Nipponopius glabricaudatus Zhou & van Achterberg, 2017

Zhou, Tong, Achterberg, Cornelis van & Guo, Zi-Sheng, 2017, The genus Nipponopius Fischer (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Opiinae) new for China, with description of a new species, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 57, pp. 123-134 : 123-126

Nipponopius glabricaudatus Zhou & van Achterberg sp. n. Figures 17-20 , 21-30 , 31-41

Type material.

Holotype, ♀ ( NWUX), "NW. China: Ningxia, Jingyuan, Mt. Liupan, Erlonghe For[estry] Farm, 23°24'N 106°20'E, c. 1800 m, 2.viii.2015, Jiangli Tan". Paratype: 1 ♂ ( NWUX), "NW. China: Shaanxi, Ningshan, Mt. Qin, Xunyangba, 33°33'N, 108°32'E, c. 1300 m, vii.2014, Jiangli Tan".

Diagnosis.

Very similar to the only other known species, N. incisus Fischer, but differs especially by the large anterior tentorial pits, the reduced precoxal sulcus, the shorter vein CU1b of fore wing and the apically glabrous ovipositor sheath.

Description.

Holotype, ♀, length of body 3.1 mm; of fore wing 4.0 mm.

Head. Head slightly transverse, width 1.8 times its median length in dorsal view and temple directly narrowed behind eyes (Fig. 27 ); antenna with 40 segments, 1.1 times as long as fore wing, third segment 1.3 times as long as fourth segment, length of third, fourth and penultimate segments 1.7, 1.5 and 1.8 times their width, respectively (Figs 29 , 30 ); maxillary palp as long as height of head; labial palp segments slender; occipital carina far separated from hypostomal carina and carina dorsally absent; hypostomal carina wide, protruding (Fig. 28 ); length of eye in dorsal view 2.7 times temple; temple and vertex sparsely punctate and with long setae; stemmaticum weakly convex, with small depression behind stemmaticum; OOL: diameter of ocellus: POL = 28:10:11; frons distinctly depressed behind antennal sockets, glabrous medially, finely punctate and setose laterally; face punctate, medially elevated (Figs 26 , 27 ), extending as a median carina to level of posterior margin of antennal sockets; width of clypeus 3.0 times its maximum height and 0.6 times width of face; anterior tentorial pits rather large (Fig. 26 ); clypeus moderately convex, punctate and protruding, ventrally slightly curved and thin; hypoclypeal depression narrow (Figs 26 , 28 ); malar suture largely absent; length of malar space 0.5 times basal width of mandible; mandible triangular and with narrow ventral carina (Fig. 28 ).

Mesosoma. Mesosoma 1.3 times longer than high; dorsal pronope large, elliptical (Fig. 27 ); pronotal side smooth, only anteriorly and postero-ventrally crenulated (Fig. 22 ); epicnemial area largely smooth except anterior margin shortly crenulate; precoxal sulcus remain far removed from anterior margin of mesopleuron, moderately wide and distinctly crenulate (Fig. 23 ); remainder of mesopleuron mostly smooth; episternal scrobe large; pleural sulcus only ventrally finely crenulate (Fig. 22 ); mesosternal sulcus medium-sized and moderately crenulate, posteriorly smooth; anterior metapleural sulcus crenulate and widened ventrally (Fig. 22 ), metapleuron largely smooth dorsally, but coarsely reticulate ventrally (Fig. 22 ); notauli short, crenulated anteriorly and absent posteriorly; medio-posterior depression of mesoscutum long and narrow elliptical; lateral lobes of mesoscutum mostly glabrous, smooth and shiny, with few setae at middle lobe and near notauli; scutellar sulcus deep and with 3 distinct longitudinal carinae, 0.2 times as long as scutellum; scutellum convex, largely smooth except some punctures and with few setae; side of scutellum smooth except some crenulation (Fig. 23 ); metanotum smooth except posterior margin shortly crenulate; dorsal surface of propodeum short, punctate-rugose, and with a short medio-longitudinal carina connected to an irregular transverse carina, its posterior surface largely punctate-reticulate (Fig. 23 ).

