Zelodia liui Wu & Tang, 2025

Wu, Qiong, Tang, Pu, Achterberg, Cornelis Van & Chen, Xue-Xin, 2025, The genus Zelodia van Achterberg & Long (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Agathidinae) from China with description of two new species, Zootaxa 5660 (2), pp. 211-227 : 219-221

Zelodia liui Wu & Tang , sp. nov.

Figure 7

Material examined. Holotype. ♂, China, Hainan Prov., Yinggeling , 24–26.V.2007, Liu Jingxian, No. 200704128 ( ZJUH) . Paratypes: 1♂, Jilin Prov., Hunjiang , 2.VIII.1983, Li Fasheng, No. 200012133 ( ZJUH) ; 1♂, Yunnan Prov., Mengla, Menglun, 10.IV.1981, Li Fasheng ( CAU) .

Diagnosis. The new species is similar to Z. absoluta (Chen & Yang, 1998) , but differs in having hind leg black (mainly brownish yellow in Z. absoluta ); basal quarter of pterostigma brownish yellow (dark brown); and first and second tergites largely black (ivory).

Description. Holotype, ♂, length of body 5.9 mm, of fore wing 5.5 mm.

Head. Antennomeres 44; length of third antennomere 1.3 × fourth antennomere; length of third, fourth and penultimate antennomeres 2.8, 2.2 and 1.5 × their width, respectively; penultimate antennomere as long as apical antennomere with spine; antenna densely setose; length of maxillary palp 0.8 × height of head; in dorsal view length of eye 3.0 × temple; in lateral view 2.5 × width of eye; ocelli large, POL:OD:OOL = 8:7:12; malar space 2.3 × basal width of mandible, 0.5 times height of eye and 0.3 × height of head in lateral view; face distinctly punctate; frons shiny and smooth without lateral carinae; vertex shiny with sparse fine punctures; pair of crests between antennal sockets short, occipital flange medium-sized, its ventral margin convex.

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.3 × its height; subpronope small, deep; side of pronotum smooth, upper part with sparse fine punctures; area near lateral carina of mesoscutum sparsely crenulate; mesoscutum shiny with sparse distinct punctures; notauli shallow, wide and sparsely crenulate, smooth posteriorly; scutellar sulcus with a carinae and 0.8 × dorsal part of scutellum; scutellum rugose-punctate; subposterior crest curved; precoxal sulcus rather wide and strongly crenulate; mesopleuron below and above precoxal sulcus with sparse and distinct punctures; upper side of metapleuron rugose-punctate, lower side with some rugae; propodeum with long pentagonal areola, short basal carina; propodeal spiracle elongate, 2.5 × its wide; distance between spiracle and lateral carina 1.4 × width of spiracle.

Wings. Fore wing: second submarginal cell narrow anteriorly, without ramellus; r:3-SR:SR1 = 5:3:96; 2-SR:3- SR:r-m = 13:3:10. Hind wing: M+CU 0.6 × 1-M; surroundings of cu-a sparsely setose.

Legs. Length of hind femur, tibia and basitarsus 3.7, 6.3 and 6.8 × their width, respectively; outer side of hind coxa punctate; hind femur (as remainder of legs) with long and dense setosity; outer side of apex of hind tibia with two pegs; outer and inner spurs of middle tibia 0.5 and 0.8 × middle basitarsus, respectively; length of outer and inner spurs of hind tibia 0.4 and 0.6 × hind basitarsus.

Metasoma. First tergite twice as long as its apical width; length of second tergite 0.7 × its apical width; second metasomal suture developed.

Colour. Brownish yellow; antenna, hind leg and metasoma black, except first tergite basally and laterally, and second-third tergite laterally brownish yellow; wings subhyaline but near parastigma and vein r infuscate; parastigma, apical part of vein C+SC+R, apical three-quarters of pterostigma and veins of apical half of fore wing largely dark brown; basal quarter of pterostigma yellow.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. China (Jilin, Hainan, Yunnan).

Biology. Unknown.

Etymology. This species is named in honour of Dr Liu Jingxian, the collector of the holotype.

Figures

FIGURES 7. Zelodia liui Wu & Tang, sp. nov. Male, paratype. A, habitus, lateral aspect; B, wings; C, mesosoma, lateral aspect; D, mesosoma, dorsal aspect; E, head, dorsal aspect; F, head, anterior aspect; G, head, lateral aspect; H, hind femur and tibia, lateral aspect; I, metasoma, dorsal aspect.