. 29 H ); length of malar space 0.5 × basal width of mandible.

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.5 × its height; side of pronotum reticulate-crenulate with few striae ventrally and punctate posteriorly; epicnemial area rather rugulose; precoxal sulcus widely reticulate-rugulose; reminder of mesopleuron punctate dorsally and reticulate-punctate ventrally (Fig. 29 B ); mesosternum finely punctulate and shiny; metapleuron smooth anteriorly but striate-rugose posteriorly; mesoscutal lobes punctate and less shiny; notauli widely crenulate, mesoscutum medio-posteriorly narrowly crenulate-rugose and with a long carina; scutellar sulcus shallow and wide, one long median carina distinctly; scutellum rather convex and weakly punctulate; metanotum with small smooth knob medio-posteriorly and with two long carina in front of it; propodeum reticulate-rugose, subbasal transverse carina of propodeum not discernible from surrounding sculpture, area in front if subbasal carina coarsely punctate; medio-longitudinal carina present; in lateral view propodeum gradually lowered posteriorly, posterior part not distinctly separated from antero-dorsal part distinctly (Fig. 29 B, C ).

Wings. Fore wing (Fig. 29 D ): r: 3 - SR: SR 1 = 13: 35: 130; 2 - SR: 3 - SR: r-m = 30: 35: 25; cu-a vertical, interstitial. Hind wing (Fig. 29 D ): r absent; M + CU: 1 - M = 87: 15; 1 r-m 2.8 × 1 - M.

Legs. Hind coxa largely punctate dorsally; length of fore femur 7.4 × its width (Fig. 29 K ); length of fore tibial spur 0.3 × fore basitarsus; lengths of hind femur and basitarsus 6.2 × and 10.8 × their widths, respectively (Fig. 29 L ).

Metasoma. First tergite 2.5 × longer than its apical width, its surface coarsely reticulate-rugose; dorsope elliptical and comparatively small, area in front of dorsope depressed (Fig. 29 J ), laterope comparatively narrow (Fig. 29 I ); second tergite mainly bare, smooth; ovipositor comparatively slender basally; length of ovipositor sheath 0.26 × as long as fore wing, sheath with short semi-erect setae (Fig. 29 E ).

Colour. Antenna (except black apical), head, mandible (except black apex), fore and middle legs (except black middle coxa), metasoma (except black first tergite) mainly orange yellow; mesosoma, hind coxa and trochanter largely black; palpi pale yellowish; pterostigma and ovipositor sheath (except pale apex) pale brown; hind femur reddish brown; apical 1 / 2 of hind tibia dark brown; hind tarsus largely whitish yellow, but its telotarsus dorsally yellow; wings subhyaline with some infuscation.

Distribution.

China (Yunnan).

Biology.

Unknown.

Etymology.

Named after the subbasal transverse carina of propodeum which is not discernible from surrounding sculpture; vacatus is Latin for empty.

Figures

Figure 29. Zele vacatus 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. Ovipositor. Scale bars: 500 μm.