Conostigmus kairus Wang & Zhu, 2025

Wang, Xu, Li, Fang, Zhao, Wen-Jing, Huang, Yi-Xin, Xiang, Chun-Hui, Chen, Hua-Yan & Zhu, Chao-Dong, 2025, Five new species and three new country records of Megaspilidae from Xizang Autonomous Region, China (Hymenoptera, Ceraphronoidea), ZooKeys 1260, pp. 279-312 : 279-312

Conostigmus kairus Wang & Zhu sp. nov.

Figs 9 , 10

Material examined.

Holotype: • 1 ♂ ( AHNU), China: Xizang, Jilong, Rikaze , 17 Apr. - 23 May. 2021, D. Wu leg., XZL-7 . Paratypes: • 4 ♂♂ ( AHNU), China: same collection information as preceding, XZL-8 , XZL-9 , XZL-5 , XZL-3 ; • 1 ♂ ( AHNU), China: Xizang, Jilong, Rikaze , 3 Aug. 2021, D. Wu leg., XZS-18 ; • 1 ♂ ( AHNU), China: Xizang, Jilong, Rikaze , 20 May. 2021, D. Wu leg., XZYG-6 .

Diagnosis.

This new species can be separated from other Conostigmus species by the following characters: harpe of male genitalia columnar in lateral view (proximodorsal margin of harpe concave, Medioventral margin of harpe with projections in lateral view), equal to gonostipes length in lateral view; gonossiculus with two spines apically. Proximodorsal notch of cupula blunt or straight, with a darker brown coloration near the central region. Proximodorsal notch of cupula blunt or straight. Preoccipital furrow reaching the line connecting the posterior ocellar, not reaching anterior ocellus; notauli and median mesoscutal sulcus very distinct, grooved; anterior mesopleural sulcus distinct, with continuous fovea; mesometapleural sulcus distinct, with continuous fovea; pterostigma 3.6 × as long as wide; sternaulus equal to mesopleuron length at level of sternaulus; hindwing with one transparent vein.

Description.

Male. Body length: 1.5–1.9 mm.

Coloration (Fig. 9 C ). Head, mesosoma, and metasoma black. Scape, pedicel, and flagellum black. Mouthparts brown; eyes silvery; ocelli silvery-black. Legs usually brown, sometimes black proximally, especially on middle sides of femora and tibiae. Syntergum black. Pterostigma and vein pale brown. Body pubescence white; marginal fringes of wings brown.

Antennae (Fig. 9 C ). Scape ~ 3 × longer than wide, pedicel small and droplet-shaped. Male scape length vs pedicel length 4.6–5.0. Scape length vs F 1 length 1.2–1.5. F 1 length vs F 2 length 1.2–1.3. F 1 longest. F 7 and F 8 shortest, equal in length. Setae short, not reaching 1 / 3 of flagellomere width.

Head (Fig. 9 D, E ). Head width same as mesosoma. HH: HL = 1.3–1.4. HW: IOS = 1.6. HW: HH = 1.0–1.1. POL: OOL = 0.6–0.8. Ocellar triangle with short base, OOL: LOL = 2.4–2.8. Head circular in anterior view. Facial pit present, facial sulcus absent. Preocellar pit present, ocellar fovea present. Preoccipital lunula present. Preoccipital furrow reaching the line connecting the posterior ocellar, not reaching anterior ocellus. Preoccipital carina present. Upper margins of scrobes straight, intertorular carina absent. Head with dense hairs.

Mesosoma (Fig. 9 B, D ). Mesosoma narrow, 1.3 × longer than wide: length / width / height = 540 / 420 / 340 µm; densely pubescent, alutaceous in sculpture; mesoscutum length / width = 200 / 360 µm, mesoscutum 1.8 × wider than long, Ascw / Pscw = 250 / 280 µm; notauli and median mesoscutal sulcus very distinct, groove; scutellum width equal to length, 210 µm; scutoscutellar sulcus foveolate, single fovea of the scutoscutellar sulcus length longer than width, continuous with interaxillar sulcus. Axilla width longer than length. Pronotum triangular, with an extra groove. Anterior mesopleural area present; anterior mesopleural sulcus distinct, grooved; posteroventral area (part of mesopleuron) smooth, with sparse setae; mesometapleural sulcus distinct, grooved, in contact with mesopleural pit, mesopleural pit present; ventral division of metapleuron smooth, with sparse setae; pleural carina with long bristles. Sternaulus present, sternaulus and mesopleuron are equal in length. Anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex present.

Wings (Fig. 9 F ). Forewing length 1.4 mm, with pterostigma, stigmal vein. Hyaline, densely pubescent and marginal fringes numerous. Pterostigma length / width = 180 / 50 µm, 3.6 × as long as wide; triangular, posterior margin (part of pterostigma) straight. Stigmal vein 250 µm, slightly curved in the latter section and 1.4 × longer than pterostigma.

Metasoma (Fig. 9 G ). Metasoma 1.9 × longer than wide: length / width / height = 600 / 340 / 260 µm. Syntergum smooth, reaching 7 / 10 of metasoma length. Syntergum with three distinct gastral carinae, reaching 1 / 3 of syntergum length. Syntergal translucent patch present, elliptical.

Male genitalia (Fig. 10 ). Genitalic cupula present, proximodorsal notch of cupula blunt or straight, with a darker brown coloration near the central region; distodorsal margin of cupula straight. Harpe columnar in lateral view (proximodorsal margin of harpe concave, medioventral margin of harpe with projections in lateral view); length equal to gonostipes length in lateral view; harpe with more than six setae. Proximal end of dorsomedian conjunctiva of the gonostyle-volsella complex blunt. Cupula length vs gonostyle-volsella complex length: cupula short, <1 / 2 the length of gonostyle-volsella complex in lateral view. Proximoventral median projection of cupula present. Gonostipes longer than width; parossiculus separated from gonostipes. Parossiculus with one seta apically. Gonostyle-volsella complex with medioventral ridge absent. Gonossiculus with two spines apically in lateral view. Penisvalva hyaline. S 9 blunt, eight setae arranged irregularly; submedial projections on proximal margin of S 9 absent. Distal margin of male S 9 flat. Proximolateral corner of male S 9 with projections, not acute. Medial projections on proximal margin of S 9 present, length equal to 1 / 2 the length of S 9 shield.

Female. Unknown.

Etymology.

The new species is named after the Kaire waterfall, a well-known cultural icon in the area where it was collected.

Distribution.

China ( Xizang).

Remarks.

This species is similar to Conostigmus dimidiatus (Thomson, 1858) , but can be distinguished by the following characteristics: in Conostigmus kairus , the harpe is equal in length to the gonostipes in lateral view, and the proximodorsal notch of the cupula is blunt or straight, whereas in C. dimidiatus , the harpe is shorter than gonostipes in lateral view, and the proximodorsal notch of cupula is arched (inverted U-shaped).

Figures

Figure 9. Conostigmus kairus Wang & Zhu, sp. nov., male, holotype. A. Dorsal habitus; B. Head and mesosoma, dorsal view; C. Lateral habitus; D. Head and mesosoma, lateral view; E. Head, anterior view; F. Wings; G. Metasoma, lateral view.

Figure 10. Conostigmus kairus Wang & Zhu, sp. nov., male, holotype, genitalia. A. Dorsal view; B. Ventral view; C. Lateral view; D. S 9.