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

Fig. 13

Type material.

Holotype. China – Guizhou Prov. • ♀; Tongren, Jiangkou, Mt. Fanjing ; 25 Aug. 2001; light trap; ( ZJUH) No. 202401061 . Paratypes. China – Fujian Prov. • 1 ♀; Mt. Wuyi, Chongan, Mt. Huanggang ; 22 Jul. 1980; Nai-quan Lin leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 20003955 . • 1 ♂; same locality as for preceding; 28 Jun. 1984; Ju-chang Huang leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 202315013 . • 1 ♀; same locality as for preceding; 13 Jul. 1985; Dong-hong Huang leg.; No. 202315014 . • 3 ♀♀, 1 ♂; same locality as for preceding; 13 Jul. 1985; Yu-chuan Tang leg.; ( ZJUH) Nos. 20003963, 20003964, 20003966, 20003967 . • 2 ♀♀; same locality as for preceding; 30 Jul. 1985; Nai-quan Lin leg.; ( ZJUH) Nos. 202315015, 202315016 . • 1 ♀; same locality as for preceding; 30 Jul. 1985; Ming-hui Liu leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 202315017 . • 1 ♀; same locality as for preceding; 30 Jul. 1985; Geng Zheng leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 202315018 . • 1 ♀; same locality as for preceding; 14 Jun. 1985; Xin-quan Chen leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 202315019 . • 3 ♀♀; same locality as for preceding; 30 Jul – 1 Aug. 1985; Dong-hong Huang leg.; ( ZJUH) Nos. 202315020–202315022 . • 1 ♀; same locality as for preceding; • 1 Aug. 1985; Xuan-zhang Zhao leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 202315023 . • 2 ♂♂; same locality as for preceding; 14 Jun. 1994; Xue-xin Chen leg.; ( ZJUH) Nos. 942615, 942617 . • 1 ♂; same locality as for preceding; 17 Jun. 1994; Ping Cai leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 943578 . • 2 ♂♂; same locality as for preceding; 17 Jun. 1994; Zai-fu Xu leg.; ( ZJUH) Nos. 942995, 942996 . • 1 ♂; same locality as for preceding; 17 Jun. 1994; Shu-feng Ye leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 943346 . – Guizhou Prov. • 1 ♀; Mt. Fanjing, Jinding ; alt. 1481 m; 30 Jul. 2001; Yun Ma leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 200109310 . • 1 ♀; Mt. Fanjing ; 25 Aug. 2001; light trap; ( ZJUH) No. No. 202401061 . • 1 ♀; Daozhen Gelaozu Miaozu Zizhixian, Dashahe National Nature Reserve ; 25 Aug. 2004; light trap; ( ZJUH) No. 202401062 . – Hunan Prov. • 1 ♀; Zhangjiajie, Sangzhi, Mt. Tianping ; Jun. 1984; Bao-wen Sun leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 846398 . – Sichuan Prov. • 1 ♀; Mt. Wu, Liziping ; 4 Aug. 1993; Bao-wen Sun leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 12569. GenBank accession no. PV 356311 , PV 356312 .

Diagnosis.

Entire middle lobe of mesoscutum densely punctate and rather dull, brown without posterior rugae or rugulae (Fig. 13 C ); hind femur 7.5–9.0 × longer than wide (Fig. 13 L ); length of first tergite 2.6–2.8 × its maximum width (Fig. 13 I . J); face 1.3–1.4 × wider than high (Fig. 13 F ); dorsope of first tergite large and space between dorsope approximately as wide as dorsope (Fig. 13 J ); hind tarsus mainly white; ovipositor sheath 0.25–0.33 × as long as fore wing.

Comparative diagnosis.

Very similar to Z. deceptor (Wesmael) but differs mainly by the densely punctate and rather dull entire middle lobe of mesoscutum (smooth or nearly so in Z. deceptor ), large dorsope and space between dorsope approximately as wide as dorsope (small in Z. deceptor ) and slender first tergite, 2.6–2.8 × its maximum width (robust in Z. deceptor and 2.1–2.5 × its maximum width).

Description.

Holotype, ♀, length of fore wing 8.9 mm, of body 9.8 mm, and antenna 1.2 × as long as fore wing.

