Chorebus (Phaenolexis) selene, Nixon

Zheng, Min-Lin & Chen, Jia-Hua, 2017, The dacnusine genus Chorebus Haliday (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Alysiinae) from China, Zootaxa 4294 (2), pp. 170-180 : 173-175

ChorebuS (PhaenolexiS) Selene ( Nixon), 1937

( Figure 2 A–G)

Dacnusa selene Nixon, 1937 , 4: 24, 1944, 80: 149; Shenefelt, 1974: 1097.

Chorebus (Phaenolexis) selene: Tobias & Jakimavicius, 1986: 7 –231; Tobias, 1998: 390.

Material examined. 3 females and 2 males, Guide County, Qinghai Province, China, 17.vii.2008, coll. Qiong Zhao.

Description. Female. Body 4.5 mm long.

Head. Antenna with 39 flagellomeres; first and penultimate flagellomeres 3.0× and 2.0× as long as wide, respectively. In dorsal view, head 1.6× as broad as long. Occipital sparsely pubescent. Temple somewhat swollen. Eye 0.8× as long as temple. Ocellus small, OOL:OD:POL=25:6:5. Face 1.6× as wide as high, somewhat protruding, with many fine setae and weakly punctate. Clypeus 1.8× as wide as high, densely pubescent. Mandible ( Fig. 2 C) with 4 teeth; first tooth very strongly expanded dorsally; second tooth forming an equilateral triangle, with tip pointed; third and fourth tooth relatively short. Maxillary palp long, distinctly exceeding the median point between fore and mid coxae.

Mesosoma. Mesosoma 1.7× as long as high. Propleuron densely pubescent. Sides of pronotum densely pubescent and strongly rugose. Mesoscutum ( Fig. 2 D) mostly covered with dense pubescence (sparsely pubescent on posterior half of its lateral lobe); notaulus extending to posterior part of mesoscutum, though mostly quite shallow; medio-posterior depression narrow, 0.3× as long as mesoscutum. Precoxal sulcus wide and long, strongly crenulate. Metanotum densely pubescent. Propodeum densely pubescent and with a median longitudinal carina extending posteriorly to its half. Metapleuron ( Fig. 2 F) with dense white pubescence forming a rosette around a rugose swelling on its lower half.

Wings. Pterostigma 1.1× as long as vein 1-R1, 1.2× as long vein r. Posterior half of vein 3-SR+SR1 relatively straight. Subdiscal cell closed ( Fig. 2 G).

Legs. Hind femur 4.3× as long as broad. Hind tibia slightly shorter than hind tarsus. Second tarsomere of hind tarsus 0.5× as long as hind basitarsus, hind telotarsus slightly shorter than third tarsomere of hind tarsus.

Metasoma. First tergite ( Fig. 2 E) 2.8× as long as its apical width, posteriorly and very slightly widened before spiracles, parallel-sided beyond spiracles, very sparsely pubescent, and strongly irregularly striated. Second-fourth tergites smooth and sparsely setose. Fifth and following tergites blade-like and compressed. Ovipositor distinctly projecting beyond the apical tergite in the retracted position; ovipositor sheath quite slender, almost as long as hind basitarsus.

Colour. Head mostly black; antenna mostly brown, scapus and pedicellus yellow, first to third flagellomeres brownish-yellow; mandible yellowish-brown except edge of teeth dark reddish-brown; clypeus dark reddishbrown; labrum yellow; maxillary and labial palp pale yellow. Mesosoma black; legs mostly yellow except most area of hind femur, apical part of hind tibia and tarsi reddish-brown. First metasomal tergite black; remaining tergites dark reddish-brown; ovipositor sheath black.

Variation. Body length 4.3–4.5 mm; antenna with 37–39 flagellomeres.

Male. Similar to female, but tergites not blade-like and compressed. Body length 3.8–4.2 mm, antenna with 46–47 flagellomeres.

Biology: Unknown.

Distribution. China (Northwest Palaearctic, first record), Macedonia, Russia, Ukraine Yugoslavia, and United Kingdom.

Remarks. Chorebus (Phaenolexis) selene has been mostly recorded in Europe with only one record outside Europe (Russia-Primor'ye Kray) before this new record. Species in the Chorebus senilis s.l. Griffth group are included in subgenus Phaenolexis ( Tobias et al. 1986).

Figures

FIGURE 2 (A – G). Chorebus (Phaenolexis) selene (Nixon), rec. nov., ♀, A. head (frontal view); B. head (dorsal view); C. mandible; D. mesonotum (dorsal aspect); E. first metasomal tergite (dorsal aspect); F. mesosoma (lateral aspect); G. fore wing.