Wings. Fore wing: pterostigma elliptical; vein r issued just before middle of pterostigma (Fig. 21 ); r:2-SR:3-SR:SR1 = 3:15:21:36; SR1 slightly curved;1-CU1:2-CU1 = 1:6; CU1b shorter than 3-CU1; m-cu postfurcal;1-CU1 hardly widened. Hind wing: M+CU:1-M:1r-m = 21:21:14; cu-a straight (Fig. 21 ).

Legs. Hind coxa smooth, with long setae, and distinctly protruding ventro-medially (Figs 19 , 25 ); femora widened (Fig. 25 ); carinula of hind tibia long, sinuate and area behind it largely glabrous (Fig. 41 ); tarsal claws medium-sized (Fig. 25 ); length of femur, tibia and basitarsus of hind leg 2.7, 4.6 and 2.0 times their width, respectively.

Metasoma. Length of first metasomal tergite 1.1 times its apical width, its surface evenly convex, shiny, largely smooth, with dorsal carinae converging basally and parallel extending to its posterior half (Figs 23 , 24 ), with laterope large and deep (Fig. 22 ); second suture obsolescent; second to sixth tergites smooth and sparsely setose posteriorly; combined length of second and third tergites 0.4 times total length of metasoma (Fig. 24 ); ovipositor sheath glabrous, sheath 0.16 times as long as fore wing and 0.6 times as long as hind tibia (Fig. 25 ).

Colour. Irregularly dark brown or brown; mandible (except dark brown apices), palpi, tegulae and legs yellow; wing membrane subhyaline; veins M+CU1 and C+SC+R of both wings partly pale yellowish.

Male. Fore wing length 3.7 mm, body length 4.1 mm (Fig. 18 ). Antenna with 47 segments; mesosternal sulcus medium-sized and completely crenulated; propodeum strongly sculptured, its dorsal surface areolate and reticulate posteriorly (Figs 33 , 34 ); hind coxa with a relatively small protuberance ventro-medially (Fig. 20 ); hind femur and tibia less robust, with its length 3.4 times and 6.5 times their width, respectively (Fig. 35 ); first metasomal tergite distinctly convex, with relatively strong rugae between dorsal carina anteriorly (Figs 33 , 34 ) and laterope deep (Fig. 32 ); body generally black or blackish brown, but mandible (except dark apices), palpi, tegulae and legs pale yellow (Figs 18 , 35 ).

Distribution.

China (Ningxia, Shaanxi).

Etymology.

The name is derived from “glaber” (Latin for “hairless”) and “cauda” (Latin for “tail”), because of the glabrous ovipositor sheath of the holotype.

Figures

Figures 17 - 20. Nipponopius glabricaudatus sp. n., ♀, holotype, but 18 and 20 of ♂, paratype. 17, 18 habitus lateral 19, 20 hind coxa lateral (arrow pointing to coxal protuberance).

Figures 21 - 30. Nipponopius glabricaudatus sp. n., ♀, holotype. 21 wings 22 mesosoma lateral 23 mesosoma and first metasomal tergite dorsal 24 metasoma dorsal 25 legs and hypopygium antero-ventral 26 head anterior 27 head dorsal 28 head lateral 29 basal antennal segments 30 apical antennal segments.

Figures 31 - 41. Nipponopius glabricaudatus sp. n., ♂, paratype. 31 wings 32 mesosoma and first metasomal tergite lateral 33 id. dorsal 34 metasoma dorsal 35 legs antero-ventral 36 head anterior 37 head dorsal 38 head lateral 39 basal antennal segments 40 apical antennal segments 41 inner side of hind tibia lateral (arrow pointing to carinula).