Chelonus (Parachelonus) expeditious, Ranjith & Priyadarsanan, 2023

Ranjith, A. P. & Priyadarsanan, Dharma Rajan, 2023, New subgeneric reports of the genus Chelonus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from India and Sri Lanka with description of nine species, Zootaxa 5278 (3), pp. 461-492 : 487

Chelonus (Parachelonus) expeditious sp. nov.

( Figures 19–20 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:5D2C650F-892C-42C8-816D-A114C02040C2

Material examined. Holotype, female, INDIA: Arunachal Pradesh, Yingku , 28°45’95 N, 94°88’471 E, 2756 m.a.s.l., 7.v.2022, coll. A.P. Ranjith ( AIMB) . Paratypes, 1 male with same data as holotype.

Description. Holotype, female, length of body 3.6 mm, of fore wing 3.1 mm.

Head. Antenna with 23 remaining antennomeres, apical antennomeres not broadened, shorter than basal antennomeres ( Fig. 19A ); third antennomere as long as fourth; third and fourth antennomeres 2.8 ×, 3.1 × longer than wide, respectively; head transverse ( Fig. 19B ), in dorsal view roundly contracted behind eyes ( Fig. 19C ); OOL: OD: POL= 1.7: 1.5: 1.0; longitudinal diameter of eye 1.2 × height of temples; vertex transversely striate ( Fig. 19C ); frons distinctly concave, smooth medially with a complete midlongitudinal carina ( Fig. 19C ); occiput transversely striate ( Fig. 19C ); temple longitudinally striate ( Fig. 19D ); face transversely striate, densely setose in lateral view ( Fig. 19B ); clypeus flat and densely punctate, smooth and shining ( Fig. 19B ); length of malar space 2.6 × basal width of mandible.

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.5 × its height; lateral pronotum rugose anteriorly, smooth posteriorly ( Figs 19D–E ); mesoscutum areolate-rugose, without longitudinal depressions medially ( Fig. 19F ); notauli impressed as large pits ( Fig. 19F ); transverse suture distinct, deep ( Fig. 19F ); scutellar sulcus divided by seven carinae ( Fig. 19F ); scutellum punctate medially without longitudinal rugae, sparsely setose, with crenulate groove laterally ( Fig. 19F ); mesopleuron evenly convex, coarsely reticulate-rugose, setose ( Fig. 19E ); metanotum crenulate with distinct midlongitudinal carina ( Fig. 20A ); propodeum with medial and lateral tubercles, coarsely reticulate-rugose, with large pentagonal areola delineated by carina medially, area near to median areola smooth, transverse carina distinct, complete ( Fig. 20A ).

Wings. Fore wing infuscate subbasally and subapically ( Fig. 20E ); length of fore wing 2.7 × its width; length of marginal cell 1.3 × pterostigma; vein 2-Rl present ( Fig. 20E ); vein r 1.5 × as long as 3-SR ( Fig. 20E ); r: 3-SR: SRl = 1.5: 1.0: 6.6; SRl more or less curved ( Fig. 20E ); parastigma distinctly swollen ( Fig. 20E ); 1-CU1: 2-CU1= 1.0: 3.0; vein CUlb present ( Fig. 20E ).

Legs. Hind coxa smooth, densely short setose ( Fig. 20B ); hind femur robust ( Fig. 20B ); length of hind femur, tibia and basitarsus 3.1 ×, 4.6 × and 5.1 × their maximum width, respectively; mid and hind tibia with numerous short, pointed spines apical half ( Fig. 19A ).

Metasoma. Metasomal carapace elongate-oval in dorsal view, coarsely reticulate-rugose, with a pair of midlongitudinal carinae basally, with median longitudinal carina running half-length of propodeum ( Fig. 20C ); length of carapace 2.2 × its maximum width in dorsal view; carapace without undulating lamella laterally ( Fig. 20B ); ventral cavity closed apically ( Fig. 20D ); ovipositor long, slender ( Fig. 20D ) and the ovipositor sheath 0.07 × as long as fore wing, 0.2 × as long as hind tibia.

Colour. Black except eyes brownish red, antennomeres, pterostigma, hind femur apical half, mid and hind tibia basally and apical 1/3 rd, ovipositor sheath brown, scape and pedicel, maxillary and labial palps, tegula, fore leg, hind leg except tibia apical 1/3 rd, hind leg except femur apical half, tibia apical 1/3 rd, metasomal carapace basal half yellow.

Male. Same as female.

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. India (Arunachal Pradesh).

Etymology. The species is named after the Siang expedition, a reassessment of biodiversity exploration held in 2022 in the Siang Valley, Arunachal Pradesh.

Comparative diagnosis. This new species comes close to C. (P.) komsingensis sp. nov. in having body colouration sculpture. However, this new species can be distinguished from C. (P.) komsingensis sp. nov. by the following characters; lateral pronotum smooth posteriorly (rugose in C. (P.) komsingensis sp. nov.), propodeum with pentagonal areola medially (with irregular areola medially in C. (P.) komsingensis sp. nov.), area near to median areola smooth (rugose in C. (P.) komsingensis sp. nov.), third antennomere 2.8 × as long as wide (4.0 × in C. (P.) komsingensis sp. nov.) and hind basitarsus long, 5.1 × as long as wide (3.3 × in C. (P.) komsingensis sp. nov.).

Figures

FIGURE 19. Chelonus (Parachelonus) expeditious sp. nov., holotype, female A) habitus, lateral view; B) head, anterior view; C) head, dorsal view; D) head, lateral view; E) mesosoma, lateral view; F) mesosoma, dorsal view.

FIGURE 20. Chelonus (Parachelonus) expeditious sp. nov., holotype, female A) propodeum, dorsal view; B) metasoma, lateral view; C) metasoma, dorsal view; D) apex of metasoma, ventral view; E) fore wing.