Head. Antennal segments 46, third segment 0.9 × shorter than fourth segment and third, fourth and penultimate segments 3.0 ×, 4.2 ×, and 2.0 × longer than wide, respectively; length of maxillary palp 1.6 × longer than height of head; frons sculptured and behind antennal sockets impressed; POL: diameter of posterior ocellus: OOL = 12: 10: 6; vertex convex, punctulate and densely setose (Fig. 13 G ); clypeus rather convex in lateral view, punctate dorsally, smooth ventrally (Fig. 13 H ); face rugulose medially, punctate near antenna an it widened ventrally, minimum width of face 1.3 × height of face (Fig. 13 F ); length of eye 2.0 × temple in dorsal view (Fig. 13 G ); length of malar space 0.3 × basal width of mandible.

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.6 × its height; side of pronotum striate-rugose ventrally, crenulate-rugose medially, crenulate postero-dorsally; epicnemial area anteriorly punctate-rugose, posteriorly rugose; precoxal sulcus densely reticulate-rugose dorsally, reticulate-punctate ventrally; dorsal of mesopleuron widely reticulate-punctate (Fig. 13 B ); mesosternum obviously punctate; metapleuron mainly rugose, postero-dorsally striate; mesoscutal lobes densely punctate and rather dull medially; notauli anteriorly widely crenulate, mesoscutum medio-posteriorly narrowly crenulate-rugose; mesoscutum medio- posteriorly with a long carina; scutellar sulcus deep and rather wide with one long obvious median carina; scutellum rather convex and punctulate; metanotum with small smooth knob medio-posteriorly, without median carina in front of it; propodeum widely reticulate-rugose, subbasal carina of propodeum mainly straight to curved posteriad, comparatively coarsely punctate anteriorly; propodeum without long straight median carina, in lateral view gradually lowered posteriorly, posterior part not separated from antero-dorsal part distinctly (Fig. 13 B, C ).

Wings. Fore wing (Fig. 13 D ): r: 3 - SR: SR 1 = 16: 30: 152; 2 - SR: 3 - SR: r-m = 35: 30: 20; cu-a vertical, interstitial. Hind wing (Fig. 13 D ): r absent; M + CU: 1 - M = 85: 12; 1 r-m 3.3 × 1 - M.

Legs. Hind coxa densely punctate dorsally; length of fore femur 9.5 × its width (Fig. 13 K ); length of fore tibial spur 0.3 × fore basitarsus (Fig. 13 M ); lengths of hind femur and basitarsus 9.0 × and 12.6 × their widths, respectively (Fig. 13 L ).

Metasoma. First tergite 2.7 × longer than its apical width, its surface rugulose; dorsope comparatively large, oval (Fig. 13 J ), laterope narrow (Fig. 13 I ); second tergite mainly bare, smooth; ovipositor comparatively robust basally; length of ovipositor sheath 0.23 × as long as fore wing, sheath with rather erect and long setae (Fig. 13 E ).

Colour. Basal 1 / 2 of antenna, head, mandible (except black apex), mesosoma (somewhat black), legs (except hind tarsus), metasoma (but base of first tergite before dorsope black) largely brownish yellow; apical 1 / 2 apical of antenna and ovipositor sheath (except pale brown apex) mainly dark brown; hind tarsus largely ivory, but its telotarsus dorsally and base of basitarsus brownish yellow; palpi, pterostigma pale yellow; wings subhyaline with some infuscation.

Variation. Vein 1 r-m of hind wing 3.3–4.0 × as long as vein 1 - M; fore femur of ♀ 8.2–9.5 × longer than wide; hind femur of ♀ 7.5–9.0 × longer than wide; first metasomal tergite 2.6–2.8 × longer than its apical width. Colour of ♀ largely reddish; ♂ antenna, mesosoma (except reddish mesonotum), coxae and metasoma largely black; head mainly orange-yellow but frons and stemmaticum black; legs reddish (except largely ivory hind tarsus); pterostigma pale yellow; antennal segments of ♀ 46–50, of ♂ 49.

Distribution.

China (Fujian, Guizhou, Hunan, Sichuan).

Biology.

Unknown.

Etymology.

Named after the densely punctate middle lobe of mesoscutum; densipunctatus is Latin for densely punctate.

Figures

Figure 13. Zele densipunctatus sp. nov., holotype, ♀ A. Habitus, lateral aspect; B. Mesosoma, lateral aspect; C. Msoasoma, 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: 1000 μm (A); 500 μm (B – M).