Parabobekoides van Achterberg & Tan, 2020

Zhang, Ruo-Nan, Achterberg, Cornelis van, Tian, Xiao-Xia & Tan, Jiang-Li, 2020, Review of the Bobekia - group (Braconidae, Alysiinae, Alysiini), with description of a new genus and a new subgenus, ZooKeys 926, pp. 25-51 : 25

Subgenus Parabobekoides van Achterberg & Tan subg. nov.

Type species.

Separatatus (Parabobekoides) yinshani Zhang & van Achterberg, sp. nov. Gender: masculine.

Diagnosis.

Propodeal areola reduced anteriorly (Figs 8 , 9 , 21 ); setose part of ovipositor sheath distinctly longer than metasoma and 0.6-0.7 × as long as fore wing (Fig. 1 ); upper valve of ovipositor flattened apically (Fig. 2 ). Superficially, the new subgenus is very similar to Bobekoides van Achterberg and shares the derived shape of the upper valve of the ovipositor, but differs by the semicircular clypeus (Fig. 12 ; acute and triangular in Bobekoides ), vein r-m of the fore wing nearly straight and angle with vein 2-M about 90° (Figs 1 , 5 , 17 , 20 ; distinctly inclivous and angle distinctly less than 90° in Bobekoides ), the transverse head in dorsal view (Fig. 8 ; more square in Bobekoides ), the basally widened and more or less differentiated vein 1-R1 (narrow and not differentiated in Bobekoides ), the distinct sexual dimorphism of the fore wing venation (Fig. 20 ; absent in Bobekoides ), the posteriorly wide propodeal areola (Fig. 21 ; narrow in Bobekoides ) and the mandible less massively enlarged dorsally, its dorsal tooth somewhat wider than second (= middle) tooth (Fig. 15 ; strongly enlarged dorsally, dorsal tooth much wider than second tooth in Bobekoides ).

Distribution.

China (Hubei, Shaanxi).

Etymology.

“Para” is Greek for "beside, near, by" and the generic name Bobekoides , because it is similar to this genus.

Key to species of subgenus Parabobekoides , subg. nov.

Discussion

Zheng et al. (2013) reported Bobekoides sinicus Zheng, Chen & Yang, 2013 from Central China (Hubei). This was the first time that a species of Bobekoides van Achterberg, 1998 was reported from outside Africa. Zhu et al. (2017) included this species in the genus Separatatus Chen & Wu, 1994, because it has an obtuse clypeus as in the type species of Separatatus . In Bobekoides , the clypeus is acute and triangular (Fig. 43 ).

In 2017 a series of a similar species was collected at Luonan (Qinling Mountains, Shaanxi, NW China) in which males have the venation modified (Figs 17 , 20 ) in comparison to females. The venation is also modified in the male of the type species of Hovalysia Granger, 1949, known only from the Afrotropical region, of which the female is unknown. Wharton (2002) reported the occurrence of Hovalysia in China (Taiwan), but the lack of females did not allow for a proper inclusion in the key by Zhu et al. (2017), and it was left out pending the availability female specimens. Fischer (1999) described Hovalysia cruciata from South Africa based on one female specimen, but he did not indicate the shape of the ovipositor. The series from Luonan include females with normal (= slender) veins 3-SR and 2-M, vein 2-SR about as long as vein 3-SR, with a modified upper valve of the ovipositor, and vein r 0.6 × width of pterostigma (Fig. 5 ). The males have the basal part of vein 1-R1 wider than in females, veins 3-SR and 2-M widened, vein 2-SR distinctly shorter than vein 3-SR, and vein r about 0.7 × as wide as the pterostigma (Fig. 20 ). Inclusion in Hovalysia is a possibility, but is problematic because the Chinese specimens have the first mandibular tooth wide, lobe-shaped, and strongly protuberant both dorsally and apically (rectangular, not protruding apically and hardly so dorsally in Hovalysia ); the males have a different pattern of widened veins (e.g., veins 1-SR, 1-M, and r are widened in Hovalysia and slender in Chinese males); and vein CU1b of the fore wing is shorter than vein 3-CU1 (as long as vein 3-CU1 in Hovalysia ).

Figures

Figures 5 - 16. Separatatus yinshani Zhang & van Achterberg sp. nov., ♀, holotype 5 fore wing 6 hind wing 7 mesosoma, lateral aspect 8 head and mesosoma, dorsal aspect 9 propodeum, first-third metasomal tergites, dorsal aspect 10 basal antennal segments 11 apical antennal segments 12 head, anterior aspect 13 head, dorsal aspect 14 head, lateral aspect 15 mandible, full view of third tooth 16 mandible, full view of first tooth.

Figures 20 - 25. Separatatus yinshani Zhang & van Achterberg sp. nov., ♂, paratype 20 wings 21 propodeum, first-third metasomal tergites, dorsal aspect 22 basal antennal segments 23 apical antennal segments 24 head, anterior aspect 25 head, lateral aspect.

Figures 1 - 4. Separatatus yinshani Zhang & van Achterberg, sp. nov., ♀, holotype 1 habitus, lateral aspect 2 apex of ovipositor, lateral aspect 3 antenna 4 middle tarsus and outer claw, lateral aspect.

Figures 17 - 19. Separatatus yinshani Zhang & van Achterberg sp. nov., ♂, paratype 17 habitus, lateral aspect 18 head, anterior aspect 19 genitalia, ventral aspect.

Figures 40 - 52. Bobekoides fulvus van Achterberg, ♀, holotype 40 wings 41 mandible, full view of third tooth (fourth tooth arrowed) 42 mandible, full view of first tooth 43 head, anterior aspect 44 hind leg 45 antenna 46 mesosoma, dorsal aspect 47 head, dorsal aspect 48 outer hind claw, lateral aspect 49 basal antennal segments 50 habitus, lateral aspect 51 first-third metasomal tergites, dorsal aspect 52 apical antennal segments.