Dicaelotus caraganae Sheng & Li, 2022

Sheng, Mao-Ling, Yang, Jian-Jun, Guo, Hui-Mei & Li, Tao, 2022, A new species of Dicaelotus Wesmael (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Ichneumoninae) parasitizing Asclerobia sinensis (Lepidoptera) in seed pods of Caragana spp., Zootaxa 5222 (4), pp. 360-366 : 362-363

Dicaelotus caraganae Sheng & Li , sp.nov.

Figs 1–11

Material examined. Holotype: CHINA • ♀; Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Hangjinqi, Chaharwusu ; 39°37.80′N; 108°47.40′E; 1428m; 23 April 2019; reared from cocoon of Asclerobia sinensis (Caradja, 1937) by Jian-Jun Yang . Paratype: CHINA • 1 ♀; same data as holotype except 2 January 2018; reared from cocoon of Asclerobia sinensis (Caradja, 1937) by Mao-Ling Sheng; CBDPC .

Diagnosis. Face ( Fig. 2 ) very short, 4.0–4.1 × as wide as length; median length shorter than clypeus. Clypeus smooth, approximately 2.9 × as wide as long, apical margin with weak median convex. Postocellar line 1.8 × as long as ocular-ocellar line. Frons almost flat. Area basalis very short, lateral carinae indistinct. Area superomedia almost smooth, receiving costula at posterior 0.3. Ovipositor sheath slightly beyond apex of metasoma. Hind coxa partly irregularly black. Four and subsequent tergites almost entirely black.

Description. Female. Body ( Fig. 1 ) length 6.0– 6.7 mm. Fore wing length 4.4–4.6 mm.

Head. Face ( Fig. 2 ) very short and wide, 4.0–4.1 × as wide as length; median length shorter than clypeus; with dense punctures, distance between punctures 0.5–1.5 × diameter of puncture. Clypeus approximately 2.9 × as wide as long, smooth, basal portion with few fine punctures; apical margin weakly evenly arched forward, slightly convex medially. Mandible ( Fig. 3 ) narrow, long, upper margin almost parallel to lower margin, with fine punctures and yellowish brown setae; teeth smooth, upper tooth obliquely wide, 2.1–2.3 × as long as lower tooth. Malar space 0.5 × as long as basal width of mandible, shagreened, with fine punctures. Subocular sulcus vestigial. Gena ( Figs 4 , 5 ) shiny, in lateral view approximately as long as width of eye, with finely sparse punctures, distance between punctures 1.0–4.0 × diameter of puncture. Vertex ( Fig. 5 ) with distinct punctures, denser on posteromedian portion. Stemmaticum slightly convex. Postocellar line approximately 1.8 × as long as ocular-ocellar line. Frons slightly evenly convex, with more denser fine punctures than vertex. Antenna stout, with 23–25 flagellomeres; ratio of length from first to fifth flagellomeres approximately: 6.5:7.5:7.0:6.5:5.8. Occipital carina complete, lower end joining hypostomal carina slightly above base of mandible.

Mesosoma . Lower portion of pronotum ( Fig. 7 ) with oblique longitudinal wrinkles, upper posterior portion with distinct punctures; subdorsal margin slightly blunt-edge-shape. Epomia short. Mesoscutum ( Fig. 6 ) almost shiny, with fine punctures, distance between punctures 0.2–2.0 × diameter of puncture. Notauli almost entirely absent. Scutoscutellar groove narrow, with indistinct dense longitudinal wrinkles. Scutellum almost flat, with more finer punctures than mesoscutum, basal 0.35 with lateral carina. Postscutellum with irregular indistinct fine punctures, anterolateral portion with deep concavity. Mesopleuron ( Fig. 7 ) with dense punctures, lower posterior portion with dense oblique transverse wrinkles; speculum transverse, shiny, smooth. Between episternal scrobe and mesepisternum with distinct relative deep groove. Upper end of epicnemial carina reaching to subtegular ridge. Sternaulus reaching 0.65 distance to hind margin of mesopleuron. Posterior transverse carina of mesosternum incomplete, median section long, straight. Metapleuron with dense indistinct punctures, lower posterior portion with short irregular wrinkles. Juxtacoxal carina complete, strong. Legs stout. Tibiae expanded apically. Hind femur 2.8 × as long as maximum width. Claw small, simple. Ratio of length of hind tarsomeres from first to fifth approximately: 15.0:6.5:4.8:3.1:5.7. Wings ( Fig. 8 ) slightly gray, hyaline. Fore wing with vein 1cu-a distal to M&RS by approximately its width. Areolet pentagonal, receiving vein 2m-cu slightly distal of middle, 2rs-m slightly shorter than 3rs-m. Postnervulus intercepted at lower 0.3. Hind wing vein 1-cu about 4.0× as long as cu-a. Propodeum ( Fig. 9 ) with complete areas. Area superomedia hexagonal, strongly convergent forwardly, receiving costula at posterior 0.3, posterior side strongly arched forwardly. Area basalis very short, lateral carinae almost absent. Area superomedia almost smooth, with indistinct fine punctures. Area externa with distinct punctures. Area dentipara with dense irregular wrinkles and punctures. Area postero-externa with irregular transverse wrinkles. Upper portion of area petiolaris with indistinct fine punctures, lower portion with dense transverse wrinkles. Propodeal spiracle small, almost circular.

