Marshiella baichengensis Amat & van Achterberg, 2025

Amat, Zibaidam, Achterberg, Cornelis Van, Zhao, Guo-Shuai, Fang, Yu, Tang, Pu & Li, Qin, 2025, Unveiling a new taxon belonging to Marshiella Shaw (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), Zootaxa 5679 (1), pp. 143-147 : 144-146

Marshiella baichengensis Amat & van Achterberg , sp. nov.

Figs 1 , 2

Holotype, ♀, China, Xinjiang, Aksu prefecture, Baicheng county (in walnut orchard - Malaise trap) VII.1–15.2024, Li Qin group.

Description. Holotype, ♀, length of fore wing 2.6 mm, and of body 3.0 mm.

Head. Antenna with 18 antennomeres and 0.8 × length of fore wing, 0.7 × length of body; first to fourth flagellomeres flatted, heart-shaped emarginated apically (but fourth flagellomeres nearly truncate apically) in dorsal view ( Figs 1. A–C ), densely setose; first flagellomere 1.3 × length of second flagellomere; first, second and penultimate flagellomere 2.7, 2 and 1.3 × its wide, respectively; third flagellomere 1.3 × length of fourth flagellomere, fifth flagellomere as long as fourth flagellomere; eye 0.5 × length of temple in dorsal view; ocelli small, OOL:OD:POL = 2:3.5:1.5 ( Fig. 2 C ); frons broadly raised medio-longitudinally, vertex and frons largely rugulose; occipital carina complete; width of face nearly 1.2 × its height, granulate, but nearly smooth; clypeus nearly smooth, narrower than face, convex medially, width of clypeus 1.3 × its height.

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.4× its height ( Figs 2 D-E); lateral side of pronotum with transverse carinae, and medially smooth ( Fig 2 E ); mesoscutum smooth and highly polished, its middle lobe with sparse setae, and lateral lobes glabrous, notauli complete, moderately wide, with irregular crenulations anteriorly and rugose posteriorly; scutellar sulcus with three carinae ( Fig. 2 D ); mesopleuron mostly smooth ventrally; postpectal carina present medio-ventrally; precoxal sulcus relatively long and with irregular rugae; scutellum flat and smooth; dorso-lateral regions of propodeum completely reticulate-rugose ( Fig. 2 E ); posterior surface perpendicular to dorsal surface, and with a slight medio-longitudinal concavity ( Fig. 2 F ).

Wings ( Fig. 2 G ). Fore wing: 1-SR+M absent; 1-R1 0.3 × length of pterostigma; SR1+3-SR strongly curved; r:2-SR = 1:5; vein r issued from basal 0.7 of pterostigma; vein m-cu slightly postfurcal; vein cu-a postfurcal; veins 2-1A and CU1b absent; vein m-cu 0.7 × vein 1-M. Hind wing: vein 1-M 0.2 × vein M+CU; vein cu-a 1.2× vein 1r-m.

Legs. Middle leg: tibia 2.6× length of coxa, 1.4× length of femur; hind leg: tibia 2.8 × length of coxa, 0.9× length of femur; hind coxa smooth, 2 × its width.

Metasoma. First tergite narrow basally, and gradually widened apically ( Fig. 2 H ), its maximum width 3 × its minimum width in dorsal view, length of first tergite 1.5 × its maximum width, small spiracular tubercles in front of middle tergite, and no dorsope, rugose in front of level of spiracular tubercles, and remainder of tergite longitudinally rugose; remaining tergites smooth, flattened and shiny ( Fig. 2 I ); ovipositor sheath is much shorter than half length of the metasoma, ovipositor wide and thick basally, slender apically, and slightly curved.

Colour. Scape, pedicellus, and first flagellomere yellowish, second and third flagellomeres light brown, and remaining blackish brown; lateral side of pronotum dark brown, middle part of lateral mesoscutal lobes blackish with brown laterally, middle mesoscutal lobe dark brown, scutellum and propodeum blackish; pterostigma dark brown, and wing veins light brown; legs yellow; metasoma dark brown; base of ovipositor transparent, and apex light yellow.

Biology: Unknown.

Distribution: China (Palaearctic).

Etymology: Named after the county of the collection site.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Marshiella baichengensis sp. nov. ♀, A, antenna, ventral aspect; B, basal half of antenna, ventral aspect; C, six basal antennomeres, ventral aspect.

FIGURE 2. Marshiella baichengensis sp. nov. ♀, holotype. A, body dorsal aspect; B, Head, anterior aspect; C, Head, dorsal aspect; D, Mesosoma, dorsal aspect; E, Mesosoma, lateral aspect; F, Propodeum, dorsal aspect; G, Wing; H, First metasomal tergite, dorsal aspect; I, Metasoma, dorsal aspect.