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

Fig. 8

Type material.

Holotype. China – Yunnan Prov. • ♀; Yinjiang ; 22 May 2009; Su-jiong Zhang leg.; ( ZJUH) No. 202401050. GenBank accession no. PV 356300 .

Diagnosis.

Hind femur slender, and basal part of ovipositor comparatively robust, maximum width of basal part of ovipositor 0.6 × maximum width of hind femur (Fig. 8 L, M ); subbasal transverse carina of propodeum well developed, different from surrounding sculpture; fore femur slender, ~ 9.5 × as long as wide (Fig. 8 K ); hind femur largely black only apical brown and hind tibia (except basal 1 / 3) black (Fig. 8 A ); hind tarsus mainly white; first tergite ~ 2.5 × longer than its apical width, moderately shiny and with comparatively small dorsope (Fig. 8 J ) with space between dorsope much wider than dorsope; ovipositor sheath ~ 0.23 × as long as fore wing.

Comparative diagnosis.

Very similar to Z. cristatus but differs mainly by the more developed malar space (narrow in Z. cristatus ), wider face, smaller eyes in dorsal view and the darker mesosoma (especially scutellum usually dark reddish in Z. cristatus ).

Description.

Holotype, ♀, length of fore wing 6.2 mm, of body 6.2 mm, and antenna 1.2 × as long as fore wing.

Head. Antennal segments 39, third segment 0.9 × shorter than fourth segment and third, fourth and penultimate segments 3.3 ×, 3.3 ×, and 2.0 × longer than wide, respectively; length of maxillary palp 2.1 × longer than height of head; frons smooth and behind antennal sockets impressed; POL: diameter of posterior ocellus: OOL = 13: 9: 8; vertex convex, punctulate and densely setose (Fig. 8 G ); clypeus rather convex in lateral view, widely punctate (Fig. 8 H ); face mainly punctulate, it widened ventrally, minimum width of face 1.4 × height of face (Fig. 8 F ); length of eye 1.8 × temple in dorsal view (Fig. 8 G ); length of malar space 0.5 × basal width of mandible.

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.6 × its height; side of pronotum densely reticulate-rugose ventrally and posteriorly, sulcate anteriorly; epicnemial area punctulate anteriorly, punctulate-rugose postero-dorsally; precoxal sulcus dorsally narrowly crenulate, densely rugose-reticulate dorsally; dorsal of mesopleuron coarsely punctate, narrowly smooth (Fig. 8 B ); mesosternum punctulate; metapleuron widely smooth but near coxa rugulose; mesoscutal lobes densely punctate; notauli finely and narrowly crenulate, mesoscutum medio-posteriorly widely crenulate-rugose and no carina; scutellar sulcus deep and wide with one long median carina; scutellum rather convex and finely punctulate; metanotum with small smooth knob medio-posteriorly and without median carina in front of it; propodeum reticulate-rugose, subbasal transverse carina of propodeum mainly straight to curved posteriad, area comparatively reticulate-punctate; in lateral view propodeum gradually lowered posteriorly, posterior part not distinctly separated from antero-dorsal part (Fig. 8 B, C ).

Wings. Fore wing (Fig. 8 D ): r: 3 - SR: SR 1 = 13: 20: 98; 2 - SR: 3 - SR: r-m = 20: 17: 13; 1 - CU 1: 2 - CU 1 = 5: 62; cu-a vertical, postfurcal. Hind wing (Fig. 8 D ): r absent; M + CU: 1 - M = 62: 12; 1 r-m 2.1 × 1 - M.

Legs. Hind coxa densely punctate dorsally; length of fore femur 9.5 × its width (Fig. 8 K ); length of fore tibial spur 0.4 × fore basitarsus; lengths of hind femur and basitarsus 7.5 × and 10.3 × their widths, respectively (Fig. 8 L ).

Metasoma. First tergite 2.5 × longer than its apical width, its surface rugulose anteriorly, irregular and obvious rugose behind spiracles; dorsope elliptical and comparatively small, area in front of them depressed (Fig. 8 J ), laterope comparatively small (Fig. 8 I ); second tergite mainly bare, smooth; ovipositor comparatively robust basally; length of ovipositor sheath 0.23 × as long as fore wing, sheath with short semi-erect setae (Fig. 8 E ).

Colour. Mesosoma (but side of pronotum reddish brown), coxae and trochanters of all legs and first metasomal tergite largely black; head, antenna, fore and middle legs, all metasoma (except first tergite) mainly reddish brown; hind femur largely black except the reddish brown basal 1 / 3; hind tibia nearly black except reddish brown apical 1 / 3; hind tarsus white; veins, pterostigma and ovipositor sheath (except pale brown apex) brown; wings subhyaline with largely infuscation.

Distribution.

China (Yunnan).

Biology.

Unknown.

Etymology.

Named after the confusing morphology of the species; confusus is Latin for confused.

Figures

Figure 8. Zele confusus 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.