Metasoma. Tergite 1 ( Fig. 10 ) approximately 1.6–1.7 × as long as posterior width. Petiole almost smooth. Postpetiole slightly convergent posteriorly, with distinct fine punctures. Latero-median carina absent; dorso-lateral carina weak. Ventro-lateral carina complete. Spiracle small, circular. Tergites 2 and 3 with dense fine punctures. Tergite 2 evenly divergent posteriorly, approximately 0.8 × as long as posterior width. Lateral sides of tergites 3 and 4 almost parallel. Tergite 3 0.7 × as long as posterior width. Basal portion of tergite 4 with fine punctures. Ovipositor sheath ( Fig. 11 ) hardly beyond apex of metasoma.

Coloration ( Fig. 1 ). Black, except for following: maxillary and labial palpi yellow. Tegula brownish yellow. Basal flagellomeres yellow brown, apical darkish brown. Scape, pedicel, clypeus, mandible except teeth, basal portion of tergite 1, tergites 2 and 3 except darkish spots, yellowish red-brown. Legs reddish brown to yellowish brown. Hind coxa with irregular black portions. Pterostigma and wing veins brownish black.

Host. Reared from cocoons of Asclerobia sinensis (Caradja, 1937) (Pyralidae) .

Host plants. Caragana korshinskii Komarov , C. liouana Zhao Y. Chang et Yakovlev.

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the host-plant’s name.

Differential diagnosis. The new species is similar to D. crassifemur Thomson, 1891 in having head except clypeus, metasoma and anterior and posterior tergites black; tergites 2 and 3 reddish brown; legs entirely or predominantly reddish brown; but can be distinguished from the latter by the following combination of characters: flagellomere 1 1.2 × as long as maximum width; areolet receiving vein 2m-cu distal of its middle; area superomedia with indistinct fine punctures; posterior width of tergite 2 1.3 × as long as anterior width; ovipositor sheath just reaching to end of metasoma; hind coxa predominantly black; basal portion of hind tibia yellowish white. D. crassifemur : flagellomere 1 2.0 × as long as maximum width; areolet receiving vein 2m-cu at its middle; area superomedia with distinct irregular wrinkles; posterior width of tergite 2 1.5 × as long as anterior width; end of ovipositor sheath distinctly beyond end of metasoma; hind coxa entirely yellow brown; hind tibia entirely brown to reddish brown.

Figures

FIGURES 1–4. Dicaelotus caraganae Sheng & Li, sp. nov., holotype, ♀ (CBDPC). 1. Habitus, lateral view. 2. Head, anterior view. 3. Mandible and clypeus. 4. Head, lateral view.

FIGURES 5–11. Dicaelotus caraganae Sheng & Li, sp. nov., holotype, ♀ (CBDPC). 5. Head, dorsal view. 6. Mesoscutum and Scutellum, dorsal view. 7. Mesosoma, lateral view. 8. Wings. 9. Postscutellum and propodeum, dorsal view. 10. Tergite 1, dorsal view. 11. Apical portion of metasoma, lateral view.